How important is the memory interface on a GPU?

[Charlie98]

I have EVGA 560ti 448 core GPU in my desktop, it's been a pretty decent card but I'm entertaining the idea of replacing it when the next gen cards come out, but have a question...

The older tech 560 has a 320-bit GDDR5 memory interface... great! When I bought the card I didn't even know what that meant... but in order to get that in a newer card, using EVGA as an example, I have to go to a minimum of a 780 at $500+ ! Not that it isn't a nice card, just a wee bit more than I wanted to spend.

A reasonable replacement for the trusty 560 would be the 760 SC, with more than twice the CUDA cores as the 560... but only with a 256-bit memory... for roughly the equivalent $250 I spent on the 560ti 448 a few years ago.

Does the higher number of cores offset the reduced ability of the memory interface? ...or am I overthinking this? How important is the memory interface in real-world use?

For reference, I play MW1/2 and BF4 (and Solitaire, where I'm SURE I'll need the 4GB GPU memory... :awe: )

 

[Techhog]

You're overthinking it. The 760 will still completely destroy your 560 Ti is every single game. This is the type of thing you should just look at reviews for. If the 760 were weaker than the 560 Ti, it would be pretty well known.

 

[NTMBK]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/858?vs=854

 

[n0x1ous]

I have EVGA 560ti 448 core GPU in my desktop, it's been a pretty decent card but I'm entertaining the idea of replacing it when the next gen cards come out, but have a question...

The older tech 560 has a 320-bit GDDR5 memory interface... great! When I bought the card I didn't even know what that meant... but in order to get that in a newer card, using EVGA as an example, I have to go to a minimum of a 780 at $500+ ! Not that it isn't a nice card, just a wee bit more than I wanted to spend.

A reasonable replacement for the trusty 560 would be the 760 SC, with more than twice the CUDA cores as the 560... but only with a 256-bit memory... for roughly the equivalent $250 I spent on the 560ti 448 a few years ago.

Does the higher number of cores offset the reduced ability of the memory interface? ...or am I overthinking this? How important is the memory interface in real-world use?

For reference, I play MW1/2 and BF4 (and Solitaire, where I'm SURE I'll need the 4GB GPU memory... :awe: )

the bus size is just 1 part of the formula. The other key figure is memory speed. so bandwidth is the number that really matters. Bus width X speed = bandwidth.

the memory speed is much faster on the 760 despite the narrower bus meaning more bandwidth. 760 will destroy your current card.

 

[Charlie98]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/858?vs=854

Jeepers.... I need a new card!

 

[Techhog]

Jeepers.... I need a new card!

Ha, see? Nothing beats raw data... though that data technically isn't for the 560 Ti 448. 760 will still beat it, though.

 

[SPBHM]

560 TI 448
320bit at 950(3800)MHz = 152GB/s

GTX 760
256bit at 1500(6000)MHz = 192GB/s

so even by this the 760 is clearly better, but the main difference is the rest of the GPU which is also much better on the 760

 

[Bubbleawsome]

Don't bother with the 4GB versions though. The 770 has a hard enough time using it, the 760 just won't.

 

[ZippyBanger]

Don't bother with the 4GB versions though. The 770 has a hard enough time using it, the 760 just won't.

Neither GK104 can use 4gb worth of memory, not even in sli.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

Neither GK104 can use 4gb worth of memory, not even in sli.

I tried to explicitly avoid that. Thanks for bringing it up.