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Setting Memory Limit for GMA X3100

J

Jason S.

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Until I can gather up the funds to upgrade my RAM to 4GB, is there any way to limit how much memory gets shared with the GMA X3100? I want to reduce it to 64MB shared, at least until I can get away from the default 1GB of RAM.

I know you can do this for integrated chips in the BIOS on PCs; certainly there must be a way to do it on a Mac, too.
 
Jason S. said:
Until I can gather up the funds to upgrade my RAM to 4GB, is there any way to limit how much memory gets shared with the GMA X3100? I want to reduce it to 64MB shared, at least until I can get away from the default 1GB of RAM.

I know you can do this for integrated chips in the BIOS on PCs; certainly there must be a way to do it on a Mac, too.
Click to expand...

I don't think this is possible in OS X. I would wait for some deals online for that 4GB RAM. I did a search on Google and it just came up with how to increase it. Maybe somebody else has an idea.
 
noodle654 said:
I don't think this is possible in OS X. I would wait for some deals online for that 4GB RAM. I did a search on Google and it just came up with how to increase it. Maybe somebody else has an idea.
Click to expand...

I just ordered 4gb of Corsair memory on newegg.com for $89 shipped to my door. Ordered last night - it shipped today, should be here tomorrow with ground shipping since it's leaving NJ 🙂
 
In Windows, you need the Intel GMA utility. In OS X you can do it through terminal, but I don't know exactly how.

TEG
 
martin1636 said:
OK, but how exactly can you increase the amount of shared RAM on the integrated graphics card (X3100 or the 950)?
Click to expand...

I think OS X does it automatically. Correct me if I am wrong but if you install more RAM (2GB or 4GB), if the GMA needs more RAM (past 64MB for the 950), OS X will use more from the RAM. For Windows, it is a BIOS settings so you can fool around with that.
 
noodle654 said:
I think OS X does it automatically. Correct me if I am wrong but if you install more RAM (2GB or 4GB), if the GMA needs more RAM (past 64MB for the 950), OS X will use more from the RAM. For Windows, it is a BIOS settings so you can fool around with that.
Click to expand...

There is no BIOS on a Mac. But the drivers do the controling.

TEG
 
I'd be comfortable using Terminal or editing a .kext to change it. Anybody got a good place for me to start? Where are drivers usually located?
 
Eidorian said:
/System/Library/Extensions/AppleIntelGMAX3100.kext

Not that it's hard to find.
Click to expand...

WHOA! 😱 😱 😱
So with this thing, I'll be able to modify the amount of shared graphics RAM memory on my MacBook when i buy one this spring? Have you tried it? What's the maximum?

Cheers!
 
😱 This is nice to hear.

I always thought that Mac OS X was hard-coded to not let the GMA 950 / 3100 use more than ~200MB shared RAM. I guess I'm wrong. Would there be any advantage of ramping it up to the limit (for use with stuff like Photoshop)?

I have 4GB RAM 🙂
 
anyway you can do this for a gma950? how exactly do you do it also, i keep getting permission denied
 
pjrobertson said:
😱 This is nice to hear.

I always thought that Mac OS X was hard-coded to not let the GMA 950 / 3100 use more than ~200MB shared RAM. I guess I'm wrong. Would there be any advantage of ramping it up to the limit (for use with stuff like Photoshop)?

I have 4GB RAM 🙂
Click to expand...

No. Wont help with Photoshop. Photoshop doesn't require dedicated video RAM, just system RAM. Unless you're doing 3D modeling with your MacBook (and you're not, otherwise you wouldn't be using a MacBook), 384MB of VRAM will be pretty useless.
 
I used to do a lot of work with OS x86 back in the day, and I'm fairly comfortable with editing and changing kexts if needed. How would one force OS X to use 384MB for dedicated video graphics. I've been looking through the kext stated above, but it shows no information that I can see that is relevant to the answer.

How would one change it?
 
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