A FRIEND of ours let us know that Nvidia chips might be able to address as much as 2048MB of memory. We decided to follow up that lead. It transpires that the chap is right as we have confirmed that NV40, NV45 and G70 chips can address up to 2GB or memory.
It seems that Nvidia memory controller can handle more than we thought. We reported that R520 memory controller can address 1024MB and thought that was a big deal, but when we asked around, it turns that ATI can support even more than 1GB of graphic memory.
Many people may ask why the heck would you want a 1024MB card, at a time when most games require up to 256MB for nice detail. Well you guys are forgetting about one very profitable market - where Nvidia and ATI are selling some professional rendering toys.
Both Nvidia and ATI have some major contracts with Formula 1 teams, car manufacturers, movie production studios, flight simulator companies, military, of course and other high end customers. Some of them are rich enough to pay up for a custom design card.
We heard that Nvidia built some special Quadro cards with 2GB memory on them. We will try to find out which firms ordered and need those kind of cards but you might use it for insane FSAA settings on flight simulators I guess.
A few years back David Kirk, Nvidia's chief scientist, told me that he would make me a chip of my desire to my specification if I ordered enough pieces. That’s how the semiconductor industry works anyway. It makes chips to sell for cash and not to bring world peace.
We still find it amazing that you can add 2GB memory to a graphics card.
It seems that Nvidia memory controller can handle more than we thought. We reported that R520 memory controller can address 1024MB and thought that was a big deal, but when we asked around, it turns that ATI can support even more than 1GB of graphic memory.
Many people may ask why the heck would you want a 1024MB card, at a time when most games require up to 256MB for nice detail. Well you guys are forgetting about one very profitable market - where Nvidia and ATI are selling some professional rendering toys.
Both Nvidia and ATI have some major contracts with Formula 1 teams, car manufacturers, movie production studios, flight simulator companies, military, of course and other high end customers. Some of them are rich enough to pay up for a custom design card.
We heard that Nvidia built some special Quadro cards with 2GB memory on them. We will try to find out which firms ordered and need those kind of cards but you might use it for insane FSAA settings on flight simulators I guess.
A few years back David Kirk, Nvidia's chief scientist, told me that he would make me a chip of my desire to my specification if I ordered enough pieces. That’s how the semiconductor industry works anyway. It makes chips to sell for cash and not to bring world peace.
We still find it amazing that you can add 2GB memory to a graphics card.