Video card RAM

[Guest]

My laptop uses 32MB of RAM for the video card, but I have a game that
requires a minimum of 64MB to be used. Is it possible to increase the amount
of memory the video card uses? If so, how (in simple terms please!)?

 

[Dave B.]

If it's possible you would access the system BIOS setup, consult your laptop
manual on how to do this as it is different depending on the mfg. You may
run into the problem of the video chipset itself not being supported by the
game, no matter how much RAM you allocate.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

If it's possible you would access the system BIOS setup, consult your
laptop manual on how to do this as it is different depending on the
mfg. You may run into the problem of the video chipset itself not
being supported by the game, no matter how much RAM you allocate.

LovableNoobie should also note that if the video RAM is allocated from the
total system RAM, increasing how much is used for video decreases the amount
available for Windows. If the laptop has 512MB or more of total RAM, taking
another 32MB will not likely be a problem, but if it's 256MB or less, doing
this could have a negative overall effect on performance--and that will be
in all apps, not just in this game.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Ron Martell]

My laptop uses 32MB of RAM for the video card, but I have a game that
requires a minimum of 64MB to be used. Is it possible to increase the amount
of memory the video card uses? If so, how (in simple terms please!)?

Most but not all laptops use the "shared RAM" model which means that
some of the system RAM is dedicated for video use and is therefore
unavailable to Windows.

To determine if your laptop uses "shared RAM" for video you first need
to know how much total RAM is supposedly installed in your computer.
Then you need to look at Control Panel - System - General (also get
there by right-clicking My Computer and choosing Properties) and see
how much RAM is reported there. If that figure is 32 mb less than
what your laptop is supposed to have in total then it is using Shared
RAM for video.

You may be able to change the amount of RAM that is allocated to the
video in the BIOS setup. You may have to read the manufacturer's
documentation for the laptop to see if and how this can be done, or
you may need to contact their technical support.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[guzarva]

If it's possible you would access the system BIOS setup, consult your laptop
manual on how to do this as it is different depending on the mfg. You may
run into the problem of the video chipset itself not being supported by the
game, no matter how much RAM you allocate.

--