truefrogs

hello, i just installed 4GB of RAM in my 32bit system (see sig rig) and i have a 1GB graphics card, so i was expecting around 2700-2800MB of system memory but i got 3326MB (task manager & system info) so i'm thinking vista is only allocating 512MB to the gpu?
gpu-z and catalyst detect the gpu as 1024MB and memory remaping is disabled in the bios.
is this normal?
cheers

clowdermilk89

The memory is integrated into the graphics card. Shared memory is only for an integrated graphics controller.

truefrogs

thanks for the quick repley clowdermilk89
sorry if i seem a little slow, but by that do you mean that vista is seeing the gpu as 1GB and everything is normal

Slider46

32-bit OS will not see 4GB of ram. You are seeing the max available RAM (not V-RAM) as 3326MB.

Your GPU's RAM is still 1GB and is separate from the RAM on the motherboard.

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DuckieHo

Correct Answer: The intergrated memory on the GPU does not directly use your system's memory space. However, the increase GPU memory does use more I/O addresses which will take away avaliable memory addresses for the OS.



The total number of standard memory addresses in a 32-bit OS is 4GB. The OS needs some of these addresses to communicate with devices and some of the addresses are reserved so this is why you see only around 3.5GB maximum usable memory. Your video card will use more of the addresses so you will see less than around 3.5GB.

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clowdermilk89

Yeah. If you want to check and make sure you can get a program called GPU-Z. It will tell you any info you want about the card. Or you might be able to check in ATi Catalyst if you have it installed. I'm not really sure since I have never had an ATi card.
GPU-Z

truefrogs

so whether i have a 512MB or 1024MB gpu vista 32bit was allways going to give me 3326MB system memory?
and can i actually use all 3326MB system and all 1024MB gpu at the same time?

The Great Almasy

yes, if you set your page file to be on a ramdisk

Blameless

Evidently VRAM addresses do not translate directly into memory addressing. Based on the registry entries in them, NVIDIAs drivers probably use some sort of window to segment things.

What does this have to do with anything?

truefrogs

ok thanks for all your help