512MB vs. 256MB Graphics Memory

To test the performance improvement (if any) 512MB of graphics memory brings, we tested ATI’s Radeon X1900 XT 256MB against a 512MB X1900 XT board. For the NVIDIA cards, we also underclocked a GeForce 7900 GTX to GeForce 7900 GT speeds, as we don’t have a GeForce 7900 GT 512MB card on-hand. Let’s see if the added graphics memory plays a role shall we?

Notes

As you can see, the extra 256MB of graphics memory improved the performance of our simulated GeForce 7900 GT 512MB by 7% at 1600x1200 and 11% for the Radeon X1900 XT 512MB. The X1900 XT 512MB pulls away even further from its 256MB equivalent at 1920x1200. Clearly it looks like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. stands to benefit from the extra graphics memory provided by the 512MB cards.