"FastWrites" -> WHAT IS IT? pls help

[grippa]

HI,

I searched the whole forum here before posting this thread...& i found many ppl talking about this "FastWrites" option in the ati control panel, but no body has explained it. I'm just confused what it is...can ya tell me what it is? and how it effects performance of the vga? thanx :)

[C&C Freak 2K]

Fast Writes, IIRC, is the name for a mode where graphics data is sent directly from the CPU to the video card, bypassing the system memory altogether. The reason why it's mentioned so often is that some Radeons had problems when Fast Writes was on. Some also recommend turning it off because of this combined with the fact that [people claimed] it didn't provide much of a boost at all.

[grippa]

i dont see any difference when its on or off, but "FastWrite" as the name says is suppose to increase performance right?

[Lateralus14]

There isn't any noticeable difference in performance or image quality either way. The difference is probably 0.1FPS or lower.

[C&C Freak 2K]

..."FastWrite" as the name says is suppose to increase performance right?

The name only means that data takes a FASTer route from the CPU to the graphics card when it needs to be WRITTEn to the graphics card VRAM, instead of having to go though system RAM (which, at least in my case with SDR SD-RAM, can be slower especially when loading in the middle of a game).

[grippa]

so it doesnt do much for newer systems,,,i see. thanx for da help :d