I know the extension ARB_map_buffer_range came out with GL3, but reading the spec it seems to imply this extension is intended for cards that support opengl 2.1…
Does anyone know if both nvidia and ATI support this extension on older SM3 cards(like 6800)?
What specifically in the spec implies support for version 2.1?
Well it says
OpenGL 2.1 is required.
and this line…
RESOLVED: Unlike a normal ARB extension, this is a strict subset
of functionality already approved in OpenGL 3.0. This extension
exists only to support that functionality on older hardware that
cannot implement a full OpenGL 3.0 driver. Since there are no
possible behavior changes between the ARB extension and core
features, source code compatibility is improved by not using
suffixes on the extension.
They did leave the door slightly ajar on that one … though it’s subject to interpretation.
I can personally confirm that as of 181.22 there’s no sign of it on my NV 6800.
Yep, written against 2.1 since there is really nothing about it that requires GL3 generation hardware. If your vendor isn’t exporting it on hardware where you want it, ask them about it.
The original extension which it was inspired by (APPLE_flush_buffer_range) works on every GPU that OS X supports, which goes back to things like GeForce 2MX and Rage 128.
I can confirm that ATI X1000 series cards support this extension.
I’ve got my hands on Radeon X700 and it supports this extension, so I suspect every other SM2.0 ATI card supports it too.
It’s your turn, NVIDIA. 
Your wish is my command 
Older HW does support this. Please download driver 182.06 from nvidia.com and let me know if that works for you.
Thanks,
Barthold
Dar she blows! Thank ye kindly 
Awesome, thanks alot Barthold.