Say you have 10 1024 X 1024 textures with mip-mapping enabled...and are running the game in 1024 X 768 in >>32-bit<< mode.
That is 9MB for the 2 buffers and 32-bit Z-buffer
Each of the ten textures needs 5.3MB for a total of approx 62MB...
Same 10 textures loading in but with Graphics3D set at 1024 X 768 >>16-bit<< mode and with the W-buffer on requires approx total of 33MB...And you can subtract about 1.5MB of that total if the W-Buffer is off at that resolution.
That is not a small difference
That is 9MB for the 2 buffers and 32-bit Z-buffer
Each of the ten textures needs 5.3MB for a total of approx 62MB...
Same 10 textures loading in but with Graphics3D set at 1024 X 768 >>16-bit<< mode and with the W-buffer on requires approx total of 33MB...And you can subtract about 1.5MB of that total if the W-Buffer is off at that resolution.
That is not a small difference