Question on shared video memory

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Angel Toledo" <atoledo@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:41072d8a$0$2815$61fed72c@news.rcn.com...
> I recently purchased a laptop with 512MB ram - with 128 MB shared video
> memory. My system properties window shows 384 MB ram. Since the video is
> using 128 of my 512MB it makes sense that I have only 384 left. But
> shouldn't my properties window show the total 512? Is there a program
> that shows the true amount of ram in one's computer including shared
memory?
>
> Thanks


Well, no because 128M is assigned to video.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Jason Cothran" <reply@board.nomail> wrote in message
news:VYMNc.50700$yF.42328@bignews2.bellsouth.net...
>
> "Angel Toledo" <atoledo@rcn.com> wrote in message
> news:41072d8a$0$2815$61fed72c@news.rcn.com...
> |I recently purchased a laptop with 512MB ram - with 128 MB shared video
> | memory. My system properties window shows 384 MB ram. Since the video is
> | using 128 of my 512MB it makes sense that I have only 384 left. But
> | shouldn't my properties window show the total 512? Is there a program
> | that shows the true amount of ram in one's computer including shared
> memory?
> |
> | Thanks
>
> What you are looking at is system memory. Once your chipset assigns that
> memory to the GPU, it is no longer available to the system bus. So in
short,
> no. I'm not sure how that situation would be handled by other programs,
but
> it's a safe bet SiSoft SANDRA would report the actual installed RAM since
it
> actually looks at the memory sticks themselves. You could also look at the
> post screen when booting up. At any rate, if you are supposed ot have 512
> and have 128 consumed by the GPU, then the properties page is correct.
>
>

Seems like he could just get into boot setup screen. That should give the
information needed.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Angel Toledo wrote:
> I recently purchased a laptop with 512MB ram - with 128 MB shared
> video memory. My system properties window shows 384 MB ram. Since the
> video is using 128 of my 512MB it makes sense that I have only 384
> left. But shouldn't my properties window show the total 512? Is there
> a program
> that shows the true amount of ram in one's computer including shared
> memory?

Once you've assigned the memory to the video card, then it belongs to the
video card and nothing else. The only utilities that can see your total
memory are possibly your BIOS setup screen, and possibly any utilities that
might have been supplied with the laptop. Other than that, there's nothing
to see, since it's a proprietary hardware feature.

Yousuf Khan