128 or 256 mb video card

[flyboy0413]

I'm looking to get a new video card in the near future.  Probably an ATI 9800pro or a Nvidia 6800.  Question is:

Is 128MB enough or should I spend the extra money and get the 256MB version?  What benefits will the 256MB version provide?  Is it worth the 50-$100 cost increase?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[congo]

The amount of ram on the card is not the primary consideration, but only a choice to be made when more important decisions have been made.

An ATI 9800 pro for instance, is not in the same league as a NV 6800, no matter what ram is fitted.

The RAM quality actually has more effect on performance than quantity as well, but this subject gets a bit techy.

Suffice to say that different manufacturers use different quality components, so careful research is needed to make an informed choice.

Performance comparison charts between the various video cards are an easy way to shortcut the research, but beware, the card you buy may appear to be the one you wanted, but check the fine print carefully. Let the buyer beware.

Prices can be misleading also, use this site as a general guide, once you have made a choice.

www.pricewatch.com

Good Luck  

[flyboy0413]

ok.. but say I stick w/ a 6800 for instance.  What do I get by going w/ the 256mb?  Better image quality?  Faster frame rates?

[Delta_]

ok.. but say I stick w/ a 6800 for instance.  What do I get by going w/ the 256mb?  Better image quality?  Faster frame rates?

You won't see a benefit with games right now, although a 6800 it is powerful enough to utilise the extra memory.  It is simply a matter of the card being a bit more future-proof, so when games that need more memory come out can use it.  Generally it is only good to get 256MB or higher (there will be 512MB coming out soon) if you have a high-end card like the 6800/x800 as they have enough power to use the extra memory efficiently.

[Gixer]

Depends on the games  ;D  The likes of Far Cry and Doom 3 will benefit greatly from it.

Also some games out now can not be played anywhere near the settings that the new gen cards can.  I run COD @ 1600x1200 with 4xAA and 16xAF all bells and whistles etc and it holds over 60fps all the time (Its limited to 60 by v-sync)  But yes it also is far more future prood than current cards too.

An important thing is to also make sure you get cards with the highest bandwidth too.  i.e. there are 128BIT and 256BIT memory interface cards out there.  The 256bit ones will work more efficiently.  

As with most PC parts just save as much as you can and get the best you can afford at the time!!

[Iroquois]

What Gixer said. More memory is always good to have. Once again it's all up to what you can afford. However, with a 6800 or X800, that 256mb would be worth it.

I think Apple had it right with expandable VRAM rather than built in.  Don't you wish you could do that today, pop a 1gb DDR into your videocard. Thoes vintage computers had some good stuff in them.

[4_Series_Scania]

256MB 9800 against a 128MB 6800 is a no brainer, the 6800 every time.


Doom3 on a 256MB 6800 GT looks stunning, it looks equally stunning on a 128MB 6800, I've built systems with both cards, I'm not joking!

Even the 6800LE (The basic variant) will considerably outperform any 9800 128 or 256MB.

As I say, its a no brainer.