SLI Memory Buffer

[iv4n]

Will two 7800GT cards in SLI give me a memory buffer of 512MB? Do they actually add up? Sorry if this sounds stupid...but...thx in advance for advice

 

[nts]

Originally posted by: iv4n
Will two 7800GT cards in SLI give me a memory buffer of 512MB? Do they actually add up? Sorry if this sounds stupid...but...thx in advance for advice

No it wont. The same data is stored on both cards.

 

[iv4n]

Thx for the quick reply lol

Will 512MB be important for playing the latest 3D games? Some say it isn't really that necessary as of now...but benchmarks from F.E.A.R and COD2 show otherwise..

 

[BFG10K]

Will 512MB be important for playing the latest 3D games?

Definitely.

 

[Matt2]

Playing with uncompressed textures at insane resolutions with AA/AF is where you're gonna see the difference in frame buffer

 

[Cookie Monster]

Originally posted by: iv4n
Will two 7800GT cards in SLI give me a memory buffer of 512MB? Do they actually add up? Sorry if this sounds stupid...but...thx in advance for advice

No, but i hope their working on this for SLi2.

 

[iv4n]

SLI2? What's that?

 

[Keysplayr]

Actually, if the same data is stored on both cards, and each card is assigned a certain amount of the load, E.G. Card 1 in frame # 155448 is rendering the top 60% and Card 2 in that same frame is rendering the bottom 40%, wouldn't that mean that even though each card stores the same textures, in that frame, wouldn't 256MB go toward the top 60% and the other cards 256MB go for the bottom 40%? Essentially being a 256x2 setup instead of a true 512 setup?

 

[kpb]

There might be some situations where depending on how it was impliemented and the exact specifics of what it's rendering that it might behave like it has more than 256mb of ram. If a texture is only used in the top half of the image only the card rendering the top half would need that texture downloaded for example. I don't know if nvidia or ati currently has the ability to detect that and do that but it's theoretically possible. There will definitely be overlaps in geomotry and some textures tho. Things that cross over the boarders and would have to be on both cards or read from the other card some how. I'd have to expect that the bandwidth of the sli connection compaired to the memory bandwidth would mean that it makes the most sense to have it in the local memory for that card if it needs it.

 

[aatf510]

Originally posted by: BFG10K

Will 512MB be important for playing the latest 3D games?

Definitely.

Nope, it's not right, at least the extra 256MB still does nothing in
B&W2
Quake4
F.E.A.R.
Day of Defeat
Splinter Cell: CT
BF2
Doom3


A comparison between the 512MB & 256MB GTX by Anandtech

 

[Munky]

Originally posted by: toattett

Originally posted by: BFG10K

Will 512MB be important for playing the latest 3D games?

Definitely.

Nope, it's not right, at least the extra 256MB still does nothing in
B&W2
Quake4
F.E.A.R.
Day of Defeat
Splinter Cell: CT
BF2
Doom3


A comparison between the 512MB & 256MB GTX by Anandtech

What about COD2? It may not be used in much games now, but unless you upgrade your card every 6 months it would be pretty dumb to buy 2 gtx's with 256mb each.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Originally posted by: iv4n
SLI2? What's that?

Its all rumours but apparently NV is working on a new generation of SLi called Sli2.

 

[aatf510]

Originally posted by: munky
What about COD2? It may not be used in much games now, but unless you upgrade your card every 6 months it would be pretty dumb to buy 2 gtx's with 256mb each.

I don't really think so.
Well, 2 x 256MB GTX is slower but it only cost $900 as oppose to $1400 for 2 x 512MB GTX for a whole $500 more.

 

[BFG10K]

Nope, it's not right

I'm not going through this again after we've just had the last one so I'll direct you to this thread. Read it and educate yourself.

 

[xtknight]

512MB on the video card will be important eventually, or with high resolutions/AA right now. They never tested the Apple Cinema via dual-link DVI did they?