Graphics Memory Sizes Compared: How Much Is Enough?

EconolineCrush writes "Trying to decide between whether or not to get a 64MB graphics card, or spring for that 128MB version? Hit up this article, which explores the performance of ATI and NVIDIA-based cards with 64 and 128MB of memory, before swiping your credit card. Not so long ago 32MB was the top end for graphics memory on consumer video cards, but now even budget cards are available with 128MB. 128MB might seem excessive now, but a year from now 64MB cards might just be obsolete."

Comments

Re:removable RAM?

[Milican]

I appreciate the healthy skepticism. I think all of us agree that modular RAM could be added to the system. However, there are engineering tradeoffs. By soldering the RAM directly to the board the signal quality is better and therefore timing can be sped up. I went all over the net looking for specific proof that connectors, especially DIMM connectors add capacitance. The best I could find was one from Molex, one of the connector manufacturers themselves. They state in their Product Specification PDFs (hope that nasty generated link works) that the connector (part# 71736-0011) adds 1pF of load at 1MHz with a 50 Ohm impedance. Now as you increase the speed of the bus to say... 100MHz, 200MHz, etc.. it gets worse. Sorry I couldn't find a better link for ya.

Anyway... yes, engineers could design in removable RAM, but consider this. The RAM types are changing all the time! You would pay an extreme premium for the specialty RAM because it would vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, card to card, even model to model. The memory types are changing all the time and getting faster all the time and thus the connectors would have to change to keep up with the speed. For now it really is just easier to solder it on. Besides that card of yours will be worthless in two to three years anyway... ;)

Hope that helps dispel some of the skepticism.

JOhn