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    FW400 Series with ATI 4650 GDDR3 or DDR3?

    Discussion in 'VAIO / Sony' started by tassadar898, Jul 17, 2009.

  1. tassadar898

    tassadar898 Notebook Evangelist

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    Does anyone know what type of video ram it has, GDDR3 or DDR3?
     
  2. NHT

    NHT Notebook Evangelist

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    GDDR3 and DDR3 are the same thing to graphics cards
     
  3. Tinderbox (UK)

    Tinderbox (UK) BAKED BEAN KING

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  4. Derrida

    Derrida Notebook Deity

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    I recall a posting from someone in Heidelberg with an FW4 model who indicated it was DDR3 (because I then made a joke saying, "Not GDDR3?" which plays on the acronym for the former East Germany).

    DDR3. In fact, that is one of the special features of the HD4000 series, its ability to use DDR3 instead of more expensive GDDR3.
     
  5. cy007

    cy007 Notebook Deity

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    How fast is the DDR3 4650 exactly? A lot slower than the 4670 on the Dell XPS 16?
     
  6. matixryder

    matixryder Notebook Consultant

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    Just alit slower and in fw400 series it ddr3. I checked at gpuz
     
  7. Derrida

    Derrida Notebook Deity

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    Here are some links to bookmark on comparing GPUs:

    http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Graphic-Cards.130.0.html
    http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html
    http://www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html

    BTW After more than a decade of Dells, I would never get another -- esp. with the Sony lines available.
     
  8. Lapi

    Lapi Notebook Enthusiast

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    It was GDDR3 and i check it at my nearest shop by GPUZ 0.3.4 (ati 4650 1 G) and also http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=398054 the GPUZ on the image show that ati 4650 512mb also is GDDR3. Hope it help!
     
  9. Derrida

    Derrida Notebook Deity

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  10. jensw

    jensw Notebook Enthusiast

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    For my FW45V (512MB HD4650) Everest reports GDDR3 600MHz
     
  11. Derrida

    Derrida Notebook Deity

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    Jelly Geo's was 1GB -- greater incentive for Sony to switch to DDR3 instead.
     
  12. tassadar898

    tassadar898 Notebook Evangelist

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    its GDDR3 =D in the 1 gig version too
     

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  13. Derrida

    Derrida Notebook Deity

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    On which model, in which country? That will always be the question.
     
  14. matixryder

    matixryder Notebook Consultant

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    yeah mi bad it's gddr3 in US fw490 cto.
     
  15. sasank16

    sasank16 Notebook Enthusiast

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  16. matixryder

    matixryder Notebook Consultant

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  17. Darth Llama

    Darth Llama Newbie

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  18. Derrida

    Derrida Notebook Deity

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    Okay, so Jelly Geo has 1 GB of DDR3 (as per GPU-Z) on, I believe, an FW465J/B (go check the link I provided to be sure), others have GDDR3 in their differently-configured models, and Sony Listens even reports GDDR2 instead of GDDR3 on the 490CTO.

    Upshot: That's the glory of the ATI HD4000 series -- it has the flexibility to accept regular as well as GDDR memory. This enables Sony to offer different configurations in different models (i.e., pre-configured ones, especially) to keep its costs down and offer the FW4 for less than it is currently selling FW3 remaining stock.

    That's what return policies are for: If the variations that these different modules represent make it, in your view, worth your while to defect to another manufacturerer, it is likely that some other issue will be disappointing (e.g., the bluish-tinted screen of most Dells, for example).

    So, evaluate the trade-offs in each configuration offered, and good luck with your choice!
     
  19. Zaber123

    Zaber123 Newbie

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    I'm on the edge of purchasing a Vaio FW490 CTO with the 1 GB 4650. I'm nervous because even though I see all of you with the GDDR3 and I know it has already been stated that sony quotes a DDR2 but I went ahead and asked for myself and got the same response. I don't understand how Sony could be flat out wrong here. What do you guys think? Should I pull the trigger or maybe go look for some 9600M GT options.
     
  20. panzer06

    panzer06 His Imperial Majesty

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    Don't buy Nvidia and if you do, the 9800m is much closer to the 4650 than the 9600m.

    Cheers,
     
  21. Zaber123

    Zaber123 Newbie

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    So even if it is the DDR2 variant (which is probably isn't) then it's still the best deal in a laptop of about $1,000?