On board graphics memory-what is 62Mb of it for?

Question

I have an old pc which uses 4Mb of on board graphics memory. Some of the more modern boards can use up to 64Mb. What would then the other 62Mb of memory be used for?

Answer 1

Older PC's used 1MB, 2MB, 4MB, etc. on up to what you see today.

Typically, it has been tested to show that 16MB is the general maximum amount needed in 2-dimensional. Memory over that amount is useful for displaying complex 3D motion, particularly in games and AutoCAD-like programs.

Despite what you might hear, however, the more is not necessarily the better. For example, a 256MB gaming card might only perform a hair or two faster than a 128MB card of the same model. That's because most games and graphics you still see today have little need for memory size, and rely more on the power of the card itself.

But keep in mind that there are games constantly coming out that will make good use of the extra memory. Within a couple years, almost all games will want the minimum of 256MB. It seems like that size will only grow with time, just like the memory you find on your motherboard.

Answer 2

Your computer is using your RAM for two purposes. One purpose is for short-term storage of video graphics information. The other purpose is for short term storage of all other frequently used information. If your computer has 64MB of RAM, it is using 4MB of it for video and the other 62 for any short term use of any type of data it wants. It most likely is using it for storage of recently/frequently: used/opened/saved/deleted data such as documents, spreadsheets, program files etc. It sounds like your computer is mature of age and if you could find a video card that would work in your computer, it would give back the 4MB of memory that the computer is storing for your video. It would also let your processor (Intel/AMD) work on the needed tasks and the video card would work on the video tasks. A video card would help a computer the most. It would help more than adding more RAM. A video card has RAM and a processing unit built right into it.

Answer 3

Modern PC's average 256MB of Video RAM, and they even go up to 1GB of it. The rest of the RAM on the video card can be used for different things. The most common thing would be for computer games, that require a larger amount for better graphics.

Answer 4

Higher pixel resolution and number of colors requires more memory. That 4MB card probably does 800x600 with 256 colors at best, right? Modern systems have way more resolution than that.

Answer 5

For better quality pictures. 64mb is very small now adays for video. Check out some of the new cards and prices at www.tigerdirect.com, you will be amazed.