- TurboCache
NVIDIA's TurboCache technology is a method of allowing
graphics cards more availableframebuffer memory by using both on-board video memory and main system memory. Main memory is accessed using the high-bandwidthPCI-Express bus.TurboCache was developed as a means to provide a better cost/performance ratio by reducing the amount of memory modules on the video card. According to NVIDIA, a GeForce 6200 with TurboCache will perform about four times better than the Intel GMA 900. As with integrated graphics, the operating system may report a lower amount of main memory than is physically present when main memory is used.
When TurboCache was introduced on the GeForce 6200 with TurboCache, there was confusion over how much local memory a buyer could expect from the TurboCache enabled video card. This figure could lie between 16-128MiB, with NVIDIA listing only total memory from both video memory and main memory. Eventually, NVIDIA included only video memory sizes on marketing and packaging.
While TC can improve 3D quality in games using a great deal of graphic memory for texture rendering, performance of games utilizing a large percent of system RAM (such as EAGames' Battlefield series and their mods that typically consume 512MB-1GB RAM) can suffer dramatically on systems with 1GB RAM or below. Google searches show many users of cards with TC desperately trying to disable TC. Such an option is not supported by nVidia's official drivers but can be accomplished using a registry modification for Windows users.
A video card with turbocache typically is slower in 3d benchmarks than a similar video card which has its own discrete video memory.
Video cards officially supporting TurboCache
*GeForce 6200 TC
*GeForce 6200 SE
*GeForce 7100GS
*GeForce 7200GS
*GeForce 7300LE
*GeForce 7300GS
*GeForce Go 7400
*GeForce 7500LE
*GeForce 8400GS
*GeForce 8500GT
*Certain models of the GeForce 8600M GTee also
*
HyperMemory - similar technology implemented byATI Technologies .External links
* [http://www.nvidia.com/page/turbocache.html NVIDIA's TurboCache page]
* [http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2300 GeForce 6200 TurboCache: PCI Express Made Useful]
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