16 * 1024 * 1024 / 1920 / 1080 = 8.0909, so you have enough VRAM for double-buffered 24-bit 1080p, with a bit to spare. For pure software rendering, that's good enough!

▲

userbinator 2 hours ago | parent [-]

It's the HDMI output that's the oddity; mid-90s cards with that much (little?) VRAM could already do 2048x1536x32, but usually had a VGA connector.

	▲	pdpi an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Yeah, I could've been clearer. VGA displays are something of a dying breed, and HDMI is the single likeliest interface you might find on a random newish display, so there is a market for absolute cheapest, most basic HDMI output device you can make. If you're going to build that interface, 1080p is the resolution you need to target. My point was simply that 16MB is just barely enough to build that interface, and barely enough is still enough.
	▲	numpad0 21 minutes ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		datacenter guys didn't like digitals. they embrace blurry SVGA pictures coming through excessively long cables and sometimes mechanical switches, and to them DVI/HDMI felt to be an all-or-nothing risk factor