A question on RAM allocation to GPU

[SteveJobs2.0]

I was wondering, as I still ponde rthe 4gb vs 8gb ram, how does the GPU play into this? I am not 100% sure what percentage of the system ram the integrated graphics card can reserve. Any good advice on how this might play into my decision?

 

[iterva]

About integrated video on Intel-based Macs

 

[jdechko]

Interesting. I noticed that my base 11" model had 1GB reserved for the GPU usage. I wonder if that's simply listed as the max available and if the GPU will release some back to general RAM when it's not needed.

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

It seems to reserve 1gb so a 4gb MacBook Air would technically have 3gb. However, it is not clear if some RAM can be freed up if needed. It doesn't seem so. In this case an 8gb Air might be a safer choice.