iMac 2008 increase video RAM using RAM

[Whitey012001]

Hi,

My children use an early 2008 iMac that I have increase the RAM to 4gb. They are begging for a game, you tubers life, of steam. The processor requires 2ghz & 2gb RAM, which it has. Only issue it asks for 512mb Video ram, where the iMac only has 128mb.

I'm not an expert but thought the VRAM was shared and basically part of the RAM, if so is there a way of 'tricking' OSX into using more RAM for VRAM?

Thanks in advance

Neil

 

[jarodlee88]

I'm not too sure about your graphics memory but in PC terms, you can't increase your video card memory or VRAM by upgrading the system's RAM. But generally, I wouldn't recommend you to game on your iMac as the video card is really old and is probably not very powerful anymore. If your children wants to game, you could build them a really cheap gaming PC. Hope this helps.

 

[Whitey012001]

I do have a PC that they could use but takes up a massive footprint and keeps overheating. I thought you could change VRAM in bios on a PC.

 

[Chundles]

Nope, that card has dedicated VRAM built into it. Integrated cards use system RAM but it's nowhere near as good.

A 2008 iMac is going to struggle hard on anything recent. What processor does it call for?

 

[DeltaMac]

Some Macs with integrated vid cards share VRAM with the main memory. That VRAM will be dynamic, and you don't have much control over that, other than using software that calls it. The total VRAM is affected to some degree by the amount of main RAM that you have installed (but not always, and not on every Mac.)
My 2012 Mac mini supported 1GB originally, but more recent OS X changes have adjusted the maximum to 1.5 GB. The total is definitely affected by the amount of main RAM installed
Your 2008 iMac does not have integrated graphics, but has a dedicated graphics chip. Therefore, no shared memory. It has whatever was originally provided permanently.

 

[jarodlee88]

I have build a few PCs but I have never heard that you can increase the amount of VRAM. And if you would like to game, the PC would be better as I assume it runs Windows. Yes, the PC will definitely have a larger footprint compared to the iMac which is an all in one PC but the PC should be superior in gaming. What are your PC and iMac specs and what is your definition of overheating?

 

[Whitey012001]

I have an old PC dual core 2.5ghz. It keeps crashing, but not sure what is causing it. I presumed it was overheating for some reason, or it could be RAM or processor related.

I would need to run some sort of PC diagnostic software on it, can anyone recommend?? I know this is a mac forum ;-)

 

[jarodlee88]

Honestly, any PC that's dual core without hyperthreading is considered outdated. So what you may want to do is upgrade your PC or even build a new one. But if you do want to keep your old PC, what you may want to do is to have a fresh install of Windows. This normally removes unnecessary bloat and possibly make your PC more stable. But if that doesn't work, I would recommend to clean ur PC's fans and change the thermal compound on the CPU. Hope this helps!

 

[Whitey012001]

This is all for a £10 game, so don't really need a serious gaming PC. Just need something that will run SIMs type games without breaking the bank. I'm in the process of sorting out the PC so it will run properly. Thanks