7600GT AGP - 512MB DDR2 or 256mb DDR3?

[Pinchy]

Looking at 7600GT prices, I can get a 256mb Palit DDR3 (560/1400) for $155, OR an MSI 512mb DDR2 (unknown clocks) for $159.

Id almost certainly go for the 512mb (only 1GB of RAM in comp + at high resolutions, 512mb helps) BUT its only DDR2, and I cant find anything about the clock speeds of it.

MSI have also got poor specs on their site, and it looks like they have copied it from another card:

http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1144&maincat_no=130&cat2_no=136

NVIDIA® SLI™ Technology
Delivers up to 2x the performance of a single GPU speeds. Full support for Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 enables stunning and complex special effects. Next-generation shader architecture with new texture unit design streamlines texture processing for faster and smoother gameplay.

LOL, SLI on AGP.

High-Definition H.264, MPEG-2 and WMV Hardware Acceleration
Smoothly playback H.264, MPEG-2, and W MV video including WMV HD with minimal CPU usage so the PC is free to do other work.

Isnt this on DX10 cards ?

256-Bit Memory Interface
Delivers more memory bandwidth and efficiency to power the latest games and applications at blazing speeds.

I wish there was a 256bit 7600GT @ that price...



Leaning towards the 512mb version for the extra couple of bucks. I mean, the clock speeds cant be that much slower can they?

Also, ive read that DDR2 is a lot hotter than DDR3. Does it also suck much more power?

Thanks in adv!

 

[theonetruewill]

Get the 7600GT with 256MB of GDDR3. A 7600GT will never cope with the reolutions required to play with more than 256MB of memory; so go for the faster GDDR3.

 

[Pinchy]

Lol, thats what they said about my X1950 PRO , but it is a lot better (in certain games) from 256 --> 512mb on the TV.

Looking at reviews, the 7600GT performs on par (sometimes better, sometimes worse) than the 7800GS. I couldnt believe this (16vs12 pipes and 256vs128 bit), but I looked on a few sites and the results were similar.

Also, the PC only has 1GB of RAM, so that might make the 512mb graphics memory help. (Not too sure myself, just a guess).

Thanks for the suggestion though .

 

[L|NK|N]

If you plan to overclock, the DDR3 memory will certainly to better than the DDR2..

 

[theonetruewill]

Lol, thats what they said about my X1950 PRO , but it is a lot better (in certain games) from 256 --> 512mb on the TV.

Looking at reviews, the 7600GT performs on par (sometimes better, sometimes worse) than the 7800GS. I couldnt believe this (16vs12 pipes and 256vs128 bit), but I looked on a few sites and the results were similar.

Also, the PC only has 1GB of RAM, so that might make the 512mb graphics memory help. (Not too sure myself, just a guess).

Thanks for the suggestion though .

Only in games that use a lot of textures or if you're gaking at high resolutions. Thus the Faster GDDR3 will beb better for this card in this case. You're X1950Pro (although I don't personally think 512MB is worth it on that card either) is a better GPU and can handle games with lots of textures far better thus the 512MB is more releant with that card. The 7600GT is a low-end card. Why put 512MB of GDDR2 on a low-end card? To make it sound better to people thats why.

 

[Pinchy]

Not too sure about overclocking. Knowing me, ill probably OC it to the max, see what I can get with it, then run it at stock from then on in .

Lol, the 7600GT isnt a low end, its midrange of last generation. Still, I see where your coming from and the 512mb would probably be a waste of dough.

With regards to what MSI listed on their website:

Im sure about the SLI and 256bit thing. With the hardware acceleration, that IS a DX10 thing (well, found on the new series), isnt it?

 

[theonetruewill]

The X1950Pro is mid-range. The 7600GT is now low-end- it can only play most new games @ 1024x768 (NFS:Carbon) at MAX settings. It can handle a few with 1280x1024 with 2AA and 4AF (eg FEAR)but it's not a card I would ever say is now mid-range. Any higher resolutions and it goes below a minimum playable 25fps par, at which games have visible stutters and jerks.

 

[Pinchy]

Yeah, but its midrange of last generation .

 

[theonetruewill]

Yeah, but its midrange of last generation .

Which is now old-hat technology beaten by today's superlative cards. Don't get me wrong I like the 7600GT (used to own one) and enjoyed a 3D06 battle with xtant25( ....he won), but I don't think they are mid-range cards. I understand you're view but old mid-range is definitely not current mid-range; and that's what you should be more concerned with.

However I am threadjacking; so back to original topic.

 

[Pinchy]

Na I totally agree with you. They are "low end" compared to the new cards that are out. I just have a bad habit of relating the card to its generation (I still call an X800 "high end" )

They were pretty good for their time though, and the computer will only be used for really light gaming (and not the latest games...just LAN games like CSS, BF2, etc). Just trying to bring some life into my AGP multimedia system (on the TV) that is currently struggling with a 128mb 9800 PRO .