Is the GF4 Ti 4200 128 meg really worth, or go for the 64?

[Informant X]

I'm sure this has been beaten to death already, but quickly i was just wondering. I've seen that the 64 meg out performs the 128 meg version. I was like wth? So now it's got me wondering, should i just go for a 64 meg or is a 128 really worth it?

 

[Lonyo]

The 64MB verison has faster ram than the 128MB version, not saying clocked differently, but actually slightly faster ram.
At the moment I think 64MB is enough for most games at medium resolutions, but future games (Doom 3) will require more than 64MB VRAM to work nicely because of the textures. If you don't plan on upgrading within a year or so, I think I'd advise you to go for the 128MB card, but if you think you'll get something further down the line within a year or so, the 64MB card should suit your needs in the meantime.

 

[KingofFah]

Like Lonyo said, you should make this decision based on what you will be doing with it. The 64mb will outperform the 128 in games that do not make use of the extra 64 on the 128 card. It is kind of like having dead weight on the card in that case. If you are planning on playing high end games with a lot of large textures, then you should get the 128 version.

 

[Soulkeeper]

if you keep yur eyes open you can find 128mb versions with the same speed ram as the 64mb ones
if you get a 128mb version with the same speed ram then it should at the worst perform exactely the same as the 64mb one
there are a lot out there
i would definately get the 128mb version, just cause

as we've told so many people that have asked this question before
it will be better for future games like doom 3



happy new year

 

[BFG10K]

Get the 128 MB card.

 

[AnAndAustin]

Both are fine choices with pros and cons but I'd go for 128MB. The perf diff with and without o/c'ing is VERY small as there is a small boost with 128MB even in games not utilising the extra RAM. The perf hit when a game does req more than 64MB is going to be big, expect a GF4TI4200 o/c'ed to near 4600 speeds to fall to std 4200-128MB speeds. Another factor is that selling on a 64MB card in 6-12 months is going to be difficult, just try selling a 32MB card now! There isn't a bad choice by any means but IMHO get the 128MB 4200 unless the price is too much. Brnads to avoid are Evga, AOpen and Gainward non-GS as these are known to skimp on some of their 4200 cards, other than that the 4200 cards are VERY similar by any manu. Do look out for the 4200-8X 128MB cards as these should use the same higher clocks and faster RAM of the 4200-64MB m aking them very potent indeed, the AGP8x means virtually nothing in itself. Other enhanced 4200 cards are:

Abit OTES (nice design but not really worth it).
HardOCP OTES
Suddy OTES

And the 4200 cards using the longer 4400/4600 design and more expensive RAM. Expect a VERY high o/c with these cards, 4600 perf should be pretty easy:

PCstats Albatron P Turbo
OCadd Albatron P Turbo
Xbit Suma Special Edition
O/C.ru Suma Special Edition
HardOCP Asus Deluxe (not in the same league)

Do consider how much extra you're paying for an enhanced 4200 as the 4600 or even better Radeon9500PRO may not be much extra! Anyway, here's some links to help with the 64MB vs 128MB:

AnAndTech 4200 roundup
Tech Report 4200 roundup
Tech Report 64MB vs 128MB (all cards clocked to 250/500 to isolate the RAM diff)