G400 with 16MB or 32MB

[Double]

Hello !

A friend of min wants to invest in a G400 and asked me if he should buy the 16MB or 32MB version. I dind't really know what to tell him - he has a 17" monitor.


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Regards

Double

[rickn]

32MB for sure.

[UncleJoe]

32 Mb, ofcourse !

[DuRaNgO]

if he goes with the 32mb, he might get lucky and end up with one of the un-maxed versions with -5ns memory

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PIII-500mhz @ 620 ! with an Abit BE6 mobo
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Fill Rate 268.79 MTexels/s

[Double]

Thank you for your quick replies, I might just add a few things.

What's the advantage going from 16MB to 32MB of your monitor is a 17" - he will probably never use a resolution higher than 1024*768.

And last but not least, he wants my advice to be cost-effective (hell I would have told him to go for the MAX, if money wasn't the problem.)

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Regards

Double

[SiRiO_KD]

I'm using G400DH with 16Mb at 1024x768 32bit, and there's no differences with 32Mb version of G400 of my friend.

16Mb version costs less, and if you doesn't use GAMES that use more than 16Mb, your friend can buy thiz version.

cya.

[Jorden]

Well, there's this difference:

If you have the 16Mb DH, and you use two monitors on it, each monitor socket gets 8Mb of video-memory.

If you have the 32Mb DH, each monitor has 16Mb video-memory.

I think that the most cost-effective advice you can give him is buying the 32Mb DH, for then he doesn't need to upgrade as early as all those 16Mb DH owners do.

Jorden.

Jorden.

[James]

Also, if I recall correctly, you can't simply upgrade a G400 16 meg by adding a memory module or anything. You're stuck with 16 megs. Upgrading would mean dumping it and getting another card entirely.

[Paddy]

Yup, no upgrading.
Still the 32Mb doesn't cost that much more

[Nuno]

Definitly 32 mb. The G400 has enough raw power to run the next-gen games (coupled with a fast cpu, of course) and 16 Mb will hinder that raw power: With a 16 Mb board, Q3 (a fine next-gen games example) at 1024x768 hasn´t space for all the textures and the G400 must do AGP texturing - nice, but much slower than its own 168/200 Mhz 128 bit Sgram memory...

[CMB]

i dont know about much slower
i have a Marvel G400 (essentially a 16mg G400)
and in 1024x768 in 32 bit with EVERYTHING ON
in Q3 Demo 1 i get 27-59 frames... and thats with no turbo gl just the ICD
from the max posts ive seen without turboGL it gets around 30-31 minimum fps
so theres not that much difference

i cant run Unreal tournament in 32bit at 1024x768 but then i cant run it in 32 bit with everything on low and in 640x480 so ive a feeling my 16mg isnt the issue...
what do you guys think...

[Nuno]

http://www.sharkyextreme.com/hardwar...ndepth/d.shtml

[CMB]

Yeah i read that to when i firs got a marvel,
i thought i would be dissapointed by the 16mg peeformance, but its constanlty suprised me, and OUTperformed my firends 32mg TNT2 in everygame but segarally.
i mean if you have the extra money then get 32 by all means
im just saying that 16mg isnt as bad as everyone makes out...
try getting other 16mg owners to post and see how they fare...

[Maniac]

Yeah I'm not too concerned, right now there is not a whole lot of games which will let you play(at 30+ fps) at the color depth/resolutions that require 32 meg cards...

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Celeron 300A@464 2.0V, Abit BH6 G400 16meg DH@150/200, Western Digital Expert 18gig, Ricoh mp7040A, Pioneer 6X DVD slot load, Motorola Cable Modem w/DEC ethernet card, Soundblaster Live Value Ver. 2, Viewsonic GT 775