Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

1gb VRAM hd4000

E

ee13lbp

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 19, 2012
92
6
I've seen lots of VRAM discussions for the 2012 Mac mini, but I still don't get what extra VRAM is useful for.

If I was to add 16gb ram into my Mac mini, I should max out on VRAM at little over a gig... at least I would on windows. So how does this help me? YouTube videos suggest that the hd4000 would then be able to play battlefield 3 comfortably... but I'm sceptical since the mini uses the laptop cpu anyhow.

So what would it actually help with?
 
M

Mojo1

macrumors 65816
Jul 26, 2011
1,244
21
The VRAM will top out at 768MB with a Mini. Windows allows for more VRAM when you increase the RAM.
 
E

ee13lbp

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 19, 2012
92
6
Yeah, but even if I did that in windows what could I use it for?
 
brand

brand

macrumors 601
Oct 3, 2006
4,390
456
127.0.0.1
ee13lbp said:
Yeah, but even if I did that in windows what could I use it for?
Click to expand...

You would be amazed at that results you would get just by typing VRAM into Google and searching. In fact the very first result that was returned was the Wikipedia article on VRAM. You would have even already had an answer to your question instead of waiting several hours.
 
E

ee13lbp

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 19, 2012
92
6
brand said:
You would be amazed at that results you would get just by typing VRAM into Google and searching. In fact the very first result that was returned was the Wikipedia article on VRAM. You would have even already had an answer to your question instead of waiting several hours.
Click to expand...

If you weren't trying to be such a smart ass maybe you would realize I was asking about VRAM in context of the 2012 Mac mini. Maybe if you try searching for something like "hd4000 vram" you'd see all that you get is tons and tons of discussions on how high it can go, not what it actually can do- and especially in terms of the new mini.

I'm no tech guru, can someone just explain to me if the added VRAM in the mini will improve gaming performance, display output etc?
 
B

blanka

macrumors 68000
Jul 30, 2012
1,551
4
VRAM is kind of irrelevant for embedded GPU's. The GPU talks over the same bus with the VRAM as the CPU does with RAM, so it can toss out data between the CPU managed "RAM block" very fast to the "VRAM area" (both in the same RAM chips), way faster than any computer can fill VRAM on a PCI GPU card. It is nothing more than changing some pointer variables.
 
brand

brand

macrumors 601
Oct 3, 2006
4,390
456
127.0.0.1
ee13lbp said:
If you weren't trying to be such a smart ass maybe you would realize I was asking about VRAM in context of the 2012 Mac mini. Maybe if you try searching for something like "hd4000 vram" you'd see all that you get is tons and tons of discussions on how high it can go, not what it actually can do- and especially in terms of the new mini.
Click to expand...

You actually said that you didn't know what extra VRAM was useful for and still didn't do as as suggested.


ee13lbp said:
I'm no tech guru, can someone just explain to me if the added VRAM in the mini will improve gaming performance, display output etc?
Click to expand...

That prevents you from doing basic research?
 
M

Mojo1

macrumors 65816
Jul 26, 2011
1,244
21
ee13lbp said:
Yeah, but even if I did that in windows what could I use it for?
Click to expand...

I've never read anything that indicates that the nominal increase in available VRAM makes a perceptible difference when using a Mac, if that is what you are wondering. But I'm sure that the larger number is comforting to those people who tend to obsess over this kind of thing.

A previous respondent seems to be saying that "shared" VRAM is faster than VRAM on a discrete GPU but I cannot imagine that it makes the slightest bit of difference in performance. At any rate, as far as I can tell discrete GPUs always beat integrated GPUs performance-wise if they are the same vintage.
 
philipma1957

philipma1957

macrumors 603
Apr 13, 2010
6,367
251
Howell, New Jersey
ee13lbp said:
I've seen lots of VRAM discussions for the 2012 Mac mini, but I still don't get what extra VRAM is useful for.

If I was to add 16gb ram into my Mac mini, I should max out on VRAM at little over a gig... at least I would on windows. So how does this help me? YouTube videos suggest that the hd4000 would then be able to play battlefield 3 comfortably... but I'm sceptical since the mini uses the laptop cpu anyhow.

So what would it actually help with?
Click to expand...

not frame rate as much as the fillers and extras in a game the textures.


http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2285345


this post is close to your answer.
 
I

iPhonePunker

macrumors newbie
Nov 22, 2012
21
0
Ireland
Vram is memory which is only used by your GPU in your case intel HD 4000 on the mac mini 2012. its very unlikely that the vram well increase when you add more ram might do so don't quote me on that but in my opinion it wont. vram helps with FPS and video stuttering on the displays so the bigger display the more vram you need. iv never liked integrated GPUs but the intel HD 4000 graphics is one of the best integrated GPU's iv used so far. Iv playing skyrim in medium settings on 1920x180 on my 32" samsung TV very smooth and comfortable gaming experience. note the mac mini 2012 is not a pocket rocket gaming machine but if your a casual gamer and want something as good as a xbox or ps3 id say the mac mini isn't a bad choice

here is a youtube link to a guy how has been testing games on his new base model i5 2012 Mac mini and there some surprizing results and i hope this info helps
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThisisRends
 
E

ee13lbp

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 19, 2012
92
6
iPhonePunker said:
Vram is memory which is only used by your GPU in your case intel HD 4000 on the mac mini 2012. its very unlikely that the vram well increase when you add more ram might do so don't quote me on that but in my opinion it wont. vram helps with FPS and video stuttering on the displays so the bigger display the more vram you need. iv never liked integrated GPUs but the intel HD 4000 graphics is one of the best integrated GPU's iv used so far. Iv playing skyrim in medium settings on 1920x180 on my 32" samsung TV very smooth and comfortable gaming experience. note the mac mini 2012 is not a pocket rocket gaming machine but if your a casual gamer and want something as good as a xbox or ps3 id say the mac mini isn't a bad choice

here is a youtube link to a guy how has been testing games on his new base model i5 2012 Mac mini and there some surprizing results and i hope this info helps
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThisisRends
Click to expand...

Thanks for this :) Have you tried any other games?
 
B

benwiggy

macrumors 68020
Jun 15, 2012
2,382
201
iPhonePunker said:
its very unlikely that the vram well increase when you add more ram might do so don't quote me on that but in my opinion it wont.
Click to expand...
If you have 4Gb of RAM, the HD4000 will take 384 Mb for VRAM.
If you have 8Gb of RAM, the HD4000 will take 512 Mb for VRAM.
If you have 16Gb of RAM, the HD4000 will take 768 Mb for VRAM.

What effect this will have: not entirely sure. Probably not faster, but smoother and a bit more capable with lots of objects.

I agree that the 4000 is not a bad card at all. It may not be the fastest on the market, but it's certainly good enough for most uses. I drive two monitors and play some OpenGL games with no problems at all.
 
E

entzoe05

macrumors member
Dec 20, 2012
85
9
benwiggy said:
If you have 4Gb of RAM, the HD4000 will take 384 Mb for VRAM.
If you have 8Gb of RAM, the HD4000 will take 512 Mb for VRAM.
If you have 16Gb of RAM, the HD4000 will take 768 Mb for VRAM.

What effect this will have: not entirely sure. Probably not faster, but smoother and a bit more capable with lots of objects.

I agree that the 4000 is not a bad card at all. It may not be the fastest on the market, but it's certainly good enough for most uses. I drive two monitors and play some OpenGL games with no problems at all.
Click to expand...


What are your readings for fan rpm and cpu temperature when playing OpenGL?
 
B

benwiggy

macrumors 68020
Jun 15, 2012
2,382
201
entzoe05 said:
What are your readings for fan rpm and cpu temperature when playing OpenGL?
Click to expand...
I haven't the foggiest idea!

People only start worrying about Fan rates and CPU temps when they install apps that tell them about fan rates and CPU temps! :p
 
I

iPhonePunker

macrumors newbie
Nov 22, 2012
21
0
Ireland
benwiggy said:
If you have 4Gb of RAM, the HD4000 will take 384 Mb for VRAM.
If you have 8Gb of RAM, the HD4000 will take 512 Mb for VRAM.
If you have 16Gb of RAM, the HD4000 will take 768 Mb for VRAM.

What effect this will have: not entirely sure. Probably not faster, but smoother and a bit more capable with lots of objects.

I agree that the 4000 is not a bad card at all. It may not be the fastest on the market, but it's certainly good enough for most uses. I drive two monitors and play some OpenGL games with no problems at all.
Click to expand...

thats quite surprising apple usually find a ways of stopping you upgrading such thinks cause it money of there pockets so Id say if the HD 4000 GPU had the 16Gb of ram it would match maybe the Nvidea Geforce 9600GTm used in the 15" 2008 MBP which may not sound good but that card was a beast with a little bit of overclocking but Iv a suspicion that windows would detect the GPU upgrade but MAC OSX will not if you could verify that that would be great thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom