Hmmm...excellent question. Here is my opinion:
More system RAM is always better...in theory. With more system RAM your computer can load more into RAM and do less hard disk swapping. The only difference more video RAM will do is allow you to play games at higher resolutions and use more textures before swapping with system RAM. That's it.
There is one way that less video RAM could degrade system performance in a game with small amounts of system RAM. If you are using all of your system RAM, plus the game/demo you are running uses more texture memory than you have video RAM, then in theory it would have to go to hard disk swapping to compensate. This would seriously kill the speed of the card. I guess that is what might have happened with you...
More video RAM means higher resolutions and more texture data can be stored on the video card. So as long as you have enough RAM that the game doesn't have to hard disk swap, then it works all fine.
I'll stop rambling now.
Jammrock
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PIII 450@504, 256 MB RAM, 35 GB total w/ WD Experts, Abit UDMA 66 controller, CL 6x DVD, PLEXTOR 8x4x32 ATAPI CD-RW (my newest toy), G400 32 MB DH, SB Live! w/ Digital I/O, LinkSys Etherfast 10/100, DSI 56k modem, Addtronics 6896A Case w/ a crap load of fans and Dynmat noise dampening, MAG DX715T monitor.
Hi, my name is Jammrock. I'm a computer phreak and an EverCrack addict.
More system RAM is always better...in theory. With more system RAM your computer can load more into RAM and do less hard disk swapping. The only difference more video RAM will do is allow you to play games at higher resolutions and use more textures before swapping with system RAM. That's it.
There is one way that less video RAM could degrade system performance in a game with small amounts of system RAM. If you are using all of your system RAM, plus the game/demo you are running uses more texture memory than you have video RAM, then in theory it would have to go to hard disk swapping to compensate. This would seriously kill the speed of the card. I guess that is what might have happened with you...
More video RAM means higher resolutions and more texture data can be stored on the video card. So as long as you have enough RAM that the game doesn't have to hard disk swap, then it works all fine.
I'll stop rambling now.
Jammrock
------------------
PIII 450@504, 256 MB RAM, 35 GB total w/ WD Experts, Abit UDMA 66 controller, CL 6x DVD, PLEXTOR 8x4x32 ATAPI CD-RW (my newest toy), G400 32 MB DH, SB Live! w/ Digital I/O, LinkSys Etherfast 10/100, DSI 56k modem, Addtronics 6896A Case w/ a crap load of fans and Dynmat noise dampening, MAG DX715T monitor.
Hi, my name is Jammrock. I'm a computer phreak and an EverCrack addict.
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