does the 3rd Gen iPad have a RAM Increase?

[Lukeyy19]

in the keynote during the Epic Games demo, the guy said the new iPad has more memory than the PS3 and the Xbox 360.

The PS3 and the Xbox 360 both have 512Mb of RAM, does this mean we're getting 1GB? or was this not what he meant?

 

[grahamnp]

What you've pointed out is the basis of all current speculation. It would make a lot of sense to increase RAM but nobody knows any better than you do right now.

 

[Lukeyy19]

i know nobody knows for sure, i just wanted to get other people take on this.

Do we normally find out by people getting in to the system or during ifixit's teardown?

 

[citivolus]

I want to know this too. Does the iPad have dedicated video memory? If so maybe that's what he was referring to given the retina display upgrade.

 

[jwhazel]

A matter of semantics but the ps3 only has 256 of main memory.

Asfar as the ipad, the verge seems to think yes: http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/7/2853448/sources-apple-new-ipad-makes-leap-1gb-of-ram

I have nothing to go on but speculation. However i kind of think yes too. I'm not fully sure how the gpu works in idevices but the retina screen is going to need a larger framebuffer. If it shares with main memory, it would be calous not to increase it and the next logical step would be 1gb.

Edit: confirmed about ipad using main memory as vram (at least in the ipad and ipad2). They would be taking a small step backwards in performance if they didnt up the ram in the new ipad.

 

[WLS]

I guess so..
http://www.appleinsider.com/article...les_new_ipad_doubles_ram_to_1gb___report.html

 

[tlinford]

Educated Guess.

I would take as educated guess, and say defiantly will be a RAM upgrade..... BUT.... This extra RAM will be consumed in the handling of the 4 times more data that it will require to drive the Retina Display..

I am surprised that Apple didn't call this device the iPad2X, because the dual core main processor is the same as before (I suspect another iPad, maybe in the not to distant future that gives is quad core CPU as well as GPU?).

The new quad core graphics will all be consumed in controlling that display.... Apart from the idea of increased colour sauturation I am not sure about the need for such a HiRes Screen on such a relatively small device? Maybe it has to be seen to understood?

 

[Lukeyy19]

I would take as educated guess, and say defiantly will be a RAM upgrade..... BUT.... This extra RAM will be consumed in the handling of the 4 times more data that it will require to drive the Retina Display..

I am surprised that Apple didn't call this device the iPad2X, because the dual core main processor is the same as before (I suspect another iPad, maybe in the not to distant future that gives is quad core CPU as well as GPU?).

The new quad core graphics will all be consumed in controlling that display.... Apart from the idea of increased colour sauturation I am not sure about the need for such a HiRes Screen on such a relatively small device? Maybe it has to be seen to understood?

this is what i was thinking, even if the extra ram is because of the display it means the iPad won't be slowed down due to the display, which i would expect apple would not want, so it seems like it's promising...

also the higher resolution is perfect on mobile devices because you hold them closer to your eyes than a Computer or Television.

 

[jwhazel]

Again, only a guess but I dont think the extra ram is going to necessarilly be eaten up by the display. Frame buffer will only be a few MB. Drawing 2d and UI elements requires very little processing power. When developers start tapping the power of the retina display for 3d and partition of a huge chunk of ram for the canvas and textures, thats when youll see it eat up some memory. But for everday websurfing and general app usage, this quad gpu will go mostly unused.

 

[theman510]

This is a pretty major spec, I wonder why they wouldn't at least mention this during the announcement event.

 

[tlinford]

Apple Shy..

This is a pretty major spec, I wonder why they wouldn't at least mention this during the announcement event.

I think Apple have always focussed more on what their devices actually do, more than they do specs...

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day; he asked "why would anyone pay that amount of money for an iMac when I can buy a PC similar with higher specs and for less money?"... So I showed him some of what I can do with my DualCore MacBook and he was duly impressed....

I think this iPad3 upgrade will be interesting, I will have a look....

i really am struggling to see the point of such a silly high res screen though... The proof must be in the eating..... must go and look at one... although my wife might complain! Especially as my iPad2 isn;t a year old yet!