Cloud_Strife

I plan on upgrading to a 6600GT 128MB (check my previous topic: [resolved] Considering an Upgrade. Plz Help!)
But I have a huge problem, I like buying 256MB cards, and my current card FX5500 is 256MB. I cannot find the 6600GT AGP 8X with 256MBs. I know the 6600GT has 128MBs but that is DDR3. Would that make it better than my 256MB Card? With my 5500FX I am playing DooM3 800x600 res, at Ultra quality, yeah it lags but not too much so its playable. I know you need 512MB to play DooM3 Ultra, so if I use the 6600GT 128MB DDR3, would that make its texture rate slower for games like doom3, or would it actually be faster than the 256MB card I have, memory wise. Thanx for the help.

Sarkast

The size of memory is not the most important factor determining the power of a graphics card (the graphic processor, memory interface and memory type +clockrates are). If you google some reviews and benchmarks for older cards (like your 5500) you will see that the performance diffrence between the 128Mb and 256Mb version might be 1-2 frames in a game.
Unless you have a very high end card like a 9800Pro 9800XT 5950Ultra etc 256 really dont make much sense. Its more a marketing trick to sell cards at a higher price.
Depending on the game a 6600GT should probably triple your framerates compared to the 5500.

Sarkast

Take a look at this chart:

http://graphics.tomshardware.com/gra...charts-07.html

The 6600GT isnt in it but performs slightly worse than a regular 6800 - around the performance level of the X800Pro in that chart. The 5500 also isnt in there but you can pretty much figure where it would rank - somewhere on the bottom close to the 5700. Of course the system used for these benchmarks is diffrent than yours - but at least 3 times the framerates of your current card should easily be possible.

mgoldb2

this anouther example of showing you just how much better a 128mb 6600GT is then even high end 256mb cards like 5950ultra and 9800xt