Is more video RAM of any benefit in running TS12?

[bl4882]

I currently have a video card with 1 GB ram. As part of a few general upgrades to my machine (power supply, hard drive, video card, fans) I was thinking of upgrading (it's 3 years old). My question is, is more RAM better? and when do you reach the point of diminishing returns? BTW, TS2010 and TS12 are all I run. No other games or sims. Everything is on one screen run at 1600 x 900.

Bernie

 

[johnwhelan]

IMHO if you have enough memory on the GPU adding more will not improve performance trouble is with Trainz its quite difficult to say how much is enough. TS009 added texture compression so it uses roughly a quarter of the memory that TRS2006 uses with the same assets. However recently texture files have crept up in size although Trainz does compensate by reducing the texture size at a distance. Whether this reduces the need for memory or works better with more memory I wouldn't like to say.

Since TS12 puts more work down to the graphics card then it probably makes sense to think about upgrading a 3 year old one but check here first http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html and see how your card compares. The newer cards tend to use a smaller die size so draw less current per but of performance. As always check the power requirements of the new card carefully. What you're interested in is the "Max. TDP" in toms reviews.

If it helps for comparison purposes I have a gig of ddr5 memory and think that is sufficient for the assets I run and my monitor size. The bigger ie more pixels in the monitor the more memory you need.

Cheerio John

 

[bl4882]

Thank you, John, for the explanation. Sounds as if I have a bit of learning to do before I start shopping.

Bernie

 

[drchoi21]

If you have a 100 to 150 budget, I would recommend XFX 7770 or EVGA GTX 560Ti
If you have a 150 to 250 budget, I would recommend XFX 7870 or EVGA GTX 660 SC
I listed these regardless of power supply, but these video cards have to have at least 400 Watt power supply

 

[johnwhelan]

If your present card is AMD then I suggest you stick with an AMD, if nVidia then I''d stick with nVidia this is more to do with traces of the old drivers inevitably get left behind and cause performance problems. The alternative is to reinstall the operating system which ensures only the drivers you want are present. It can also be useful to remove malware if you have picked any up.

Cheerio John

 

[Robert2d6]

This is what I use to compare GPU's. http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/

 

[hminky]

If your present card is AMD then I suggest you stick with an AMD, if nVidia then I''d stick with nVidia this is more to do with traces of the old drivers inevitably get left behind and cause performance problems. The alternative is to reinstall the operating system which ensures only the drivers you want are present. It can also be useful to remove malware if you have picked any up.

Cheerio John

Just use a driver cleaner program to get rid of the old drivers.

I use "Driver Sweeper".

Harold

 

[johnwhelan]

Just use a driver cleaner program to get rid of the old drivers.

I use "Driver Sweeper".

Harold

I should have mentioned the availability of this type of software but in the corporate environment where reliability is critical an operating system reinstall is the normal way to go. Some programs that edit or clean the registry don't always edit it correctly and can cause problems so I don't recommend them.

Cheerio John

 

[Robert2d6]

I should have mentioned the availability of this type of software but in the corporate environment where reliability is critical an operating system reinstall is the normal way to go. Some programs that edit or clean the registry don't always edit it correctly and can cause problems so I don't recommend them.

Cheerio John

You got that right, it's the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it.. "