128 bit vs 256 bit video cards

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SF_KiLLaMaN

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#1 SF_KiLLaMaN
Member since 2007 • 6446 Posts

What is the differnece? does the 256 bit cards have better preformance? does any game require a 256 bit card? because I'm thinking of getting an ATI 4770 (128 bit) over a 9800gt (256bit).

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aura_enchanted

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#2 aura_enchanted
Member since 2006 • 7942 Posts

the bits there is the fill rate on the gpu in short the higher the fill rate the better stuff like motion blurr and post process effects look. they can be a big deal for someone say trying to achieve benchmark scores in say gta4 or crysis but are immaterial to us simple folk wanting to max the games we love with high fps. though speaking frankly a 9800gt lacks the horsepower a 4770 does due to its energy efficient nature and use of the same template an an hd 4850 (on par with a 9800gtx+ overclocked by a significant amount.

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-GeordiLaForge-

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#3 -GeordiLaForge-
Member since 2006 • 7167 Posts
That refers to the memory interface. Generally speaking, it's prefferable to have a 1:2 number ratio when it comes to the memory interface and memory amount. For instance, my video cards have a 256bit memory interface and 512mb RAM. But the 4770 likely has a very fast memory controller/memory bus speed, so it has tons of memory bandwidth without needing the wider memory interface. But there are many factors that affect a video cards performance... the makeup of the shader pipelines, the number of shader pipelines, the number of shader ops that they compute each cycle, the clock speed of the pipelines, the motherboard interface type, the memory controller, the clock speed of the VRAM, the DirectX feature set, etc. etc. etc....
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hofuldig

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#4 hofuldig
Member since 2004 • 5126 Posts

What is the differnece? does the 256 bit cards have better preformance? does any game require a 256 bit card? because I'm thinking of getting an ATI 4770 (128 bit) over a 9800gt (256bit).

SF_KiLLaMaN
The bus (128 or 256-bit) is what connects the memory to the GPU (im pretty sure) but basicly the bigger the bus is the more data can get through. but the 4770 uses very fast GDDR5 SO for instance you could have a 9800GT with a 256-bit Bus and 512mb of GDDR3 and you have a ATI 4770 with a 128-bit bus and 512mb of GDDR5. sience GDDR5 is newer and is wayy faster than GDDR3 the card with GDDR5 and a 128-bit bus will win.
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SF_KiLLaMaN

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#5 SF_KiLLaMaN
Member since 2007 • 6446 Posts
thanks guys, I'm going with a 4770 on newegg....if they ever get them in stock......
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hofuldig

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#6 hofuldig
Member since 2004 • 5126 Posts
thanks guys, I'm going with a 4770 on newegg....if they ever get them in stock......SF_KiLLaMaN
lol i was looking at them to and im like DANG there all out of stock....
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samuraiguns

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#7 samuraiguns
Member since 2005 • 11588 Posts
[QUOTE="SF_KiLLaMaN"]thanks guys, I'm going with a 4770 on newegg....if they ever get them in stock......hofuldig
lol i was looking at them to and im like DANG there all out of stock....

They sold out in a record week and a half...
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SF_KiLLaMaN

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#8 SF_KiLLaMaN
Member since 2007 • 6446 Posts
if they don't have them in 2 weeks I'm probably just going to get the overclocked 9800GT.