GTX 460M (VRAM 1Gb vs 1.5Gb)

Would there be a performance in games difference between the vram? (Since the bb version sadly has the 1gb)

 

I think it barely makes a difference.

Correct me if I'm mistaken.

 

Actually no, because depend on the game how many memory is able to address in the VGA. Currently a few games use more than the 512gb of the vram since the streams the textures to the vga (same techniques used in consoles with limited amounts of ram). It's more important to check what kind of vram the vga uses and the bandwidth more than the amount.

 

Not that much...It's like RAM game doesn't use every bit of RAM.

 

Pretty much zero.

 

It's a gimmick to make it look better when it actually does barely anything.

People purchasing technology are generally attracted to bigger numbers, which in most cases does increase performance, however it's not the case for this.

 

Weird. AFAIK all 460M GTX carries 1.5gb memory. Maybe Best buy got a typo error?

Well sometimes Vram does affect game performance specially if you're outputting it beyond 1920x1080.If you played GTAV which needs 1GB+ or vram to be able to play it on high settings. It really comes down to the games you're playing.

 

i too was looking at the best buy models the g73sw-bst6 and bst8 and was hoping this was a typo while you may not experience a difference it seems odd that they put out an entirely separate card with only 1gb of vram i too was hoping this is a typo.

 

There is a 768mb version of the GTX 460 though might be an idea to check its not this one all though I doubt it sounds like a typo.

1GB is more than enough I had no problems at all running mostly at high on my 512mb card its just for future proofing for higher resolutions although looking at the GT 445m having 3GB of slow DDR3 now that is a marketing scheme!

 

You are all missing an important fact: The more vRAM, the wider the memory bus, allowing for better overall performance.

 

That is not always true, sometimes they use the higher Vram as a marketing gimmick alongside a memory bus that is too small to actually take advantage of it. In the case of the GTX 460M it can take advantage of it so it all comes down to which games you play.

 

Looks like a typo to me.

 

Chastity is right.
If indeed it has only 1GB of VRAM then it may as well run on 128bits wide bus instead of the 192 bits for the ones equipped with 1.5GB and limiting the bandwidth accordingly.

 

If a GTX 460M have 1gb, it will have a 128 bits bus because of the architecture !!! Like a GTX 560M !!

 

The 560M will have 1.5 or more... the 1GB unit was a pre-production unit

 

So you suggest i shouldn't get it?

 

You could have 12gb of vram but if the core GPU cant handle the instructions it takes to handle what would require that amount of ram to be filled it doesnt matter at all.

Any game that would take advantage of filling up 1.5GB of vid ram would chug like hell on a 460 based GPU.

Its marketing. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

The issue is not about filling up 1.5gb of vid ram, but the speed at which you can transfer data to/from that vid memory.
192 bits memory bandwidth, as in 1.5GB vid ram of 460m, is 50% more speedy than 128 bits of the supposedly 1GB 460m version.

 

Exactly. But if they made a 1gb and a 1.5gb version that BOTH ran at 192bit memory, you would get pretty much 0% performance increase in the 1.5gb. At least if the GPU is a 460.

 

What would settle this debate is someone benchmarking a BST6 vs a SW-XT1 or AX1. I am of the opinion that the 1gb version does have a 128bit bus and is therefore slower.

 

How does the more vRAM=wider memory bus? My old 8800m GTS had 512mb of vRAM but had a 256bit bus...

I think it is a typo but like apachehavok said if they have the same bus width the vRAM will make little difference. Any game the will use over 1gb of vRAM would destroy the 460m.

 

Anyone figure out the 1GB version bus width yet?

 

I went to BestBuy this evening to pick up Crisis 2 and they had both the
JH-BST7 and SW-BST6 on display and according to MSINFO32 the 460m on the SW-BST6 only has 1GB.
I realize that most of you were already convinced of this but I had to have confirmation.
I couldn't find any info on bus width.

Edit: Anybody know of a way to get GPU bus width info using Windows built in utilities?

 

Right click on the desktop, select "Nvidia Control Panel". In the new window, select "Help" from the top menu and then select "System Information". In there, it will show the bus width next to "Memory Bandwidth".

 

I'm curious as well.
I was under the impression that 460m has 3 64bit memory controllers and can achieve the full 192bits memory bandwidth with a total memory that is divisible by 3, like 1.5GB or 768MB vram.
1GB vram can only have a bandwidth divisible by 2 (and not by 3), like in 128bits (more likely) or 256bits (not likely)

 

Thanks, I'll go back and look at it again this evening.

 

But I never seen a GTX 460M with 1gb !!! i think its a gtx 460M with 1,5gb !!

 

I just checked mine. The memory interface is indeed 128 bit.

 

Can you give me a sreenshot of your GPU-Z ?

 

i can verify on mine it absolutely only has 1 gb of vram didnt get to check the bus speed yet but unfortunately it is 1 gb.

 

put your GPU-Z screenshot please

 

Here's a shot of my system information. Not sure if that's what you're asking about.

 

GPU-z is a small freeware utility that can be downloaded from here.

GPU-Z Video card GPU Information Utility

 

Looks like it's really 128bit with 1G memory. Can you do some benchmark test like 3dmark06? Just to compare the differences from 192bit 1.5G version.

 

It should be called a gts 460 or something. I would like to see a gpu-z screen shot and some benchmarks to see how bad it is gimped.

 

Well now we know, just need benchmarks.

 

In my opinion the only scenario where a 1.5gb is better than 1.0gb (ignoring the fact that the bus may be faster) would be if you were playing at a high resolution, i.e using an external monitor with a resolution higher than 1920x1080

 

Lest we not forgot that the ATI 5870M is 128bit and has pretty much destroyed every (single) mobility card upto the start of this year.

As per previous discussion unless your using more than 1GB you wont see any performance increase. I managed perfectly fine with 512mb , 1GB is more than enough and by the time you are using the 1.5GB in the GTX 460 it will be too old to matter.

 

I'm not saying anything until we see benchmarks. The proof will be in the pudding.

 

Notebook check although does not always have correct information does not mention anywhere about a 1GB version of the GTX 460. Could they have confused this with the 768mb version? If so they have listed it very high up on the Class 1 benchmark list. I would also be very interested to see the benchmarking results.

 

The 1.5gb version of it is for real men only.

 

Here's my GPU-Z screen. Assuming I posted it correctly.

 

Holy Moly that is some severe drop in power!

Your losing nearly 6gigs of Pixel Fillrate 8 ROP's and 20GB/s on the bandwidth which is massive! The 5870m even at 128bit is running 64GB/s against your 40.

Even worse is that the 8800M GTX which is ancient has 51GB/s Exchange!!!

192BIT 460 GTX

 

Yeah that is going to drop the performance. I think the thread title should be renamed GTX 460m 192bit vs 128bit.

 

I'm amazed that not only did they cut some memory out(which isnt a big deal) but also the bus down as well. Now there is even more reasons to not get the BST6 model, big shame they'd gimp it like that.

 

Looks like im not looking in the Computers section in BB ever again.

 

Yet weirdly the gimped GTX 460M has a higher Texture Fillrate... Weird...

 

I still want to see benchmarks.

 

Me too. Still, my initial impression is I can't believe they nerfed the card that bad.

Makes the G73SW-BST8 look that much worse.

 

Hey,

Also, does anyone know if the ASUS G73JH-BST7 suffers the same problem?

In other words, does the G73JH-BST7 have a nerfed version of the ATI 5870 when compared to the G73JHA1/B1 models?

Also, the standard ATI 5870 that ships with G73JH-es (like the G73JHA1/B1); what is the bus width supposed to be on those ATI 5870 models?

Thanks,

-NRUserII
EDIT: Edited for grammar.