"VRAM: Shared"? And Graphics "Card" Question

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by grc123, Mar 5, 2013.

  1. grc123

    grc123 MajorGeek

    Ooops, I meant to post this in Hardware...??

    OK the box my new machine came in says:

    "VRAM: Shared"

    I suppose that refers to "Video" memory (?), and relates to the "Intel HD 3000 Graphics" which I also apparently have...or are they one-and-the-same, please?

    This is "integrated" (built-in) graphics, yes?

    And if I am able to improve upon this (or improve upon these things), what might the "LOW-END" price range to achieve that be, please?

    Thanks in advance,
    g...
     
    grc123, Mar 5, 2013
    #1
  2. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    HI Glenn

    Moved your thread to hardware for you ;)

    Yes you are very correct VRAM is video ram and the shared part is generally for onboard graphics solutions like the Intel HD Graphics, so what it does is have limited RAM on the video hardware itself and then uses a portion of your main system ram to top this up.

    Sadly Glenn, updating a laptop graphics is not worth the hassle or cost and in some cases you just could not do it, dependant on model as the space to fit new hardware would not be available

    Question what is it you need good graphics for as in many cases for daily usage onboard graphics will be fine (Surfing, Office, Email, mid range image editing and basic games), if you wanted this laptop for mid to high end gaming then always better off with a desktop and good mid/high graphics card, but this depends on the games.
     
    DavidGP, Mar 5, 2013
    #2
  3. grc123

    grc123 MajorGeek

    Hi David - thanks for moving/properly placing this post - and thank you for an Excellent answer...I understand completely (well I understand as much as I need to or should anyway! haha).

    I think the best I'll be able to do then is up my main RAM (from 6GB-currently, to 8 GB-MAX), and this will have to do! (compared to only a short couple, three, or four years ago, I think that 8GB of RAM is actually A LOT!?!)!!!

    Thanks again sir~!~
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2013
    grc123, Mar 5, 2013
    #3
  4. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi Glenn

    No probs my friend.

    Don't know if you'd need to max it out to 8GB as 6GB should be fine, do this for me and post the cropped screenshot of just the Task Manager window.

    Open Task Manager and click the Performance Tab, then at the bottom left corner click Open Resource Monitor and wait for 30 secs for it to register settings etc, click the Memory Tab then take a screenshot and post.

    What we are looking at is the usage of your RAM in the Physical Memory box, just to see whats allocated what.
     
    DavidGP, Mar 8, 2013
    #4
  5. grc123

    grc123 MajorGeek

    Hi David - is this what we're after? I took a slightly different route to get here, and not sure about the "cropping" part, but I think this is it...yes?
     

    Attached Files:

    grc123, Mar 8, 2013
    #5
  6. plodr

    plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

    It shows 1392MB in use and 4365MB available. Then it breaks down further and says you have 3005MB free. You have quite enough RAM with more free than it is using.
     
    plodr, Mar 8, 2013
    #6
  7. grc123

    grc123 MajorGeek

    Thanks plodr...that's what I was thinking as I was posting that, though somewhat ironically, I only have four tabs and one other program opened at the moment, and what is actually more normal for me is to have 3-to-5 times that many tabs (often times several of them being videos/you-tube, etc.!), and sometimes 3 or 4 programs, opened at the same time...(??). Rather "sloppy" of me, I suppose..

    I have been getting some "hanging/freezing" already in this new machine..but I have no clue if that would be due to any "lack" of RAM/Memory, or not...
     
    grc123, Mar 8, 2013
    #7
  8. plodr

    plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

    I don't run win 8 but I have 20 tabs open at times and less RAM in all my computers than you do with no freezing/hanging.
    The hanging/freezing could be due to programs checking for updates in the background and even updating of security programs.
     
    plodr, Mar 8, 2013
    #8
  9. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    HI Glenn

    As mentioned perfectly good amount of RAM free in 4365mb and that leaves a hell of a lot for as many tabs in Firefox you wish to open.

    But the hanging and freezing is likely not down to RAM but an app or setting and I note in another thread you manage services and tweak settings and in part that could be the reason or it could be a 3rd party app, if you boot to safe mode with networking and use that (looks terrible graphically) if you have no freezes then its an app at fault.

    Could disable all bar your antivirus startup in msconfig and boot to normal mode and see if you get any freezes.

    Or use Process Explorer to run in the background and when you get a freeze look at what app spiked with CPU usage that may have caused the freeze.
     
    DavidGP, Mar 8, 2013
    #9
  10. grc123

    grc123 MajorGeek

    Thank you both again/always. The whole "trick" for this "wannabe geek" is, to ~~~g-oooo . . s~l~oooo~w~~~ . . . . . . . . . .

    If there is a more "frightening" program than Process Explorer I don't know what it is (!). So (naturally), I have downloaded it to my "less-than-one-month-old" machine ;)

    HOWEVER...I VOW, that though I may (shall) LOOK I will NOT TOUCH, THIS program, for some period of time to come....

    And though I AM EXTREMELY "ever-interested" to KNOW what might be/could be/"IS" slowing my machine(s), well, I still have far too much to learn (in other words: "I don't "know" near enough") to "fiddle with" some of the things that I (inevitably seem to) fiddle with, inside my machine(s).

    I was more sure than ever that I was "Safe" with tweaking my Services here, in 8, as "The Black Viper" (Charles Sparks) site doesn't really seem to do much tweaking (at least not yet) in 8...though I DO know (all-too-well), that it only takes ONE service being miss-set, to ruin an entire day...or day and night...or a WHOLE weekend!!! But I will take another good look there..perhaps reset to defaults, and then take a good long look into 3rd-party items.

    Thanks guys,
    glenn.
     
    grc123, Mar 8, 2013
    #10
  11. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    hey Glenn

    Indeed go slow.. hell I always do in work in medicine and in the IT stuff.

    An interest is VERY healthy and I would encourage you to always question things and find the answer out be that via searching the web or here on Majorgeeks. I'm the same in life I need to assimilate information.

    You are as ever welcome and I love your weekly battle with PCs, we all have them but you give some flair to your troubles with the deamon ;)

    David
     
    DavidGP, Mar 8, 2013
    #11

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