VRAM | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 27 Mar 2024 09:47:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png VRAM | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Microsoft patents method to increase ray tracing performance with limited VRAM https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/joao-silva/microsoft-patents-method-to-increase-ray-tracing-performance-with-limited-vram/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/joao-silva/microsoft-patents-method-to-increase-ray-tracing-performance-with-limited-vram/#respond Tue, 26 Mar 2024 16:00:55 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=652638 Ray tracing has become a critical component in the gaming industry. However, this technology often comes at a severe performance cost, especially when GPUs have limited VRAM capacity. As a result, developers have been exploring ways to optimise ray tracing for GPUs with limited memory. Microsoft's new patent (via Tom's Hardware) addresses this issue by …

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Ray tracing has become a critical component in the gaming industry. However, this technology often comes at a severe performance cost, especially when GPUs have limited VRAM capacity. As a result, developers have been exploring ways to optimise ray tracing for GPUs with limited memory.

Microsoft's new patent (via Tom's Hardware) addresses this issue by increasing ray tracing performance for GPUs with limited memory. The patent proposes a design philosophy currently used in video games with 3D worlds, where detail settings are lowered the further away an object, NPC or part of the map is. This cost-cutting strategy improves performance by reducing visual quality in regions where it is less pronounced. The same can be applied to ray tracing, reducing quality and detail on the less-noticeable effects.

This approach could benefit GPUs with less VRAM and consoles, allowing them to run more ray tracing titles. Even high-end GPUs with plenty of VRAM may benefit from certain parts of this technique when ray tracing is too demanding.

Technically, modern RT implementations overcome this by relying on upscaling methods such as DLSS, FSR, XeSS, or checkerboarding (console upscaling) to mask the performance disadvantage that ray tracing entails. However, such a system would provide developers with many more options for optimising their applications.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Most developers are looking to support features like ray-tracing nowadays, so the need for improving performance on accessibly-priced hardware remains high. Perhaps something like this could help move the needle a bit. 

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First RTX 4070 Ti Super listing seemingly confirms jump to 16GB VRAM https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/joao-silva/first-rtx-4070-ti-super-listing-seemingly-confirms-jump-to-16gb-vram/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/joao-silva/first-rtx-4070-ti-super-listing-seemingly-confirms-jump-to-16gb-vram/#respond Thu, 28 Dec 2023 16:00:41 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=641931 Over the last couple of months, an incoming wave of RTX 40 Super graphics cards has been heavily rumoured. Now, an EU retailer has put out the first listings for the new cards, with various models of the RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4070 Super.  Thanks to the listings spotted by …

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Over the last couple of months, an incoming wave of RTX 40 Super graphics cards has been heavily rumoured. Now, an EU retailer has put out the first listings for the new cards, with various models of the RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4070 Super. 

Thanks to the listings spotted by VideoCardz, we learned that MSI is planning to launch a Suprim X version of the RTX 4080 Super, as well as a Gaming X Slim, Gaming X Slim White, and a Ventus 3X OC model. The listings also included prices, with the RTX 4080 Super cards varying between CHF 1,230.30 (£1,150) and CHF 1,355.80 (£1,266.31).

Image credit: VideoCardz

We can also expect four RTX 4070 (and 4070 Ti) Super cards. The MSI RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4070 Super cards will have the same card variants available, which include the Gaming X Slim and the Ventus 2X OC models, with a white variant for each. These cards were also priced, with the RTX 4070 Ti Super prices ranging between CHF 992.30 (£927) and CHF 1,063.40 (£993), and the RTX 4070 Super between CHF 777.50 (£726) and CHF 848.70 (£793).

The listings also point towards an upgrade to 16GB of VRAM on the RTX 4070 Ti Super. As for the RTX 4070 Super cards, they'll pack 12GB of video memory. The RTX 40 Super series is expected to be unveiled by Nvidia in January at CES.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: While we've converted the prices here, converted prices from other regions rarely line up with the actual retail price so we'll still have to wait a bit longer to see how much these will cost in the UK. If rumours are any indication, we won't have to wait long for official details. 

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Samsung unveils industry’s first GDDR7 memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/joao-silva/samsung-unveils-industrys-first-gddr7-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/joao-silva/samsung-unveils-industrys-first-gddr7-memory/#respond Fri, 21 Jul 2023 11:30:32 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=623804 Samsung recently announced the completion of the industry's first GDDR7 modules. These will go out to partners this year for verification, propelling future development in the graphics industry.

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Samsung recently announced the completion of the industry's first GDDR7 modules. These will go out to partners this year for verification, propelling future development in the graphics industry.

Following the launch of the industry's first 24 Gbps GDDR6 DRAM in 2022, Samsung is now introducing its 16-gigabit GDDR7 product, which translates to 32 Gbps. With these speeds, Samsung's GDDR7 memory is the company's fastest memory to date. Despite high-speed operations, advances in integrated circuit design and packaging provide increased stability.

Samsung's GDDR7 memory has a 1.5-TBps bandwidth, which is 1.4 times that of GDDR6's 1.1 TBps, and a boosted speed per pin of up to 32 Gbps. These are only made possible thanks to the use of the Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) 3 signalling mechanism rather than the Non-Return to Zero (NRZ) signalling method used in earlier generations. As such, PAM3 provides for 50% more data transmission than NRZ.

Compared to GDDR6, the current design is 20% more energy efficient thanks to power-saving technologies optimised for the transfer speeds provided by GDDR7 memory. In addition, Samsung provides a low-operating-voltage option for applications that are particularly concerned with power consumption.

In addition to IC architectural optimisations, an epoxy moulding compound (EMC) with high thermal conductivity is employed for the packaging material to reduce heat production. These enhancements minimise heat resistance by 70% when compared to GDDR6, resulting in steady performance even under load.

KitGuru says: Samsung claims the first products using its GDDR7 memory will release later this year, but it's unclear what will be using it. Nvidia and AMD won't likely launch GDDR7-based cards this year, but we're not so sure about Intel.

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Micron is producing faster GDDR6X modules, presumably for next-gen Nvidia GPUs https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/micron-is-producing-faster-gddr6x-modules-presumably-for-next-gen-nvidia-gpus/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/micron-is-producing-faster-gddr6x-modules-presumably-for-next-gen-nvidia-gpus/#respond Mon, 08 Aug 2022 13:49:31 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=570286 Prior to the launch of the RTX 30 series, Micron and Nvidia worked closely on GDDR6X memory to bring a speed boost to Nvidia's graphics cards. Now, Micron has begun production of faster GDDR6X modules, seemingly in preparation for next-gen Nvidia graphics cards.  In an update to its website (via Videocardz), Micron revealed that 24Gbps …

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Prior to the launch of the RTX 30 series, Micron and Nvidia worked closely on GDDR6X memory to bring a speed boost to Nvidia's graphics cards. Now, Micron has begun production of faster GDDR6X modules, seemingly in preparation for next-gen Nvidia graphics cards. 

In an update to its website (via Videocardz), Micron revealed that 24Gbps GDDR6X memory is now in production, bringing a speed bump over the 21Gbps GDDR6X memory found on current-generation graphics cards. This news comes just a couple of months before the expected launch window for Nvidia's next-gen GPUs. Currently, the RTX 4090, RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 graphics cards are expected in Q4.

Previously, only Nvidia has used Micron's X-series memory. This was the case with GDDR5X and has been the case so far with GDDR6X. With that in mind, it is likely that Micron is producing these faster GDDR6X modules for new Nvidia graphics cards.

Nvidia has not yet made any official announcements for its next generation of GeForce graphics cards.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: This is a pretty good sign that Nvidia is producing new graphics cards. Whether or not 24Gbps GDDR6X memory will be used on the first batch of new GPUs, or if it'll be reserved for a high-end Ti or Titan series GPU, still remains to be seen. 

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Report claims GPU VRAM prices have risen by 30 percent in August https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/report-claims-gpu-vram-prices-have-risen-by-30-percent-in-august/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/report-claims-gpu-vram-prices-have-risen-by-30-percent-in-august/#respond Thu, 17 Aug 2017 18:21:09 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=344027 We have been hearing about DRAM and NAND prices going on the rise since late 2016, with the most recent update showing that prices won’t be settling down any time soon. Now, it looks like part shortages are also leaking in to the graphics card market, with a report this week claiming that GPU memory …

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We have been hearing about DRAM and NAND prices going on the rise since late 2016, with the most recent update showing that prices won’t be settling down any time soon. Now, it looks like part shortages are also leaking in to the graphics card market, with a report this week claiming that GPU memory prices could spike as much as 30 percent this month.

According to a report coming out of Digitimes in Taipei, graphics card RAM prices have risen by 30.8 percent this month compared to July. Part of the reason seems to be SK Hynix and Samsung dedicating more production lines to the server market. At present, Samsung supplies around 55 percent of the world’s GPU VRAM, meanwhile SK Hynix handles 25 percent and Micron handles 10 percent.

Samsung is rumoured to be expansing its VGA RAM production capacity again in the fourth quarter, though we won’t see the benefits of that until later on. With that in mind, this could cause a shortage in available GPUs for laptops, as video memory shipments begin to slow down.

KitGuru Says: Component shortages have been popping up in the RAM and SSD markets for some time now with varying levels of impact. Hopefully this latest issue doesn't cause GPU pricing to surge more than it already has due to the resurgence in crypto currency mining.

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Micron has started sampling GDDR5X memory, reveals specs https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/micron-has-started-sampling-gddr5x-memory-reveals-specs/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/micron-has-started-sampling-gddr5x-memory-reveals-specs/#comments Tue, 29 Mar 2016 18:46:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=288282 Over the last few months, we have been hearing more and more about GDDR5X memory, which is set to take over from GDDR5 on some next generation graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD, while HBM2 will be reserved for higher end cards. Now today, Micron has begun sampling its GDDR5X chips and has revealed the …

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Over the last few months, we have been hearing more and more about GDDR5X memory, which is set to take over from GDDR5 on some next generation graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD, while HBM2 will be reserved for higher end cards. Now today, Micron has begun sampling its GDDR5X chips and has revealed the full specifications of them to give us an idea of what level of performance to expect.

The first GDDR5X memory chips from Micron come with the model number ‘MT58K256M32JA', which feature 1GB capacity and are rated to run at 10 Gb/s, 11 Gb/s and 12 Gb/s in quad data rate mode, according to a report from Anandtech. 

micron_chips_2-620x400

New GDDR5X memory is largely based on GDDR5 but offers a few key improvements including higher data rates, better capacity options and higher energy efficiency. GDDR5X can also be incorporated on PCBs designed around GDDR5 memory, which means some cards won't need to be completely redesigned to incorporate the new standard.

Right now it is believed that GDDR5X memory will feature on AMD Polaris and Nvidia Pascal graphics cards this year.

KitGuru Says: HBM won't be taking over completely just yet, it seems that the GDDR5 standard is going to be sticking around for a while and these new GDDR5X chips should offer some decent improvements. 

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Micron comments on recent GDDR6 reports https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/micron-comments-on-recent-gddr6-reports/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/micron-comments-on-recent-gddr6-reports/#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2015 13:38:28 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=278370 Earlier this week, reports began circulating surrounding the existence of GDDR6 memory for future graphics cards. The news originated from news site, Fudzilla, which claimed to be in contact with sources familiar with the matter but it seems that right now, Micron is looking to squash any talk about GDDR6 and make its plans for …

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Earlier this week, reports began circulating surrounding the existence of GDDR6 memory for future graphics cards. The news originated from news site, Fudzilla, which claimed to be in contact with sources familiar with the matter but it seems that right now, Micron is looking to squash any talk about GDDR6 and make its plans for 2016 perfectly clear.

While the original report claimed that we would see GDDR6 in 2016, Micron has sent out a statement to various press outlets (including KitGuru) to clarify that it will only be launching GDDR5X next year, which is currently tipped to be used on future Nvidia Pascal graphics cards and some of AMD's future GPUs as well, in addition to HBM 2.

DocImage-Micron-4GB-DDR3-30nm

“The new memory advancements coming from Micron in 2016 are going to be called GDDR5X, not GDDR6. GDDR5X and GDDR6 are not the same product and Micron has not announced any plans involving GDDR6.”

The memory maker also went on to say that while GDDR5X is coming, it is not intended to be a competitor to HBM: “GDDR5X is intended to provide significant performance improvements to designs that are currently using GDDR5, therefore giving system designers the option of delivering enhanced performance without dramatically altering current architectures”.

That last part makes a lot of sense, particularly since we have been hearing rumours that HBM 2 will be reserved for future high-end graphics cards, like the next Fury or Titan, while GDDR5X will be used to provide a boost on lower-tier cards, that would have been designed for GDDR5 anyway.

You can find our initial story on GDDR6, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Micron was quick to comment on these rumours, so it looks like we will only be seeing GDDR5X next year alongside HBM 2 GPUs. 

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2GB GTX 960s to be phased out in favour of 4GB versions https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/2gb-gtx-960s-to-be-phased-out-in-favour-of-4gb-versions/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/2gb-gtx-960s-to-be-phased-out-in-favour-of-4gb-versions/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2015 23:17:06 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=274036 Back in early October, we heard rumours that Nvidia may be preparing some changes to its budget line of graphics cards. More specifically, we heard that the 2GB versions of the GTX 960 would be phased out and discontinued in favour of 4GB versions, now it seems that add-in board partners are gearing up for …

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Back in early October, we heard rumours that Nvidia may be preparing some changes to its budget line of graphics cards. More specifically, we heard that the 2GB versions of the GTX 960 would be phased out and discontinued in favour of 4GB versions, now it seems that add-in board partners are gearing up for this change with new 4GB GTX 960s, which are taking place of 2GB models.

In addition to phasing out 2GB models and leaving behind 4GB versions, some AIBs are also introducing new 4GB GTX 960s, including Galax. Images obtained by Wccftech show a new Galax 4GB KFA2 GTX 960, along with a new GAMER and EXOC model of the card, which all use slightly different cooler designs.

GALAX-GTX960_4GB-EXOC-BOX-Card

While this change is supposedly taking place right now, a quick look at Overclockers UK shows that it is still in-fact possible to grab a 2GB GTX 960, though if reports are to be believed, we shouldn't see that stock replenished. We will likely see more AIBs begin to introduce more GTX 960s before the end of the year, though some already have 4GB versions available on the market.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While the difference between a 2GB and 4GB GTX 960 won't always be noticeable, game engines are becoming more and more demanding on VRAM these days so the extra muscle couldn't hurt. Are any of you thinking of picking up a new GPU in time for Christmas? Would you pick up a 4GB GTX 960 over a 2GB one? 

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Rumour suggests Nvidia may use GDDR5X on Pascal GPUs https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/rumour-suggests-nvidia-may-use-gddr5x-on-pascal-gpus/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/rumour-suggests-nvidia-may-use-gddr5x-on-pascal-gpus/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2015 23:36:00 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=271669 Nvidia is on track to launch its new Pascal architecture in 2016, with reports suggesting that Nvidia is already testing both its GP100 and GP104 chips. Now, new rumours circulating say that there will be a successor to GDDR5 video memory known as GDDR5X, which will début with some of Nvidia's upcoming Pascal based graphics …

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Nvidia is on track to launch its new Pascal architecture in 2016, with reports suggesting that Nvidia is already testing both its GP100 and GP104 chips. Now, new rumours circulating say that there will be a successor to GDDR5 video memory known as GDDR5X, which will début with some of Nvidia's upcoming Pascal based graphics cards in addition to HBM2.

The GP100 GPU will be Nvidia's next ultra high-end card, like a Titan or Ti-series GPU. The GP104 will be the next step up from the GTX 970 and 980 graphics cards. Rumour has it that GDDR5X will keep the same 256-bit memory bus, but the memory bandwidth will be increased to 448GB/sec. HBM2 will also be used, likely on the higher tier GP100 graphics cards, though this has yet to be confirmed.

nvidia_pascal_module

HBM2 will include a 4096-bit memory bus, according to TweakTown, along with a 1GHz memory bandwidth capable of pushing 1TB/sec. Right now, this is all rumour so take this information with a grain of salt and keep an eye out for future information regarding Nvidia's upcoming Pascal architecture.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: HBM has been in the making for years now, so it will be interesting to see how it stacks up to the newly rumoured GDDR5X. How many of you are currently waiting on new architecture from either Nvidia or AMD? Will HBM factor in to your next GPU upgrade? 

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Nvidia might phase out 2GB GTX 960 in favour of 4GB version https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/nvidia-might-phase-out-2gb-gtx-960-in-favour-of-4gb-version/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/nvidia-might-phase-out-2gb-gtx-960-in-favour-of-4gb-version/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2015 16:24:40 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=271395 This week the rumour mill is churning out some news about Nvidia's budget friendly GTX 960 graphics card. According to an add-in board partner source, Nvidia wants to reduce product supply of the 2GB GTX 960 and eventually only offer a 4GB version. This move could potentially put the GTX 960 in a better position competitively while …

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This week the rumour mill is churning out some news about Nvidia's budget friendly GTX 960 graphics card. According to an add-in board partner source, Nvidia wants to reduce product supply of the 2GB GTX 960 and eventually only offer a 4GB version. This move could potentially put the GTX 960 in a better position competitively while also being more attractive to buyers.

According to a new report, Nvidia is looking to shuffle around its budget GPU offerings a bit, right now the green team has the 2GB GTX 950, 2GB GTX 960 and 4GB GTX 960 sitting in the  £129.99 to £199.99 price bracket. Removing the 2GB GTX 960 would clean things up a bit and potentially convince more people to spring for the 4GB GTX 960.

inno3d_geforce_gtx_960_4gb

The anonymous AIB source in question spoke with HWBattle, so we can't verify the legitimacy of this information. However, assuming everything is true, then Nvidia will also be putting its GTX 960 in a better position to compete with AMD's similarly priced graphics cards, including the R9 380, which also comes in 2GB and 4GB variants.

The difference between 2GB and 4GB of VRAM won't be too noticeable in a lot of titles. However, newer games and engines have become much more demanding on both video card memory and system memory over the last year, so the move would help keep Nvidia's budget cards relevant for longer while we wait for Pascal next year.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While the GTX 960 is still a competitive card in the sub £200 price bracket, it looks like Nvidia wants to push it a bit more. These cards still have to last quite a while too, as Pascal isn't due until later next year. What do you guys make of this? Would this be a good move from Nvidia? 

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Some GTX 970 buyers getting partial refunds from Amazon https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/some-gtx-970-buyers-getting-partial-refunds-from-amazon/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/some-gtx-970-buyers-getting-partial-refunds-from-amazon/#comments Mon, 16 Feb 2015 20:43:37 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=235890 We've had a couple of KitGuru readers get in touch to let us know that Amazon US and Amazon UK both appear to be willing to follow in Newegg's footsteps and issue 20 per cent refunds to buyers of the GTX 970 graphics card following the recent VRAM fiasco. Two readers, Tim Spencer and Akaki …

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We've had a couple of KitGuru readers get in touch to let us know that Amazon US and Amazon UK both appear to be willing to follow in Newegg's footsteps and issue 20 per cent refunds to buyers of the GTX 970 graphics card following the recent VRAM fiasco.

Two readers, Tim Spencer and Akaki Mukhigulashvili, sent in chat logs with Amazon customer service, who after a little persuading, agreed to issue 20 per cent refunds on the GTX 970 purchase as a ‘one time exception'. Amazon customer service is usually pretty good and in this case, they are being very generous. These refunds follow on from US retailer, Newegg, which also agreed to give 20 per cent refunds to those that bought a GTX 970.

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Click the images to enlarge. 

If you are genuinely annoyed about the GTX 970 3.5GB VRAM debacle but don't fancy giving up the card entirely, then this may be an option for you. However, there is no guarantee that everyone will get the same treatment. A 20 per cent refund in this case will amount to around $74 or £58, which is quite a sizable amount.

For those that don't know much about the recent controversy, the GTX 970 was recently discovered to only be using 3.5GB of VRAM, rather than the full 4GB on the GPU. This has caused quite a stir as many expected to be able to use the full amount of VRAM advertised on their new cards. Nvidia has since explained that 500MB of the VRAM is reserved for when it is needed but not all games or programs will take advantage of this technology.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Now that there is the possibility of a partial refund without having to give up the card, I imagine a good number of Amazon users will attempt to get their 20 per cent back. Let us know how you get on if anymore of you decide to have a chat with Amazon. 

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Evil Within to run at 30FPS, in letterbox https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/evil-within-to-run-at-30fps-in-letterbox/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/evil-within-to-run-at-30fps-in-letterbox/#comments Thu, 09 Oct 2014 07:46:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=215799 It's a bit of a shame that considering this generation of consoles was supposed to make developing games that were compatible with them and PCs, a lot easier, it seems to be leading to crippled ports. The hardware in them is near identical to a mid to low end gaming PC, so it should be …

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It's a bit of a shame that considering this generation of consoles was supposed to make developing games that were compatible with them and PCs, a lot easier, it seems to be leading to crippled ports. The hardware in them is near identical to a mid to low end gaming PC, so it should be simple. Instead though, most PC ports we've seen so far won't even support a higher frame rate than 30 out of the gate and that's exactly what's happening with the upcoming Evil Within, despite its ridiculous VRAM requirements.

The reason for the low frame rate, was apparently a decision that was made early on in development. “Shinji Mikami and the team at Tango designed The Evil Within to be played at 30fps and to utilize an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 for all platforms”, a Bethesda spokesperson said. “The team has worked the last four years perfecting the game experience with these settings in mind.”

They did however offer a caveat for PC gamers: “For PC players, we’ll provide debug commands on how you can alter the framerate and aspect ratio, but these commands and changes are not recommended or supported and we suggest everyone play the game as it was designed and intended for the best experience.”

evil
I'd sacrifice a few wrecked mouth reflections for a few more FPS

Along with the sub-par frame rate, the aspect ratio seems like a weird choice too. Deliberate letterboxing is rarely something aimed for in an entertainment product, but according to Bethesda the idea is to display “certain elements,” in the black areas off screen. Weirdly, turning them off will be a “console-only,” command. It will be possible on PC, but Bethesda doesn't recommend it.

Despite these restrictions on performance, Evil Within will still need a GPU with at least 4GB of VRAM to be able to run with the highest quality textures.

This is similar to the recent Shadow of Mordor bloated VRAM necessities and it stems from the fact that with the Xbox One and PS4 both feature 8GB of shared system memory that a developer can utilise big chunks of for texture storage. On the PC however, even though system memory is often higher, it can't be so easily shared with the GPU, hence even those with Titans are struggling to run these games at maxed out settings – even if it doesn't make much difference to fidelity when compared with other options like higher resolutions.

The PC version will get some extra graphical options to play with, but if you're running a system with more than 4GB of VRAM, I expect you'll easily be able to max out a game that can run on the GPUs in the PS4 and Xbox One anyway.

PC graphics options include:

  • Fullscreen or windowed support
  • Anti-aliasing – FXAA, MLAA, SMAA
  • Shadow Quality – High, Medium, Low
  • Motion Blur
  • SSAO
  • Reflections

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KitGuru Says: A 30 FPS lock in 2014 seems ridiculous, especially considering the requirements want an i7 or comparable CPU as well as all that VRAM.

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