Would you buy an 8 GB board, or a 12 GB one with two GPUs?

Mar 30, 2014 21:09 GMT  ·  By
Over the past couple of months, I’ve learned that both Advanced Micro Devices and NVIDIA are preparing to sell video cards with two graphics processing units. Historically, this is understandable enough, but memory capacities are getting out of control. And the same can be said for those new, bizarre things with a single chip.
 
Sure, let’s say that if you use two of the best graphics processing units from NVIDIA or AMD, you need the memory to back them up.
 
Those thousands of CUDA cores or Stream Processors, respectively, need the resources to stretch their legs, as it were.
 
So yes, I can understand a video card with 2 GB of GDDR5 VRAM, or with 3 GB. I can even understand that AMD’s boards, due to the GPU architectural differences or what have you, need, say, 1 GB extra VRAM to work best.
 
In the end, no one is bound to comment much because AMD’s cards and NVIDIA’s are matched, in terms of price-performance ratio, for the most part.
 
But some really bizarre boards have started to appear, with a frankly ludicrous amount of memory, and I’m not talking about the 4GB AMD boards or NVIDIA’s 6 GB ones.
 
Bizarre dual-GPU cards
 
These cards are entitled to their absurd specs somewhat. They have two graphics processing units after all, so it stands to reason that they would possess twice the memory.
 
So when AMD’s Radeon R9 295X got 8GB, I wasn’t surprised, not when the R9 290X has 4 GB. But when NVIDIA’S GeForce GTX Titan Z got 12 GB, I couldn’t help but boggle.
 
That was probably what NVIDIA hoped would happen, but I can’t help but wonder what the card will do with it all.
 
After all, the GeForce GTX 780 Ti only has 3 GB, so 6 GB would probably have been sufficient, even for multi-monitor applications.
 
Granted, NVIDIA did present the Titan Z as a pair of GeForce GTX Titan Black boards fused into one, and the Titan Black has 6 GB (see the video below).
But dual-chip cards are subject to power limitations, and I’ll wager a guess that the clock frequencies will be closer to those of the GTX 780 Ti instead of the Titan Black.
 
NVIDIA said that the Titan Z was meant for 5K gaming (5120 x 2700 pixels) on multi-monitor setups, but I’m pretty sure that even 6 GB would have been enough for that. Especially with all the benefits of the latest drivers and DirectX improvements recently.
 
All in all, no matter what AMD and NVIDIA say, their cards are overpowered to a ludicrous level already. And while I could have glossed over things if the price point of $1,000 / €1,000 was respected, or even that and a half, I can’t help but feel that NVIDIA, at least, went a bit overboard with the $3,000 / €3,000 of the Titan Z.
 
Bizarre single-GPU cards
 
This is the part where not NVIDIA but AMD left me a bit baffled, although a case could be made that it’s not AMD but its partners that are running wild.
 
Still, an OEM board is still an AMD-based board, and a video controller with 8 GB of GDDR5 VRAM but otherwise the same specs as the normal, 4GB adapter seems a bit weird to me.
 
In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, Sapphire is about to start selling (maybe it already has actually) the 8 GB R9 290X VAPOR-X and R9 290X Toxic. Some rival partners may do the same in the near future.
 
Considering that a 4GB R9 290X can run Eyefinity 3 and Eyefinity 6 multi-monitor gaming sessions just fine, I don’t see the point. And really, $799 / €799 (not confirmed) instead of $549 / €549 just for some extra RAM that is arguably out of place?
 
I, for one, don’t see the point. Not when it would be more financially sound (and practical from a performance standpoint) to get two normal boards instead (for CrossFireX). Even the upcoming R9 295 X2 would make more sense (probably priced at $1000 – 1,200 / €1,000 – 1,200 if we’re lucky).
 
The conundrum
 
Why would NVIDIA and Advanced Micro Devices, or their partners (which don’t really do anything without those two knowing) release such beasts? At least half of the extra memory is frankly wasted, and the price premium seems a bit too big just for it (especially for the Titan Z).
 
Maybe it’s reverse psychology. Launch an absurd card and the “normal” AMD R9 290X and NVIDIA GTX 780 Ti / Titan / Titan Black will suddenly seem cheaper, even though they aren’t. Even though they, themselves, are overpowered.
 
Then again, all adapters from the R9 270X and NVIDIA GTX 760 upwards have more video prowess than you’re likely to need.