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RE: How much graphics RAM?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg37005] RE: [mg36992] How much graphics RAM?
• From: "DrBob" <drbob at bigfoot.com>
• Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2002 05:32:46 -0400 (EDT)
• Reply-to: <drbob at bigfoot.com>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

My OPINION is that extra graphics RAM is useful primarily for 3D games
(which are themselves completely useless).  A static 3D plot doesn't
need that much graphics RAM -- it's the rapid transformation of it, to
simulate live action, that may require it.

On the other hand, if the manufacturer's limits are that low for
graphics RAM, I would get another manufacturer.  Who knows what other
limitations and compromises they'll saddle you with?  I would be very
suspicious.

Bobby

-----Original Message-----
From: Murray Eisenberg [mailto:murraye at attbi.com] 
To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
Subject: [mg37005] [mg36992] How much graphics RAM?

We are about to order new PCs for a university student lab in which 
Mathematica will be installed.  Of course they will be using 2D and 3D 
graphics -- plots of surfaces, e.g.  Sooner or later students will want 
to rotate such plots, too.

An unresolved issue is how much graphics RAM to get.  On existing 
machines we typically have 64MB.  But for the PCs we are looking at, 
manufacturer's limits on graphics RAM, rather than cost, seems to limit 
us to 32 MB.

Is 32 MB adequate not just now, but likely to be adequate as well for 
the near future (say, a 3- to 5-year equipment lifetime)?

-- 
Murray Eisenberg                     murray at math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower      phone 413 549-1020 (H)
University of Massachusetts                413 545-2859 (W)
710 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01375