[KevinRudd]

Source: Custom PC Magazine,16th July 2008 by Ben Hardwidge

How much video memory do you really need?

Here’s a card that will be of little use to those with a 32-bit operating system, unless you have an irrational fear of system memory. PowerColor has just announced the first mainstream 2GB graphics card; the PCS HD4850 2GB.

Why would you need so much video RAM? In proper Pidgin English, PowerColor claims that the ‘more the memory buffer, the more the data graphics can be saved - thus eliminating the need to access system memory and providing faster graphical performance.’ The company also claims that the extra memory will help out with ‘real time processing of large textures,’ as well as allowing anti-aliasing to be used at higher resolutions.

The card also features a 665MHz core, offering a 40MHz boost over the standard 625MHz clock. Meanwhile, PowerColor claims that the 2GB of memory will offer a bandwidth of 57.6GB/sec through a 256-bit bus, suggesting that the GDDR3 memory is clocked at 900MHz (1.8GHz effective), rather than the 1GHz (2GHz effective) memory clock on standard Radeon HD 4850 cards.

PowerColor is also planning 512MB and 1GB versions of the PCS HD4850 card, and all the cards will come with PowerColor’s PCS heatsink, which we first saw on the HD 3850 Xtreme PCS 512MB GDDR3.

[Pfa]

Finally. I'm only going to 1GB. 2GB is just overkill. What about the pricing?

[KevinRudd]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pfa

Finally. I'm only going to 1GB. 2GB is just overkill. What about the pricing?

I don't know but Nvidia's GX2 260 & 280 dropped down US$50

[GweeHaoDe]

Make Ur Maple Story 3-D lawl :P

[KiLLiNgo]

just incase someone tries to say that the extra GRAM is only for larger resolutions is partially correct. It also helps aid lower resolution bump FPS too. Get 4 of these bad boys on a Quad Cross Fire System and your sorted.

[yjlasher22]

... you use so much VRAM if you are using graphics heavy resources (photoshop, premiere etc) with gaming its not really needed for so much. it will be a waste of money as its not fully utilised. if you have so much money, opt for GDDR5 VRAM instead

[Rishwin]

Quote: Originally Posted by KiLLiNgo

just incase someone tries to say that the extra GRAM is only for larger resolutions is partially correct. It also helps aid lower resolution bump FPS too. Get 4 of these bad boys on a Quad Cross Fire System and your sorted.

Not really, getting 4 of these would make you an idiot. 8GB of GDDR3 is slower, even the ATI 1950XTX several years ago used GDDR4 which is much faster. Not to mention that you will never use all 8GB and their clock speeds aiint that good compared to the 4870.

2x 4870 > 4x 4850. And they will be cheaper too.

[Dummeh]

there have been 2gb cards out for a while, they are double sized so you could only have 2 in 1 system anyway and why the hell wud you need 4gb gfx?

[Rishwin]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dummeh

there have been 2gb cards out for a while, they are double sized so you could only have 2 in 1 system anyway and why the hell wud you need 4gb gfx?

They aren't any bigger than a regular "dual-slot" card. Many motherboards already have spaces for these cards.

[Mr.Lucifer]

It costs very little for a manufactureer to put on 1 more gigabyte of GDDR3, it's just a gimmick.

[theninjaway]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dummeh

there have been 2gb cards out for a while, they are double sized so you could only have 2 in 1 system anyway and why the hell wud you need 4gb gfx?

Rendering, so say you have an important job to render videos and images, you'd need a very good gfx card, and with that much, you'd be able to multitask. Plus, games are becoming more and more demanding in processing power and gfx processing power, seeing as most games are being ported from systems with GPUs being a priority in the gaming console.

[OnlinePixel]

Quote: Originally Posted by yjlasher22

... you use so much VRAM if you are using graphics heavy resources (photoshop, premiere etc) with gaming its not really needed for so much. it will be a waste of money as its not fully utilised. if you have so much money, opt for GDDR5 VRAM instead

Dosen't GTAIV and another game rely heavily on video memory?

Lewis.