Ok, so I've decided to get one of these cards and I'm asking at a lot of forums b/c I want to get as much info as possible. I don't want to have to buy another GPU for a while.

Here are the 2 cards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%2050001402%20600094002&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=48%7C14%2D130%2D687%5E14%2D130%2D687%2DTS%2C14%2D130%2D593%5E14%2D130%2D593%2DTS

So far, it seems ppl are saying that the extra MB is only good for the bells and whistles at higher resolutions. Some say 1080p and higher - some say 1080p is fine.

I did happen to agree, though, that the difference in price seems to not justify it, but I'll decide that when I gather enough feedback.

From what I've heard, such a huge amount of VRAM is only useful at extremely high resolutions, multiple-display setups, or if you're loading up games with a huge number of texture mods.

It never hurts, unless you can't afford the extra money. The one with the more VRAM is going to give you better performance at higher resolutions (usually 1920x1080/1200 and up) and better graphics settings like AA maxed. For a game like Skyrim, where you're loading all those high-rez texture mods, the second card would be great.

All that being said, the first card will do you just fine for just about anything you play. What resolution are you playing at?

I usually play @ 1600x900 with no AA. I just don't need it. I'm 5ft away from the HDTV so I don't notice it as much. The only games I play @ 1080p right now are older games older games like HL2 and L4D2....just for giggles. I play most other games @ 1600x900 though.

I don't even think I've tried many of them at 1080p just b/c I don't see a huge difference and would rather have the steady framerates.

Do I need to play DX11 games at 1080p or greater?

Like how every so often the default resolution goes up b/c graphics get better. Or is 1600x900 as good as needed?

1.3GB is fine for 1920x1080.

However if you wanted to run multiple monitors then the more VRAM would come in handy. No, DX11 does not have to be run at 1920x1080 or higher, it can be ran at any resolution.

Keep in mind that a given resolution will not look the same on all monitors; that's the whole point. If you run at 1680x1050 on a 1920x1080 monitor, the pixels will be stretched and the quality won't be as good as running the game on the monitor's native resolution.

For me, the first graphical setting that I'll adjust change will always be the resolution. I always run a game at my monitor's native resolution, even if that means sacrificing other settings like shadows or textures. In my opinion, the impact of changing the resolution is far greater than any other setting.

And no, I'm pretty sure that 1080p is not a DX11 requirement. Otherwise, people who don't own 1920x1080 monitors wouldn't be able to use DX11.