512 meg video cards..very close....

[devvingiorgio]

The Wildcat Realizm 200 boasts a VPU and 512 MB of onboard memory on an AGP 8x-based graphics accelerator. The device is equipped with two, dual-link DVI-I connectors to help drive multiple high-resolution professional displays from a single graphics accelerator, including the dual high-end 9.2 Megapixel displays.

Like the powerful Wildcat Realizm 800, the Wildcat 100 and 200 deliver industry-leading programmability to OpenGL Shading Language and Microsoft DirectX 9.0 HLSL shader programs.
The Wildcat Realizm 800 is slated for availability in the third calendar quarter of this year at an MSRP of $2,799. The Wildcat Realizm 100, with an MSRP of $1,249, and the Wildcat Realizm 200 at $1,599, are slated for availability this August.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anybody know what the estimated timeframe is for the next gen cards from ATI/Nvidia ? like the R500 ?

I figure if I've waited this long for Doom III, I mys well wait another 6 months or so and experience the game for the first tiem in ULTRA Quality mode, which requires 512 of video ram.

thx

[Flashfx2]

Uh, I'm pretty sure that is a workstation card, i.e. not good for gaming. Either way, I'm sure when they refresh this generation of cards we'll have 512 meg cards out.

[-=Ambush=-]

Just get 2 cards is SLI if you want 512Mb.

Is SLI offered for AGP or is it PCI-E exclusive?

[Flashfx2]

It is PCIe exclusive. I don't think it's possible to have two AGP cards on one motherboard. If it is, nobody ever did it.

[Vio1]

its PCI-E exclusive.... have you seen or heard about a mobo with 2 agp slot? no... i dont think its even possible.

[Cerberus2k7]

512meg cards have been out for years, guy.

[devvingiorgio]

sigh,

yes I nkow they're WORKSTATION CARDS

My question is when will the next gen 512 GAMING cards from ATI and NVIDIA slated to be released, thank you

and no, I'm not interested in buying TWO Geforce 6800's and SLI'ing them, I'm just looking for an approx. dates of the new R500 and Nvidias next card

[devvingiorgio]

noone has any idea ?

[Sjaak]

looking at the current 256 meg cards, i predict 1 / 1,5 years before 512meg cards are available

[dguy6789]

what do you mean doom 3 will require 512MB gpu memory? That is crazy. They have even stated that maximum quality settings are possible with 128MB of vpu memory.

[Drec]

what do you mean doom 3 will require 512MB gpu memory? That is crazy. They have even stated that maximum quality settings are possible with 128MB of vpu memory.

no, to run d3 in ultra quaility you need 512mb of video card ram

[micamica1217]

sigh,

yes I nkow they're WORKSTATION CARDS

My question is when will the next gen 512 GAMING cards from ATI and NVIDIA slated to be released, thank you

and no, I'm not interested in buying TWO Geforce 6800's and SLI'ing them, I'm just looking for an approx. dates of the new R500 and Nvidias next card

R500 should be avaliable around 1 year from now.

do not expect a refresh from the x800 lines.

mica

[CrystalMethod]

no, to run d3 in ultra quaility you need 512mb of video card ram

If the game isn't coded to use more than 128 or 256 megs of video memory, then 512 card would be a waste. If the card doesn't exist, how can they program for it? Unless they have a really HUGE inside deal going with ATI/Nvidia/whoever, to optimize the game for an individual company, who's card has yet to be even spoken of, let alone tapped out. Unless you have some sort of inside information you'd like to share with the rest of the class.

[Drec]

If the game isn't coded to use more than 128 or 256 megs of video memory, then 512 card would be a waste. If the card doesn't exist, how can they program for it? Unless they have a really HUGE inside deal going with ATI/Nvidia/whoever, to optimize the game for an individual company, who's card has yet to be even spoken of, let alone tapped out. Unless you have some sort of inside information you'd like to share with the rest of the class.

umm dont bitch at me about it, thats what ID said.

to correct this here is a quote from PC gamer not ID

"The difference between a 128mb and 256mb card is that the former uses compressed textures whereas the latter only compresses diffuse and specualr maps. In another words, no big deal. However, a 500mb card is needed to run the game in Ultra Quality mode. "

[TUK101]

I think that I remember reading that as well. Anyways, I havent heard anything either on anybody working on a 512mb production gaming card yet. Also, for those of you who are ragging on Drec about it, yes, the manufactures do build cards to help the game developers. They are called preproduction cards and they develop the games on them, and then test and optomize on production cards so that us everyday gamers can enjoy the games.

[galois427]

theres no need to for 512mb unless you're doing some serious cad.

[Steelpuma]

What makes a Workstation Card so different from a Gameing Card?

[a c i d.f l y]

Workstation cards are designed for OpenGL/CAD/3D Studio Max -- uber quality rendering, programmeable, not necesarilly for pure frame-rate. They're worried about every single detail as they draw out the next F-xx fighter jet -- not how cool their sidewinder looks blowing up Gihad....

-Frank

[devvingiorgio]

so I'm hearing 1 to 1.5 years from now ?
I was hoping we' dsee them in Jan-Marchish

this is a sad day

[PowerK]

Just get 2 cards is SLI if you want 512Mb.

Is SLI offered for AGP or is it PCI-E exclusive?
Huh ? What're you talking about ? :p

NVIDIA have already stated that the SLI configuration cannot combine memory attributes, only distribute workload equally among both, so even though combined its 512MB of RAM, working together they can only deal with the same size textures as if it were a single 256MB card.

Also, if you remember back to the old days, 2x12MB Voodoo 2's SLI'd did not give you 24MB of usuable RAM.

[EclipseJP]

R500 should be avaliable around 1 year from now.

do not expect a refresh from the x800 lines.

mica

Why do you say this?

[HungryForHertz]

so I'm hearing 1 to 1.5 years from now ?
I was hoping we' dsee them in Jan-Marchish

this is a sad day

ATI will release it early because their current new line is crap compared to Nvdia technology wise. I expect Jan 05. :santa2:

[ShaftedTwice]

theres no need to for 512mb unless you're doing some serious cad.

exactly, its all just gonna be a waste of money until they come out with crazy games taht need that much, which will be in a while.

[a c i d.f l y]

To consume enough texture memory, you'd need to have a huge variety in textures, all being huge textures. And generally speaking... not everyone runs 3000x3000+ resolution so you can't even see the entire textures (and the card doesn't need to render, use up space, for stuff you can't see). Most differences in speed between 128-256mb card sizes is due to the card being able to access the fastest of the chips on the board and not have to dump it amongst all the chips. It is ignorant to think that we'd need more than 256 within the next 3 years... plus, who wants to pay the premium for the price of more and more and more video ram... that we aren't even using?

I sure as hell don't.

-Frank

[gordon]

The accidentally released pdf that showed up on ATI's site some months ago hinted in the footnotes at a 512MB card coming this year. So no, I dont believe they are very far off :o!

[Waachback]

512meg cards have been out for years, guy.

Yea ive seen them out for more then a year.

[Sjaak]

theres no need to for 512mb unless you're doing some serious cad.

some quote about 640k :rolleyes:

lol

[Killmas]

Mention that you expect to see a 512MB board in the consumer space this year. Don’t say that it’ll be R420 based!


taken directly from the notes of an ATI presentation called Save The Nanosecond.

[devvingiorgio]

To consume enough texture memory, you'd need to have a huge variety in textures, all being huge textures. And generally speaking... not everyone runs 3000x3000+ resolution so you can't even see the entire textures (and the card doesn't need to render, use up space, for stuff you can't see). Most differences in speed between 128-256mb card sizes is due to the card being able to access the fastest of the chips on the board and not have to dump it amongst all the chips. It is ignorant to think that we'd need more than 256 within the next 3 years... plus, who wants to pay the premium for the price of more and more and more video ram... that we aren't even using?

I sure as hell don't.

-Frank

Frank , couldn't agree wiht you more, but..did you look through this thread ? :-) Doom III will be utiliazing cards with 512 ram, that's what this is about

[]-[itman]

You have to remember that ID is creating this engine not only for Doom3, but for future ID games and to license the engine to other developers for their future games. They know that in order to make a good engine that people will want to use for the future, they need to have futuristic capabilities in it from the start so that as the hardware capabilities improve, the engine remains as visually impressive and doesn't get tossed aside too soon. So to say that because we don't have 512mb cards out today, ID isn't going to put the capability of using 512mb of VRAM in their engine is careless, especially considering how fast technology improves in today's age. They have a cutting edge, state of the art engine on their hands and they want that to last as long as possible.

[CircuitBreaker8]

lmao 512mb cards have been out for a WHILE

[Sjaak]

lmao 512mb cards have been out for a WHILE

but not on the desktop, or in any way they'd be interesting to us

[a c i d.f l y]

Frank , couldn't agree wiht you more, but..did you look through this thread ? :-) Doom III will be utiliazing cards with 512 ram, that's what this is about

With the way onboard ram has been increasing in multiples of two every 3-4 months.. sure, 512mb cards will of course be the next progression. Hell, the next rev of cards out right now will have that much... is there a effective need, or use for that much? No. Why is ID requiring 512mb onboard? Because you're going to need the technology that comes out with the next cards that just so happen to have 512mb....

SLI will have the processing power to do the "uber-mode" because it splits the screen into two effectively smaller rendering boxes. When only half the screen is being utilized, you don't need 512 -- just 256 for each half. :) (I hope).... why can't these cards be $150-200 like the original Voodoo2's? :cry

-Frank

-Frank

[MetalStorm]

Even if you are using SLI with nVidia cards, you won't be able to use the highest quality settings with 2x256mb cards, that's because the same textures and vertex arrays are going to have to be stored in each card so they can render the image, otherwise if say one of the non compressed specular maps that are only available in ultra high quality mode is on one card and the object needs to be rendered with that specific map then you've got problems, as you're going to be using huge amount of bandwidth transfering things between cards when they are needed on both.

[nafdaos]

To consume enough texture memory, you'd need to have a huge variety in textures, all being huge textures. And generally speaking... not everyone runs 3000x3000+ resolution so you can't even see the entire textures (and the card doesn't need to render, use up space, for stuff you can't see). Most differences in speed between 128-256mb card sizes is due to the card being able to access the fastest of the chips on the board and not have to dump it amongst all the chips. It is ignorant to think that we'd need more than 256 within the next 3 years... plus, who wants to pay the premium for the price of more and more and more video ram... that we aren't even using?

I sure as hell don't.

-Frank

As said before in order to achieve the maximum graphical detail levels that can be achieved throughout the game of DoomIII, you will have to have a video card that consists of 512MB of RAM. As I have mentioned before in another thread, overclocking will not compensate for the lack of VRAM.

Only one game up-to-date is utilizing the technology/textures etc.. to need a 512MB video card. And so with this in your mind dont you think more games are soon to come out utilizing these technological advancements? If we have it and it looks good, why not use it? It can't hurt.

Ponder on that one and take it into consideration.

[twEEkerAreUs]

Originally Posted by HungryForHertz
ATI will release it early because their current new line is crap compared to Nvdia technology wise. I expect Jan 05

Really? I think it is a little extreme to say the ATI x800's are "Crap".

By the way I've heard of 512 Workstation Videocards for a while now, of course not meant for gaming. I guess will find out if Doom 3, UltraQuality settings really need 512Megs of Video Ram when the game comes out in August.

*EDIT* I would have to say about a year or maybe even less. I didn't mean to start a huge ATI VS Nvidia Debate, some comments certain people make I find absurd sometimes :)

[devvingiorgio]

how about wel kill this thread :-/

Let's not start an ATI vs. Nvidia thread...All I wanted to know is if anyone had a good idea on release dates for their NExt gen cards

[a c i d.f l y]

As said before in order to achieve the maximum graphical detail levels that can be achieved throughout the game of DoomIII, you will have to have a video card that consists of 512MB of RAM. As I have mentioned before in another thread, overclocking will not compensate for the lack of VRAM.

Only one game up-to-date is utilizing the technology/textures etc.. to need a 512MB video card. And so with this in your mind dont you think more games are soon to come out utilizing these technological advancements? If we have it and it looks good, why not use it? It can't hurt.

Ponder on that one and take it into consideration.

As my point was obviously not understood, I will reiterate. What I was trying to say is: Doom 3 does not necesarilly NEED 512mb. It would simply need the technology provided it by next-gen cards that would just so happen to HAVE 512mb of ram. Given SLI would offer the performance on par with next-gen cards -- it would be applicable.

512mb of memory is provided for workstation class cards as they need the texture memory for rendering movie-quality environments. Think Lord of the Rings... a GeForce 6800Ulta x 2 couldn't even fathom rendering any of that in real-time. Thus, why would it need such a large texture memory bank?

-Frank

[devvingiorgio]

As my point was obviously not understood, I will reiterate. What I was trying to say is: Doom 3 does not necesarilly NEED 512mb. It would simply need the technology provided it by next-gen cards that would just so happen to HAVE 512mb of ram. Given SLI would offer the performance on par with next-gen cards -- it would be applicable.

512mb of memory is provided for workstation class cards as they need the texture memory for rendering movie-quality environments. Think Lord of the Rings... a GeForce 6800Ulta x 2 couldn't even fathom rendering any of that in real-time. Thus, why would it need such a large texture memory bank?

-Frank

Acid, I don't think anyone is arguing that the game doesn't NEED 512 Vram, but it does hoever NEED 512 vram if you want to run it in ultra quality uncompressed texture mode. For you, medium settings mgiht be fine, but not for me, so my original question is DOES ANYONE HAVE AN IDEA WHEN WE'LL SEE ATI'S R500

I'm hearing early next year, anyone else ?

[flixotide]

LOL.. 512 mb for a gfx card?

Man, I just sorted my old manuals for the trash today, it had a Diamond FireGl Card with 8 monstrous megabyte for CAD rendering, and an anicent triden card with a spectacular 1 mb as well.

But 512? LMAO... thats ridiculous... I wonder when we get to se an architecture where RAM is moved OFF the GFX card again, and mounted on the mobo with a faser bus and access time.... I mean seriously, 512 mb on a gfx card is such inefficient use of memory.

Maybe we'll see those total solution mobos improve over the next year or so..

Cheers, Flix

[heyheyhey]

512MB for a gaming card is completely overkill... Doom 3 will be about the only game to even come close to pushing 256MB.

[devvingiorgio]

seriously, close the thread

heyheyhey, you're obviously new here, but did you see my previous post ?
It's been CONFIRMED Doom III will put 512 Vram to work, so don't say it's overkill, because it's not

[heyheyhey]

Yes, I saw it, but that's only for the absolute highest quality, and because they coded it for 512MB. I'm sure it would work just fine on 256MB if it was coded accordingly.

[Sjaak]

[repeat mode ;)]

a long time ago in a far foreign country someone by then almost unknown said something about 640k

[/repeat mode]

[HungryForHertz]

Really? I think it is a little extreme to say the ATI x800's are "Crap".


ATI got a shock from Nvida because technology applied to the 6800 was better. ATI just beefed everything up, more people are going Nvidia than before.

[DarkDraco]

why dont they just make cards like the good ole days with the removable ram. i remember having an ole 4mb card with 2 empty spots. and i bought those little ram chips and put them in.

[Mr.Guvernment]

^^^ (darn same time poster :p)
^^^ got some stats on how many people are going NVIDIA- and how many are going ATI and in that sense- kind of sad that last years ATi card is keeping on par with a whole new architecture :) And also on that then why does ATi get better quality usally once AA and AF is invovled - since NVIDIA has better technology? And who is to state NVIDA's technology is better then ATI's ? what is better about it? LInks / facts / details?

But anyways - if my budget allows it i do want to get a 6800Gt as well (got my x800 pro on the way)

As for the 512 - it will be exactly! the same as when 256mb cards came out - EXACTLY - it seems 256mb cards still are being used to their full potential as of yet - and now they are talking about 512! then 1g! then 2g! then 4g! :D

i think a while back in wired they figure by 2010 we would have 20GhzCPU's - imagine what the vid cards will be like and on that note what the games will be like!!!! Doom 8! :D

[]-[itman]

ATI got a shock from Nvida because technology applied to the 6800 was better. ATI just beefed everything up, more people are going Nvidia than before.

I'm sorry, but you must have a short attention span. ATI is the underdog here, until the 9700, Nvidia had dominated the market quite thoroughly for quite some time. The shock was given to Nvidia when ATI started to dominate the high end market. Yes the 6800's are very good cards, but don't forget that the GT is a 16 pipeline card while the x800 Pro is only a 12 pipeline card. The fact that the x800 Pro is even competitive let alone practically tied with the GT is quite impressive. If ATI does end up coming out with a lower clocked 16 pipeline card as rumors suggest, then it will easily beat out the GT, it will all come down to pricing. I'm actually quite happy this round of cards, both ATI and Nvidia have come out with very solid cards that are great performers and neither blows the pants off of the other. You'd be well off going either way.

[Helgaiden]

Come on, I've seen workstation cards with a 1gig of memory. 512 on a workhorse is old news.

[Sjaak]

Come on, I've seen workstation cards with a 1gig of memory. 512 on a workhorse is old news.

linky? i wanna see those :eek:

[devvingiorgio]

Helgaiden, I do believe you're full of poo ..I too would like to see a link for a single slot workstation card that has 1 gig on board vram.

and by the way, this thread is NOT ABOUT WORKSTATION CARDS, it's about high end gaming cards and when 512 solutions will be released ! :mad:

[Helgaiden]

ive seen them before on the mfr website. Granted im not sure if its single slot because this was a while ago when i saw.

hmm...cant seem to find it now. Forget my previous post then.

There is no way to mod more memory onto a card?

[HungryForHertz]

^^^ (darn same time poster :p)
^^^ got some stats on how many people are going NVIDIA- and how many are going ATI and in that sense- kind of sad that last years ATi card is keeping on par with a whole new architecture :) And also on that then why does ATi get better quality usally once AA and AF is invovled - since NVIDIA has better technology? And who is to state NVIDA's technology is better then ATI's ? what is better about it? LInks / facts / details?


I read about it in a Computer Shopper article (don't know if you have it over there). It said although X800 series are on par and better, NVIDIA used more pioneering technology (I can't remember how). It doesn't make the car perform better but it is different.

[HungryForHertz]

-[itman']I'm sorry, but you must have a short attention span. ATI is the underdog here, until the 9700, Nvidia had dominated the market quite thoroughly for quite some time. The shock was given to Nvidia when ATI started to dominate the high end market. Yes the 6800's are very good cards, but don't forget that the GT is a 16 pipeline card while the x800 Pro is only a 12 pipeline card. The fact that the x800 Pro is even competitive let alone practically tied with the GT is quite impressive. If ATI does end up coming out with a lower clocked 16 pipeline card as rumors suggest, then it will easily beat out the GT, it will all come down to pricing. I'm actually quite happy this round of cards, both ATI and Nvidia have come out with very solid cards that are great performers and neither blows the pants off of the other. You'd be well off going either way.

I'm not deying both cards are solid. They are, but the NVIDIA is more advanced. I prefer the XT800 to the 6800 myself anyway.
I know NVIDIA previously dominted the market but ATI had strongly positioned themselves in front. They believed that there new line of cards would further establish their lead- but it hasn't. ATI didn't expect NVIDIA to produce something as good as the 6800.

[deathman20]

What ever card it is nVidia or ATI they preform great either way. One preforms better in OpenGL and the other in Direct3D. So theres a difference so what about them they are equal preformers never the less.

As for 512meg cards I also heard something (of course don't remember where) that one of the companies was going to release one this year. If not mistaken it was ATI but I could be wrong on that.

And no doubt that Doom3 can chew that much memory up with graphics if you seen some of those pics, damn :) That is one power hungry game and I want it.

BTW my x800pro softmodded to a x800xt-pe, so it has a nice 16 pipes packing a nice 520core/560mem speed right now and havn't tried pushing it further on stock cooling.. YET

[a c i d.f l y]

The largest card I could find is a 640MB 3Dlabs WILDCAT Realizm 800, on the PCI Express....

http://www.3dlabs.com/products/product.asp?prod=293

I want the cooling on that sucker! :drool:

[Th0r]

-[itman']You have to remember that ID is creating this engine not only for Doom3, but for future ID games and to license the engine to other developers for their future games. They know that in order to make a good engine that people will want to use for the future, they need to have futuristic capabilities in it from the start so that as the hardware capabilities improve, the engine remains as visually impressive and doesn't get tossed aside too soon. So to say that because we don't have 512mb cards out today, ID isn't going to put the capability of using 512mb of VRAM in their engine is careless, especially considering how fast technology improves in today's age. They have a cutting edge, state of the art engine on their hands and they want that to last as long as possible.

Agreed!.. hint the quake 3 engine... that went on for ages..!.