Graphics GTX 460 single card: 1GB or 2GB?

Hi everyone,

I'm buying a new PC shortly, and I've decided on the GTX 460 as my graphics card. When pricing them up, I found that I can get a 2GB version of the card (Palit GTX 460 2GB Sonic) for not much more than than a 1GB version.

I automatically assumed that this would be the best option, as more memory = better performance, or so I thought. I've read on some other sites that 2GB of memory will make no difference on a single card.

Is this true? Or is it just in the sense that it doesn't make a difference currently as games don't require 2GB yet?

If it's the latter, I'll probably spend the extra and get the 2GB card to hopefully future-proof the PC for a little longer.

Thanks

 

2gb would only come in handy if you gamed with a massive resolutions like 2560x1600.

1gb is plenty, if i was you i'd look at the Gigabyte 460GTX.

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1GB-...z-Shader-Clock-1430MHz-336-Cores-DL-DVI-mHDMI

Apparently it's super quiet and runs very cool thanks to the Dual Fan aftermarket type HSF.

If you install GPU-Z you'll see that most games don't even use 500mb of the GFX memory.

 

2GB is tempting, but is serious overkill on a mid-range card like the 460. It is debatable on higher end cards like the 5870, but only as a future proofing measure and for multiple-monitor setups. There is basically no difference in today's titles at any single screen resolution.

I would go with the Gigabyte 1GB. Everyone seems to love that one.

 

This, for budget builds even 512MB is still viable depending on resolution - with the 5670, for instance, which I had to research recently, the 1Gb performs almost identically to the 512MB. In huge games it would make a small difference, but those were such demanding games that the card couldn't run them well anyway.

 

decide for yourself

http://en.expreview.com/2010/08/08/exclusive-review-of-zotac-geforce-gtx-460-2gb-edition/9041.html/8

 

That table says it all really.

The 1GB Palit GTX 460 Sonic is £167. GPU clock 700Mhz, GDDR5 3600MHz and Shader 1400Mhz. The 2GB version runs at the same speeds but costs £189. As proved 2 GB only gives you an advantage at insane res or multiple monitor setups. Are you planning a multiple monitor setup?

The 1GB Palit GTX 460 Sonic Platinum is only £179. clocked at 800MHz, 4000MHz and 1600MHz. You'll porbably get more performance from the 1GB Sonic Platinum than the 2GB Sonic for a tenner less. You'll probably be able to OC all these a bit as we know they love to OC.

I've got the Gainward GS:GLH running at 850, 4250 and 1700 and it's great. No change in temps from factory OC and still nice and quiet cooler.

Made of Win!

 

Thanks a lot for the replies everyone

You're right, looking at that table the extra memory makes virtually no difference, which surprised me. I assumed maybe in a couple of years when more demanding games were released the extra memory would help, but it seems I'm best just buying the 1GB card now and then upgrading it at a later date.

Thanks for the help.

 

I've seen a couple of reviews benchmarking the 1GB vs 2GB 460's and they both have the same frames per second in games!

 

For 2D Surround the extra memory might help in certain games like Just Cause 2 however it is questionable whether the GTX460 would have enough raw grunt to enable the features that would breach the memory limit in the first place. Mouthful over, for single card uses up to 1920x1080 there is simply no difference between the 1GB and 2GB models, assuming of course that the clock speeds are identical. At 2560x1200 there may be a difference but it is unlikley that you would be running a single GTX460 at this resolution anyway.

 

http://benchmarkextreme.com/Articles/GTX 460 ANALYS

Here is a comparison.

 

Link fail. Try this one.
http://benchmarkextreme.com/Articles/GTX%20460%20ANALYSIS/P1.html

 

I think you are missing something about these cards and the reason for having 2gb of memory with them.
This card is all about gpu processing power, not gaming as such. If you are running software that has options for using the GPU for processing such as 3d max, video composting, or other software that is extremely processor heavy, this is a great choice for you. Also as more and more software comes out with the ability to take advantage of GPU processing, the card will prove to be even more invaluable to consumers.
Benchmarks for ComputeMark on Extreme don't even work in the 1gb version of this card:

"Note that ComputeMark’s “extreme” setting simply wouldn’t finish on the 1GB card. It would crash, or we’d get the dreaded “Your graphics driver has stopped working and restarted” error. So not only did the 2GB card get somewhat higher numbers (even though the core clock is lower), but it could actually complete ComputeMark on its “extreme” setting."
-quoted from Lloyd Case, Maximum PC http://www.maximumpc.com/article/reviews/palit_geforce_gtx_sonic_2gb_review