can i allocate more memory to my nvidia 9400

[Wilches]

Hi

I'm the proud owner of a 2,4ghz colector edition unibody macbook

I just upgraded it to 4gb of ram and I would like to know if it possible to allocate more memory to the nvidia 9400 instead of the 256mb?

I allmost guess that it is not possible but.... no arm in asking
thank u

 

[-tWv-]

I'm pretty sure that isn't possible. That 256mb is in the GPU and is not taken from the RAM so it's impossible to assign more RAM to work for the GPU because the GPU has it's own memory built in. I'm not that familiar with graphics processors so I could be wrong.

 

[Wilches]

i've the feeling that the 256mb was shared with ram... so that is why I ask. If the memory is dedicated to the gforce all hope is gone!


thanx

 

[iBookG4user]

I'm pretty sure that isn't possible. That 256mb is in the GPU and is not taken from the RAM so it's impossible to assign more RAM to work for the GPU because the GPU has it's own memory built in. I'm not that familiar with graphics processors so I could be wrong.

I'm sorry but you are mistaken, the 9400 is integrated and does not have any RAM of it's own and does take from the main system memory.

 

[iLog.Genius]

I'm sorry but you are mistaken, the 9400 is integrated and does not have any RAM of it's own and does take from the main system memory.

To further iBook's point, it's the GPU/chip that has the limit of 256MB so that's the max it can use from system memory.

 

[rgarjr]

First of all congrats on your uMB and yeah i dont think Apple makes it possible to increase the mem usage on the 9400M.

 

[Wilches]

in that case it is not possible without a major firmware update....

to bad... it would make a great upgrade in my mb

thanxs

 

[clyde2801]

in that case it is not possible without a major firmware update....

to bad... it would make a great upgrade in my mb

thanxs

You may be thinking of the base model mac mini, where the 9400 only uses 128 mb of ram of the 1 gig standard configuration. You get the full 256 mbs when you upgrade the mini to 2 gigs or more of ram.

 

[-tWv-]

Whoops sorry, I was wrong, On apple website it says "Memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs. Minimum graphics memory usage is 256MB." for the 9400m graphics card. So what I gather from that is if your graphics card needs more memory, it will take it from the main system memory.

It's from this page at the very bottom on #2.

 

[JamesGorman]

Whoops sorry, I was wrong, On apple website it says "Memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs. Minimum graphics memory usage is 256MB." for the 9400m graphics card. So what I gather from that is if your graphics card needs more memory, it will take it from the main system memory.

It's from this page at the very bottom on #2.

Hmmm, thats interesting. If someone could clarify on that that would be greatly appreciated. I was under the impression that its limit was 256mb and thats all that it could use. Maybe thats just the minimum that can be allocated to it?

Either way I don't think that Having, Say 512mb of ram dedicated to it would make a whole lot of difference. I've read that it dosent really make a difference until you get into comparing say 256mb to 1gb of ram for a graphics card, and the speed of the memory...GDDR3,GDDR5, and so on..

 

[morrisman1]

It wouldnt really make a difference.

I think it uses 512mb when in boot camp though, may be mistaken though

 

[JamesGorman]

It wouldnt really make a difference.

I think it uses 512mb when in boot camp though, may be mistaken though

I think it does use 512mb in bootcamp. Im almost positive that it does. But yea, the difference is almost non existent.

 

[Wilches]

NICE


so by the looks of it i don't need to allocate more ram to my 9400 it does it so by it self.






thank you guys very much or as we say in portuguese "MUITO OBRIGADO"

 

[Schraiber]

Hmmm, thats interesting. If someone could clarify on that that would be greatly appreciated. I was under the impression that its limit was 256mb and thats all that it could use. Maybe thats just the minimum that can be allocated to it?

Either way I don't think that Having, Say 512mb of ram dedicated to it would make a whole lot of difference. I've read that it dosent really make a difference until you get into comparing say 256mb to 1gb of ram for a graphics card, and the speed of the memory...GDDR3,GDDR5, and so on..

Yeah, the bandwidth is most likely WAY too low for the extra 256 to really help the 9400M. I remember back in the day I went with a 256 card over a 128 in a desktop and after looking at benchmarks it literally made no difference, simply because there wasn't enough memory bandwidth. I think you need at least 256bit to make 512 worthwhile (or at least helpful in games).

I do understand that because OS X renders the windows in the graphics card and stores them as textures in the VRAM, having extra VRAM can help out expose and stuff.

 

[js81]

I think it does use 512mb in bootcamp. Im almost positive that it does. But yea, the difference is almost non existent.

It DOES use 512MB in XP under Boot Camp (at least on my sister's 2.0 unibody). But yeah, the difference isn't really noticeable. Most people will reach the card's limits before the reach 256MB's limit. Still, though, if it can be done under Windows, why not in OS X? Kind of a shame, actually...

 

[naluaspencer]

I'm pretty sure that isn't possible. That 256mb is in the GPU and is not taken from the RAM so it's impossible to assign more RAM to work for the GPU because the GPU has it's own memory built in. I'm not that familiar with graphics processors so I could be wrong.

Ya, actually, If you read Apple's site about integrated graphics, it mentions that a certaing amount of graphics memory is allocated from the System memory to be used as graphics memory. It regards the 9400M