What is so bad about PS2 having 4 megs of VRAM?

[GoldenGuppy]

Some people laugh at it.. but I don't understand how VRAM works... can somebody explain to me what it is, and what it does <maybe throw in some game examples to make it easier for me to understand>. And why it is considered by many foes as a flaw in the PS2? (talks about DC having 8, etc, etc)

Not a flaming post, just looking for some answers, thanks to all responses!

 

[PistachioByAzul]

It's not a flaw, PS2's architecture is such that it doesn't need a lot of VRAM.

 

[Gunbuster]

VRAM holds all the framebuffer info right?

 

[Zenmervolt]

VRAM is the memory to which the GPU has direct access, this is diffenertiated from the system RAM on a computer. Basically it is a faster place to store the graphics buffer, and the more VRAM, the more frames the chip can buffer, and the faster the componant can work (to a point). New computers are typically between 32 and 64 megs, but as EngineNr9 pointed out, it really doesn't matter for the PS2 because the games are speciffically designed with that 4 meg buffer in mind and it is not a limitation if everything is designed for it.

Zenmervolt

 

[GoldenGuppy]

Cool, thanks for the help guys, cuz I'm just really in over my head as to whether or not to get a PS2 now or get the XBOX... those are really the only two systems I'm interested in at this point.

 

[Foamhead]

Cool, thanks for the help guys, cuz I'm just really in over my head as to whether or not to get a PS2 now or get the XBOX... those are really the only two systems I'm interested in at this point.

I think you should get a PS2.

 

[JJChicken]

PS2 was a great system. To me PS1 was better. Wasn't a fan of PS3 and PS4 - too much startup work to do (connecting online, downloading updates) to just play games.

Might get a switch lite when it comes out if its any good. Miss the days of GBA!

 

[dasherHampton]

This thread made me feel young for a second.

I gave away my PS2 a long time ago but I still have my Xbox.

 

[nakedfrog]

I think you should get a PS2.

If he had gotten one when this thread was created, it would now be old enough to vote.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Can someone explain to me how these shitty spam accounts find the most random-ass threads to necro?

 

[JJChicken]

Can someone explain to me how these shitty spam accounts find the most random-ass threads to necro?

Machine Learning Gone Wrong: ATOT Edition

They should necro all the free iPod threads, now that would be sophisticated.

"For all those who made avail of the free iPod offer, we have an EXCITING opportunity to trade in your iPod for the LATEST IPHONE for FREE. Click here"

 

[BurnItDwn]

Spammers love the ole IBM PS/2.
Thankfully, many of the original keyboards still survive from that era fully in tact.

 

[ultimatebob]

Holy Necro, Batman!

Seriously, though: Wasn't 4 MB of VRAM pretty much standard for consoles of that era? Even the best PC's at the PS2's release time probably didn't have much more than 16 MB of it.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Holy Necro, Batman!

Seriously, though: Wasn't 4 MB of VRAM pretty much standard for consoles of that era? Even the best PC's at the PS2's release time probably didn't have more the 16 MB of it.

In like 1996, 4mb was common on a video card

Playstation 2 came out in 2000. By that time, it was already quite obsolete.
Here is a nice review of a Geforce 2 from 2000, compares it vs many of its contemporaries ranging from 32-64mb ram.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/537/9

 

[Foamhead]

Can someone explain to me how these shitty spam accounts find the most random-ass threads to necro?

How dare you call me spam! I have no clue if this guy decided what console he was getting and wanted to kick in.

 

[bbhaag]

Haha a spammer with a bit of an attitude. This is kind of like when a telemarketer calls you and you hang up and then they call you back to give you shit for hanging up on them.

 

[Foamhead]

Haha a spammer with a bit of an attitude. This is kind of like when a telemarketer calls you and you hang up and then they call you back to give you shit for hanging up on them.

So you're the guy that hung up on me. Don't you want discounted car insurance?

 

[bbhaag]

It wasn't car insurance you tried to sell me it was a car warranty. I'll bet the over under on you is 9 posts total.
I'll take the under anyone willing to take the over?

 

[darkswordsman17]

I think I'm one of the few people that doesn't like the PS2. It had good games, but the Xbox and Gamecube both were substantially better systems I think. Heck, I think even the Dreamcast was more smartly designed (although it was a bit like the Saturn in that it was developed a bit before some big advancements in hardware and thus was developed more with a bit older style games in mind; although Sega smartly didn't add cost and complexity by trying to shoehorn in extra capability for that next stuff like they did with the Saturn; but then they botched things with the GD-ROM piracy issue; but them sticking with their plan is what enabled the thing that probably made the DC so beloved with its faithful arcade ports). Its frankly a shame that the PS2 dominated that era.

 

[Foamhead]

In like 1996, 4mb was common on a video card

Playstation 2 came out in 2000. By that time, it was already quite obsolete.
Here is a nice review of a Geforce 2 from 2000, compares it vs many of its contemporaries ranging from 32-64mb ram.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/537/9

I just posted as a joke, I didn't expect this to create a discussion. 4 megs was considered small even then. Sony was counting on insanely fast frame and texture buffers to make up the difference, stating that textures and such could be cycled through lightening fast. I'm not a programmer so I have no idea if this really made up the difference.

 

[Foamhead]

I think I'm one of the few people that doesn't like the PS2. It had good games, but the Xbox and Gamecube both were substantially better systems I think. Heck, I think even the Dreamcast was more smartly designed (although it was a bit like the Saturn in that it was developed a bit before some big advancements in hardware and thus was developed more with a bit older style games in mind; although Sega smartly didn't add cost and complexity by trying to shoehorn in extra capability for that next stuff like they did with the Saturn; but then they botched things with the GD-ROM piracy issue; but them sticking with their plan is what enabled the thing that probably made the DC so beloved with its faithful arcade ports). Its frankly a shame that the PS2 dominated that era.

Sega made the mistake of releasing two full years before PS2 which lead to having hardware that was noticeably inferior, although it's GPU did have double the VRAM and other nice features the PS2 did not.

It wasn't car insurance you tried to sell me it was a car warranty. I'll bet the over under on you is 9 posts total.
I'll take the under anyone willing to take the over?

I'll take the over.

 

[ultimatebob]

In like 1996, 4mb was common on a video card

Playstation 2 came out in 2000. By that time, it was already quite obsolete.
Here is a nice review of a Geforce 2 from 2000, compares it vs many of its contemporaries ranging from 32-64mb ram.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/537/9

I think that I had a Riva TNT2 Ultra based card in 2000, with 32 MB of VRAM. That seemed like a lot at the time.