Insufficient graphics card memory issue Closed

Question

Hello everyone
I just got a new game (Neverwinter Nights 2) that is supposed to work with my new graphics card. However, when I start the game, an error message appears stating that I don't have the required 128 MB of video memory. This is surprising since my card is new.
Do you think this issue might be due to the fact that the video memory is shared (I'm on a dual-core laptop), and if so, do you know how to allocate more memory to the graphics card?
I've already updated the video drivers, DirectX, and everything else, so I'm out of ideas.
Thanks to the kind souls who are willing to help me!

Configuration: Windows Vista Firefox 2.0.0.4

PS: Sorry, I posted in the wrong forum. Thank you to a moderator for moving this message to the correct place as I can't delete it.

Diablinho© · Accepted Answer

So I'm going to try to help the discussion.

A graphics card has dedicated memory and "shared memory."

The dedicated memory is the actual memory of your graphics card; let's take just your GPU outside of a computer, it only has its dedicated memory.

But when it is connected to a PC, it can now draw from the central memory of the PC when its dedicated memory is full.

Therefore, you cannot significantly increase the dedicated memory of your graphics card like you do with a PC when you add a RAM stick.
On the other hand, you can allow your PC to share more or less memory with its graphics card up to the maximum value supported by the GPU or the limit of your central memory.

I therefore think that your game relies solely on the dedicated memory of your GPU... To play the latest game, a card with a minimum of 120 MB of dedicated memory is strongly recommended.
If your central memory were to be used at 90% purely by the game, you would have only 10% left plus your 64 MB to manage the graphics... So 10% of 512 MB = 51 MB, etc...

Have a nice day.

Amet · Answer

what's your graphics card?? is it integrated??
to increase the memory dedicated to the graphics card, you need to go into the BIOS and increase the value of aperture size in the graphics card settings!!
--
(nothing beats 2 raptor X in raid 0)

epango · Answer

Hello,

Without knowing your laptop, I think it has an integrated graphics card that draws at least part of its video memory from the main memory (shared memory). This is what is causing your problems. In any case, laptops are rarely suited for gaming.

Regards.

nono_is_back · Answer

Thank you for your responses.
For your information, here is the technical sheet of my PC: http://www.ldlc.com/fiche/PB00054162.html.
It seems that the video memory can indeed be increased to 320 MB.
I checked the BIOS. There are very few options (could it be due to Vista, which I recently acquired and still find somewhat obscure at times?), and none allow me to modify the memory allocated to the graphics card.
Should I possibly update the BIOS version, if that's possible, or is it possible to modify the memory from Vista?
Thank you in advance!

nono_is_back · Answer

The link doesn't seem to work. My PC is a Toshiba Satellite A100-091 laptop - Intel Core 2 Duo T5500.
The graphics card is an nVidia GeForce 7300: Video memory size 64 MB - Maximum shared video memory size 320 MB.

epango · Answer

Hello,

There is indeed a problem with your link. It leads not to the technical sheet of your laptop, but to the homepage of www.ldlc.com. We are therefore no further along, since we have no information about your laptop.

Best regards.

nono_is_back · Answer

I'm sorry, I thought I had provided the necessary information. The link should work this time: http://www.ldlc.com/fiche/PB00054162.html

epango · Answer

Hi,  It's a very good laptop, but you can only use it for small games that don't require a powerful graphics card.  Good luck.

epango · Answer

Hello,

In principle, graphics cards have their memory fixed at manufacturing. Therefore, you cannot increase the memory of a graphics card.

Best regards.

--
You don't shoot horses, even when they get too old.

piiiirate · Answer

It's false, my friend, we can increase the memory of the graphics card... and if we're not sure about something, we shouldn't say just anything....

epango · Answer

Hi,

Thank you very much! But when we know, we say how to do it. Many people who, like me, believe that we cannot add memory to a graphics card are waiting for your insights. With your insights, many people could have graphics cards with 1GB, why not 2GB, or even 3GB.

I am eager to learn.

See you soon.

--
You don't put down horses, even when they become too old.

epango · Answer

Hello,

Oh, piiirate! Where are you hiding? Like me, there are probably many people waiting to know how to increase a graphics card’s memory.

See you soon.

--
You don't put horses down, even when they get too old.

Nebulous · Answer

Hello everyone.

I have more or less the same request as many others. I recently installed the game NWN2 on my PC, here are some details:

Processor: dual-core 1.8GHz
RAM: 2GB
Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 8400m G (128MB base, can go up to 256 according to the technical sheet)

In the card settings I see:

Dedicated memory: 128MB
System memory: 0MB
Shared memory: 767MB

So I tried to increase the dedicated memory to 256MB to see if it would boost the game's graphics (at the price it costs, might as well try to enjoy all the options to the fullest within the limits of the PC)

But I am facing a serious problem => Vista... The BIOS does not give me any access to modify the dedicated video memory, and in the card settings, system settings, and anything related to the card or even the performance of the PC, I cannot find any access to change this dedicated video memory.

Does anyone know how to access these options in Vista?

Thank you.

anonyme · Answer

Hello,

I also have a laptop running Vista with a graphics card (well, an integrated GPU, you know what I’m talking about) with shared memory (64 MB dedicated up to 287 MB) and it is possible to adjust the graphics memory in the BIOS (F10 at startup)... This way, I went from 64 MB to 128 MB, but... I don’t know if it actually worked because I really don’t feel any difference, the games don’t run any better (actually worse, hehe).

Nebulous · Answer

To be honest, I wouldn't mind getting more details about your approach. You say you managed to change the dedicated memory value by going through the BIOS under Vista.  Can you explain the steps you followed? Because I admit that the BIOS on my PC, also running Vista, doesn't give me access to the settings to modify the dedicated video memory.

Nebulous · Answer

For my part, what I'm mainly looking for is the path to follow under Vista to reach the place where its settings can be manually adjusted.

Nebulous · Answer

Well, if you want an answer, the best way to improve your so-called "graphics card size" is to change it.

Amet · Answer

lol!! 'the size of the graphics card' is useful for a lot of things!! lol --  (nothing beats 2 raptor X in raid 0)

Nikita · Answer

Well just so you know, NWN2 is really resource-intensive -_- so I don't think you can run it on your PC, because if you allocate more RAM to your graphics card, there will be less for the processes and it will slow down just as much... After that, you can always try to add more RAM.  Well, otherwise lol I have the same problem xD, actually I was running on a DELL XPS with 2GB of RAM and a Geforce 7950 GTX graphics card with 512MB dedicated, after receiving my holiday gift :p I decided to buy RAM: two 2GB sticks. Before I added this RAM, my graphics card wasn't using any RAM But now with the 4GB lol strangely it slows down more -_-. The computer is only showing me 3.3GB of RAM and wait lol with the MB taken from the hard drive and the GB taken from my RAM I have a 2GB graphics card ^^' so I would like to lower that a bit lol. Is it also in the BIOS?  I checked before what RAM was needed and how much my motherboard could take at max. For the eternally suspicious, here’s a screenshot. http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/7373/dxdiagux1.jpg  Thank you Best regards Nikita Слава в Советском Союзе

epango · Answer

Hello,  "The computer only shows me 3.3GB of RAM and considering the MB taken from the hard drive and the GB taken from my RAM, I have a graphics card with 2GB ^^' so I would like to lower it a bit lol.  It's also done through the BIOS."  Your story is a bit unclear. But there is one thing known by most people: 32-bit operating systems (XP or 32-bit Vista) can manage a maximum of only 3GB and a bit more. It’s not surprising that only 3.3GB are displayed. It's normal. The rest is not taken by the graphics card; it is simply ignored.  Best regards.  --  You don’t put down horses, even when they’ve become too old.

Nikita · Answer

Thank you for your reply. Do you know why my computer is lagging even though I just formatted it? Vista patch already installed. Also, can you explain to me why the graphics card shows so much memory? http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9183/dxdiagjc1.jpg

nad70 · Answer

Hello, my name is Nadir and I have a 2Core DUO PC with a 250m° graphics card. When I launch GTA VC, it tells me, "GRAND THEFT AUTO VC does not have enough video memory."

Can you help me?????????????

Thank you in advance

:)

lara-fefe · Answer

Hello everyone, I have a big problem lol! I bought Lara Croft Underworld a few days ago and installed it on my computer, but I can't play it. First of all, before installing it, I started the installation program and received a message saying that I didn't have enough space on my C drive to install this game. So naturally, through some other means, not important, I managed to free up 25 GB on my hard drive when the game only needs 7 GB. I installed the game, launched it... everything was fine for now, the game menu is perfect and the videos play well (yes, there is a video at the beginning), but when the level starts, there is a background with a spinning circle and a text that appears but is a bit choppy (that's the first problem), and it keeps spinning... I wait, and then a blue screen with a message appears, I don't have time to read it because my computer restarts immediately. I looked everywhere for the source of the problem: in the RAM, the memory, the graphics card... but no results. GAME REQUIREMENTS: Processor: 2.5 GHz AMD; Memory: 1 GB RAM, 7 GB free space on the hard drive; Video Card: nVidia 6800+ and 256 MB of memory (of the graphics card, surely) MY COMPUTER: 2.01 GHz AMD, 1 GB RAM, enough free space. Graphics card: MSI MS-StartForce GeForce 6600 GT (NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT). Processor: AMD Athlon 64 processor 3200+ THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP, see you later. Let me know if you need any additional information. THANK YOU

lara-fefe · Answer

And explain to me well how to do it as you mentioned in this topic, how to increase the memory through the BIOS or I don't know what lol PS: my computer is a Windows XP.

lara-fefe · Answer

A OUUUUUUUUUiiiiiiiii, I just went to check the BIOS and everything... when the computer starts, you press delete and a sort of menu, well a page, appears but I don't know at all what to do plus everything is in English lol so please guide me, help me lol THANK YOU IN ADVANCE, goodbye, hugs!

lara-fefe · Answer

Thank you very much for your responses, but today I saw a computer technician and he told me that the problem came from the video card and that I should therefore change it to put in a better one. I am going to have a 9600 GT 512 MB, hoping that it will work. I wish you good luck, goodbye, take care, see you later!

lara-fefe · Answer

Thank you very much for your replies, but I went to see a computer technician and he told me that the problem was with the video card, so I'm going to replace it with a 9600 GT. Kiss to everyone, see you later, and good luck to you!

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