GTX 970 SLI Shared Memory? 4GB or 8GB?

[mrousavy]

Hey guys, I'm going to get another GTX 970 and run it in an SLI config (2x ASUS STRIX GTX 970), and I have two questions.

1) Do I have 4GB or 8GB then? Will the memory be shared in a Raid kinda thing?

2) If a game needs more than 3.5 GB of VRAM, will it use the slower 0.5GB, or the 3.5GB on the other card?

Thanks,

Marc

[Unhelpful]

Hey guys, I'm going to get another GTX 970 and run it in an SLI config (2x ASUS STRIX GTX 970), and I have two questions.

1) Do I have 4GB or 8GB then? Will the memory be shared in a Raid kinda thing?

2) If a game needs more than 3.5 GB of VRAM, will it use the slower 0.5GB, or the 3.5GB on the other card?

Thanks,

Marc

1. SLI does not add. You have 4gb.

2. It will use it in order and when you hit 3.5gb you will use that .5gb slower reserve. 

[MeltingPoint]

Its just 4GB for now, until DX12 gets released.

[Peter Vaughan Truslow]

Its just 4GB for now, until DX12 gets released.

careful there. that's only rumored. even if it is possible, it's not guaranteed it's going to be widely implemented.

[dizmo]

Its just 4GB for now, until DX12 gets released.

 

careful there. that's only rumored. even if it is possible, it's not guaranteed it's going to be widely implemented.

 

It's not rumored, it's fact. However, it's up to the developer to enable such things. So. Good luck. Look at how long we've had multiple core CPU's and yet they still refuse to move from the smallest common denominator.

[Peter Vaughan Truslow]

It's not rumored, it's fact. However, it's up to the developer to enable such things. So. Good luck. Look at how long we've had multiple core CPU's and yet they still refuse to move from the smallest common denominator.

by rumored I mean that is rumored that games will support it. developers don't enable things. that implies that it's as simple as flipping a switch. what developers really do is implement things, which is much more complicated and can require rewriting lots of code.

I'm only beginning to program, but when I was told to change my code to implement something as simple as functions, I ended up spending more time rewriting my code to pass pointers back and forth than I did to program the logic of the program itself.(the code in my example was a basic median image filter)

[dizmo]

by rumored I mean that is rumored that games will support it. developers don't enable things. that implies that it's as simple as flipping a switch. what developers really do is implement things, which is much more complicated and can require rewriting lots of code.

I'm only beginning to program, but when I was told to change my code to implement something as simple as functions, I ended up spending more time rewriting my code to pass pointers back and forth than I did to program the logic of the program itself.(the code in my example was a basic median image filter)

Oh, it won't be used for any older games. Only ones going forward.

Enabling by recoding is the same thing. Don't argue semantics. It's a failing battle.

[Not_Sean]

Look the upgrade is worth it jsut by itself without the Ram stacking as its been proven that SLI 970's beat a 980. and in my country the two options are very very similar priced. I'm going for a second 970 prob in a year or so, My performance is amazing right now so no need to shell out the money. 

 

Short answer, IMO Go for it. I've done a lot of reading on the matter and its a very solid upgrade, Plus it looks badass inside the case.