X-bit labs

Low-End 256MB Graphics Cards to Come?

Category: Memory

by Anton Shilov

[ 10/03/2003 | 07:25 AM ]

Taiwanese sources reported that 256Mb memory chips for graphics cards fell in price recently allowing manufacturers to install 256MB of memory using 8 chips even on mainstream and entry-level graphics cards. This Fall a lot of graphics cards makers plan to offer ATI RADEON 9600-series and NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600-series based graphics cards with 256MB of memory as a lot of end-users look for more onboard memory on conventional graphics cards.

DigiTimes said that after earlier declines, the price of 256Mb graphics memory chips from Samsung Electronics had stabilized at $4.50 – $4.70 per chip. From Taiwanese DRAM makers, the same memory is quoted at $4.20 – $4.30.

Earlier this year the demand for 256Mb graphics memory chips began to decline and memory makers decided to cut down the volumes of such products. Now that the back to school season boosts the demand for hardware, the business is back on track with the production ramp of both graphics cards and DRAMs.

According to the roadmaps of various graphics cards makers, there is growing demand for graphics cards with 256MB of memory the companies want to address this Fall. Since the pricing of such DRAM devices is now quite attractive, the producers will surely satisfy the demand for this kind of devices. As a result, we will see more graphics cards with 256MB of memory in the market.

Despite of the fact that 256MB of onboard DDR SDRAM memory do not result in any speed boosts compared to the same graphics cards with 128MB of memory, a lot of end-users still look forward to get devices with more memory in a bid for some performance advantages in upcoming 3D game titles. But, on the whole, additional 128MB of memory do not give any speed increases to graphics cards based on relatively slow VPUs, such as GeForce FX 5200/5600 (non-Ultra) or RADEON 9200/9600 (non-PRO).