580gtx 1.5gb vs 3 gb

[jtf2]

i had posted elsewhre here about waterblocks fitting the 3gb version.
my ac kickel plated block arrived a while back,now it is card purchasing time.
i game on a 24in monitor,no interest in sli.
besides the obvious more ram,is there any other benefits for gaming,or is that extra ram intended for other uses
i play only fps like bc2
thanks

[supaflyx3]

Don't bother with a 3GB card, from what i've seen the 3GB variants of the 580 perform worse at 2560x1600 then their 1.5GB counterparts. MSI GTX 580 Lightning Xtreme Edition (XE) 3GB Review for proof.

[artistpavel]

3gb gives extra 1-2 fps at minimum framerate, nothing more, don't fall for marketing.

[JJThomp]

3gb version offers no performance increase and is just a money pit, don't get it.

[Arinoth]

As others have stated most games do not need nearly this much memory even on the highest settings. Its essentially a money grab until the new architecture comes out

[_dangtx_]

perhaps when driving a multi monitor setup?

but then again get radeons for that

[Soultribunal]

Originally Posted by _dangtx_

perhaps when driving a multi monitor setup?

but then again get radeons for that

Not even Dan, what you fail to realize is the Architecture itself is the limiting factor.
The Radeons might have some advantages, but they are far from optimized for it.

ST

[_dangtx_]

Originally Posted by Soultribunal

Not even Dan, what you fail to realize is the Architecture itself is the limiting factor.
The Radeons might have some advantages, but they are far from optimized for it.

ST

one more reason to wait for the fall release :)

[jtf2]

thnx all for your input.
off to find the best deal i can pricematch ncix for on an evga card

[El Topo]

Here a review of these cards in sli vs cf: Link

If your going multi-monitor its a good option for sli as the 1.5GB cards can't really handle high res with AA on.

Question: Would these 3GB cards be limited by a dual x8 setup?