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Re: How much graphics RAM?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg37063] Re: How much graphics RAM?
• From: Jens-Peer Kuska <kuska at informatik.uni-leipzig.de>
• Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 05:26:27 -0400 (EDT)
• Organization: Universitaet Leipzig
• References: <anp09v$qtp$1@smc.vnet.net>
• Reply-to: kuska at informatik.uni-leipzig.de
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Hi,

DrBob wrote:
> 
> My OPINION is that extra graphics RAM is useful primarily for 3D games

Or complex 3d scientific visualizations ? Textures ?

Try to render the skull from a 256^3 CT scan or the output of a 3d
plasma
simulation and you will know *what* can be done with extra 3d RAM

> (which are themselves completely useless). 

The major effect is, that 3d Games make 3d graphics hardware less
expensive.
Five years ago a SGI cost 20-30 000 $ and today you can have more 3d
power
for 400 $

Regards
  Jens

> 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: [mg37063]  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