Do I need the 1 GB 460 GTX or will I be fine with 768 MB?

[Moop69]

I've been looking for a 1 GB EVGA 460 GTX to no avail. Has anybody else found one? EVGA's warranty is hawt.

Anyway, I've seen plenty of 768 MB versions, so it got me thinking: Do I really need the 1 GB version or could I get away with the 768 MB version?

I'd want this card for maxing out Conan and BFBC2 at 1650x1050/1900x1200(I'm going to buy a new monitor at some point..Idk whether 22" or 24"). I don't play much in the way of single player games(I find online ones more fun I like killing real people and the trash talking can be hilarious to read/listen to). Could the 768 MB version do that? I'm kind of wary of it because I remember it taking a dump in one of the benchmarks that Tom's did due to the 192 bit bus.

Also, side note. Can anybody confirm any cards that DO have coolers on the VRMs? After seeing that the Palit cards don't I'm glad that I canceled my order. I'd like to keep this card for a couple of years(SLI if I feel I need more performance) so I'd like to be able to keep the temps cool so it'll last well. Can I expect that sort of life if I OC to say 800 MHz on stock voltage(I know that people have gone higher on stock, I just don't know much about OCing and card life)?

How big of a PSU would I need to be able to leave the option of SLI open down the road?

 

[Moop69]

Okay. Would 550W be enough if I was also OCing my processor? It's an E6750 that I'd want to take to 3.3ish GHz. Or would it be a good idea to go to 650W just to be safe?

Also, about SLIing. Since the 460 GTX takes 2 6 pins, am I going to have to use Molex to 6 pin adapters or is it possible to get 4 6 pin connectors on the PSU?

 

[SeF]

768MB version will only hang when using high resolutions + AA filters in recent games for example.

 

[wiinippongamer]

few games like gtaiv or crysis use 800+mbs of my 5850's memory, and i'm just running 1360x768.

 

[asteldian]

If you are planning on playing at 1920 x 1080 then you need the 1gb version.
In an ideal world you want nothing less than a 5850 for 1920 x 1080
The 5770 is too weak for that reso.
The 5830 is also not powerful enough to bother buying for HD res
The 460 768mb is around the 5830 in power. In fact, according to benchmarks it is more like dancing between a 5770 and 5830 (but always take these with a grain of salt).
The 460 1gb falls between the 5830 and the 5850, so, if you cannot afford a 5850, or want to stay with Nvidia, then the 460 1gb is not too much weaker than the 5850 so can get away with using it. (you can also OC it to over the 5850 performance so most games will be good at max settings)

So, in short, do not get the 768mb if you plan on playing at 1920 x 1080 resolution - it is not worth the cheaper cost. Certainly don't settle for the 768mb version if your only reason is because the brand you like is not selling the 1gb version - there are plenty of great brands around, especially XFX.

 

[asteldian]

I said take with a grain of salt, but:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-460-gf104-fermi,2684-8.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-460-gf104-fermi,2684-9.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-460-gf104-fermi,2684-11.html

In between exactly as I said. Obviously different games have different effects, but the 1gb is much better.

 

[SeF]

If you are planning on playing at 1920 x 1080 then you need the 1gb version.
In an ideal world you want nothing less than a 5850 for 1920 x 1080
The 5770 is too weak for that reso.
The 5830 is also not powerful enough to bother buying for HD res
The 460 768mb is around the 5830 in power. In fact, according to benchmarks it is more like dancing between a 5770 and 5830 (but always take these with a grain of salt).
The 460 1gb falls between the 5830 and the 5850, so, if you cannot afford a 5850, or want to stay with Nvidia, then the 460 1gb is not too much weaker than the 5850 so can get away with using it. (you can also OC it to over the 5850 performance so most games will be good at max settings)

So, in short, do not get the 768mb if you plan on playing at 1920 x 1080 resolution - it is not worth the cheaper cost. Certainly don't settle for the 768mb version if your only reason is because the brand you like is not selling the 1gb version - there are plenty of great brands around, especially XFX.

The difference between 768MB and 1GB in most benchmarks is very low (5-8%) even in high resolutions like 1920x1200.

@off-topic:
Why most reviewers test using resolutions 16:10 instead of 16:9?

 

[wiinippongamer]

and you are a complete fanboy

 

[wiinippongamer]

broadway psus suck...