Will the GTX 880 Be Announced at Gamescom?

[DarkSable]

I dont have much experience with SLI/Xfire, but from what I gather the vram doesn't stack between cards only the processing power. Please correct me if I'm wrong as I'm curious.

That is correct.

However, with the more powerful cards, there are usually two versions sold - the normal cards and cards with double the VRAM. For the GTX 580, 1.5GB was the standard amount, but if you ponied up another $50 or so, you could get cards with 3GB.

The reason that mapesdhs was asking this was because the amount of VRAM you have, while it doesn't matter much at 1080p (Even 1GB is enough for most games on max), at 1440p, 2GB is the bare minimum and more than that is recommended.

 

[childofthekorn]

I dont have much experience with SLI/Xfire, but from what I gather the vram doesn't stack between cards only the processing power. Please correct me if I'm wrong as I'm curious.

That is correct.

However, with the more powerful cards, there are usually two versions sold - the normal cards and cards with double the VRAM. For the GTX 580, 1.5GB was the standard amount, but if you ponied up another $50 or so, you could get cards with 3GB.

The reason that mapesdhs was asking this was because the amount of VRAM you have, while it doesn't matter much at 1080p (Even 1GB is enough for most games on max), at 1440p, 2GB is the bare minimum and more than that is recommended.

From my quick google searches after my initial questions I looks like the extra vram models were released specifically for SLI/Xfire, which I find interesting.

Also just to put in perspective anyone else that may not know it looks as though until Heterogeneous Unified Memory Access (will allow for each card to manage the others, while in SLI/XFire, memory controller allowing VRam to stack) is perfected for VRam the memory is currently used in a mirror setting (each card loads the same information to its own VRam [Raid 1 esque]) but the GPU's render frames ahead of each other.

I'm definitely interested in going Xfire once its time to upgrade is ready now that I have a better understanding of it. Especially since the stuttering effects with AMD, and the lack of a Xfire bridge, have been figured out for the most part.

Good info on the 1440P VRam requirements.

 

[mapesdhs]

The reason that mapesdhs was asking this was because the amount of VRAM you have, while it doesn't matter much at 1080p (Even 1GB is enough for most games on max), at 1440p, 2GB is the bare minimum and more than that is recommended.

Yes, spot on, though older games still run fine at 1440 with 1.5GB, it varies. Mind you, with the custom
settings I use for Crysis, even 1.5GB wasn't enough at 1920x1200. See my data.

From my quick google searches after my initial questions I looks like the extra vram models were released specifically for SLI/Xfire, which I find interesting. ...

Hmm, not so sure about that.. often it was a marketing thing, almost like the way we have 4GB 760s,
but in SLI two of them wouldn't be quick enough to run heavy stuff at 4K anyway. However, it does help
even at 1080 in some titles. Crysis by default is pretty ok with 1.5GB, but I use custom settings to
shove the draw distances waaaay back, increase texture details, all sorts of things. As a result, two
580 3GB SLI gets shoved down to around 45 fps avg. 😀 This is with a 5GHz 2700K btw, so no CPU
bottleneck (ASUS M4E, 16GB @ 2133).

Same thing happens with Stalker; the Stalker COP benchmark gives about 200fps avg for two 580 SLI
(half that for the SUN test; AMD cards are stronger for the SUN test), but with the settings I use I get
more like 60 avg, though I'm using Stalker SHOC so maybe that makes a difference, not sure.

VRam to stack) is perfected for VRam the memory is currently used in a mirror setting (each card loads the same information to its own VRam [Raid 1 esque]) ...

Yup, the usual method - SGI was doing this sort of thing twenty years ago with MaxIMPACT graphics. 😀
Same data sent to both texture engines. Indeed, RE gfx from some years earlier works in the same way -
texture memory doesn't get combined with multiple RM boards (though VRAM does in that tech).

I've been obtaining lots of 3GB 580s though because they're really good for After Effects CUDA stuff. I've
bought about 11 of them in the last year (four 580s is quicker than two Titan Blacks for CUDA in AE).
Here's my whacko AE research rig.

Ian.

 

[Chris Droste]

I'm still on a 6590 2Gig and i was starting to resign myself to a 280x to try and ride out another generations of graphics but if I can get my hands on a 4gig GTX880 before the Holidays I may just skip the 280x and wait for it. I was really getting annoyed having to choose between overpriced re-hashes of older-gen tech (kepler) or too-damn-hot current-gen (thanks hawaii) chips. a 120-180w loaded maxwell part feels like just the ticket to me.

 

[mapesdhs]

I read today that the 280X is basically the same as the 7970 GHz edition. If so then the 280X isn't really
that much of a kick up the scale. Need to find a review, check on this...

Ian.

 

[Chris Droste]

yeah but I'm on a 6950, so, 2 generations old now. I'm on the strange QXVGA res 23" Samsung (2048x1152) monitor so slightly above 1080p res. depending on the game and detail levels It'll drop down into the 20s for things like Guildwars2. it's not bad per se but this is on a Q9950 so i had been gearing up for a Devil's Canyon build with a Hawaii card. Given the how sensitive this generation of GPU's been with memory, heat, and power consumption and that I don't have the extra cash to just pony up for a 780 my choices are in a state where i can either get a refinement of the 79xx series or have to wait things out on a Kepler card. i really like the 750Ti but if I'm putting down money I won't be satisfied with just that level of performance, and I'm just not all that warm to the 760...

 

[mapesdhs]

One extra data point for you: I won my 2nd GHz edition 7970 3GB today for 136 UKP total (see
item 261539415998 on ebay.co.uk); there are plenty on eBay for good prices, both BIN and
normal auction. Two 7970s in CF would be pretty potent all things considered; check CF results
for the 280X to compare. More power hungry I expect than a 780 or whatever, but a hefty
upfront cost saving given the performance potential (should be quicker than a 780 Ti). Personally
I prefer NVIDIA, but thought I'd mention the idea just in case.

Ian.

 

[DarkSable]

[...] More power hungry I expect than a 780 or whatever, but a hefty
upfront cost saving given the performance potential (should be quicker than a 780 Ti). Personally
I prefer NVIDIA, but thought I'd mention the idea just in case.

Erm... just to check, you're saying that two 7970 GHz editions are faster than a 780 Ti, right? Not that a single one of them is? 😛

 

[mapesdhs]

Correct! 8)

I was sure 7970 CF would be faster than a normal 780 (because I already know that my two
832MHz 580s are quicker than a 780), but I checked toms' charts yesterday to be certain.

Quite easy to confirm really, just look at where the GHz 7990 sits in the charts.

Ian.

 

[10tacle]

Hopefully, the announce of GTX 880 and 870 will reduce the price of 780 ti !

Not going to happen if they follow what happened to the 670s and 680s after the intro of the 770s and 780s. Prices didn't drop hardly at all and people who needed an upgrade naturally went for the 770 when the 680 was nearly the same price. Instead retailers like New Egg just let their inventory of their 670s/680s dwindle down, mostly from people looking to get a second of those cards for SLI. I badly need to upgrade my 680 since moving to 1440p and will definitely be getting the 8-series this time around.

 

[Bloob]

Not seeing any PC-only AAA titles being announced recently, and with the current console gen being as weak as they are, I see no reason to upgrade for the next few years.

 

[childofthekorn]

I'm still on a 6590 2Gig and i was starting to resign myself to a 280x to try and ride out another generations of graphics but if I can get my hands on a 4gig GTX880 before the Holidays I may just skip the 280x and wait for it. I was really getting annoyed having to choose between overpriced re-hashes of older-gen tech (kepler) or too-damn-hot current-gen (thanks hawaii) chips. a 120-180w loaded maxwell part feels like just the ticket to me.

AMD just announced their next gen GPU's will be 20nm in 2015. Should have a pretty good effect on heat. Make sure to get a non-reference AMD card as they typically have far better cooling than the reference models. Had to slap an aftermarket cooler on my HD 5850 which took care of all my heat issues.

 

[childofthekorn]

Not seeing any PC-only AAA titles being announced recently, and with the current console gen being as weak as they are, I see no reason to upgrade for the next few years.

Partially true. However, considering some titles from the last gen consoles being able to scale up in quality as much as they could I can't wait to see what we get with the current gen.