Video Card Using PC Memory: Shows Up In TaskMan?

[(PeteCresswell)]

My little laptop's video card is said to use the same memory that
the CPU uses.

That being the case, will I see this reflected in TaskMan's
numbers?

Where I'm going is that I'm wondering if upping the memory from 1
to 2 gigs will help performance when it's trying to render HD
video.

 

[Craig Coope]

My little laptop's video card is said to use the same memory that
the CPU uses.

That being the case, will I see this reflected in TaskMan's
numbers?

Where I'm going is that I'm wondering if upping the memory from 1
to 2 gigs will help performance when it's trying to render HD
video.

I assume you mean that the laptop has integrated graphics? This means
that the graphics processor uses the memory (RAM) from the RAM stuck
to the motherboard. I have a very old laptop that has 128meg RAM and
it also has integrated graphics which at the moment is set to 8meg.
This means that when I check my RAM status in windows it is only
showing 120meg.

If you go into the laptop's bios you can usually change the amount of
RAM you want to allocated to the integrated graphics chip. EG I can
change mine to 64meg graphics and 64meg [normal] RAM. You should be
able to do the same but remember more graphics memory for you mean
less "general" RAM for the PC.

Upping the laptop's RAM will make it all run better but as I said you
may have to up the graphic's allocated share in the BIOS

 

[Craig Coope]

Upping the laptop's RAM will make it all run better but as I said you
may have to up the graphic's allocated share in the BIOS

I'd just like to add that I'd never use a PC with intergrated graphics
to do any graphic intensive tasks. I'm not saying that it won't work
but for me, intergrated chips are only good for running Windows and
the basic (non graphic strenuous) apps around it.

This advice is only coming from the use of my VERY old laptop so maybe
things have changed but someone else would have to tell you that.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

My little laptop's video card is said to use the same memory that
the CPU uses.

With a laptop, you *probably* have no video card, but instead have
video support on the motherboard. If that's the case, video uses some
of your motherboard memory, and that memory is not available to the
CPU.

That being the case, will I see this reflected in TaskMan's
numbers?

If what I say above is correct, the number Windows reports will be the
total amount of RAM *minus* what's used for video support.

Where I'm going is that I'm wondering if upping the memory from 1
to 2 gigs will help performance when it's trying to render HD
video.

The first thing you need to determine is how much of the system memory
the video support is using. It may already be at the maximum allowed,
and if so adding more RAM will not affect video performance at all.

So the question is more likely to be whether adding more RAM will
improve Windows performance. The answer depends on what apps you run,
but for most people, more RAM than 1GB will not help you at all.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Craig Coope:

I'd just like to add that I'd never use a PC with intergrated graphics
to do any graphic intensive tasks. I'm not saying that it won't work
but for me, intergrated chips are only good for running Windows and
the basic (non graphic strenuous) apps around it.

This is an Asus 901 - basically my "Walking-Around" PC that I
bought for troubleshooting network problems and mapping WiFi
coverage.

However, I've found it tb a nice little home entertainment device
for watching TV recordings and movies from .ISO files via a
freebie called "VLC Media Player" - over WiFI.

Only problem is that it chokes easily on too much definition. The
TV server that I use to feed it dynamically transcodes, so it's
not a show-stopper (so to speak....) but being able to do native
HD would be a nicety.

Just ordered a 2-gig card from Crucial that will replace the one
in the PC and double the memory. For thirty bucks, it seemed
like a no-brainer.

Once I get it installed, I'll take your advice and start playing
around with the allocation between CPU and integrated graphics
card and see what comes of it.

Thanks for the pointers.

 

[Craig Coope]

Per Craig Coope:

This is an Asus 901 - basically my "Walking-Around" PC that I
bought for troubleshooting network problems and mapping WiFi
coverage.

However, I've found it tb a nice little home entertainment device
for watching TV recordings and movies from .ISO files via a
freebie called "VLC Media Player" - over WiFI.

Only problem is that it chokes easily on too much definition. The
TV server that I use to feed it dynamically transcodes, so it's
not a show-stopper (so to speak....) but being able to do native
HD would be a nicety.

Just ordered a 2-gig card from Crucial that will replace the one
in the PC and double the memory. For thirty bucks, it seemed
like a no-brainer.

Once I get it installed, I'll take your advice and start playing
around with the allocation between CPU and integrated graphics
card and see what comes of it.

Thanks for the pointers.

I've just googled around and found this

http://www.motherboardpoint.com/901-more-graphics-horsepower-t191227.html


But it seems you have already seen it! p