Mac Mini Mid-2011 VRAM

[yslr]

Hi guys,

I am wondering if there is any shared RAM for the Radeon GPU in Mac Mini Mid-2011 in addition to the dedicated 256 MB. My old pc laptop has 256 mb dedicated and 767 mb shared memory according to windows 7.

 

[Gav2k]

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I've just got mine would tell u but it's restoring via migration assistant. The box says....

256mb DDR 5 no mention of shared and it would slow processing down if it was tbh as the system runs DDR 3

 

[philipma1957]

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I've just got mine would tell u but it's restoring via migration assistant. The box says....

256mb DDR 5 no mention of shared and it would slow processing down if it was tbh as the system runs DDR 3

just the 256mb as the ram is ddr3

 

[yslr]

thanks for the answers. i did not consider that ram type difference would be a performance disadvantage.

 

[Ruahrc]

But don't all graphics cards have the ability to "borrow" system RAM?

Think back to the AGP days, when it was a big new feature. The AGP slot could borrow system RAM as video memory if the onboard was insufficient. There was a performance penalty but at least you could store the data. IIRC it was handled on a board-basis, agnostic of the OS.

I would have thought this technology would have been carried over into the PCI-express interface, which is what the 6630M runs on.

Ruahrc

 

[Mr.C]

The 6630M doesn't use shared memory just the on board dedicated DDR5 256MB VRAM.

The 15" and 17" MacBook Pros have both dedicated and integrated GPU's. However they work separately and the integrated GPU is used when the task being performed is not graphic intensive. The integrated GPU uses less power which is beneficial when the laptop is running on battery power.

 

[Travis Bickle]

going on what i've read on another thread, if i buy the basic MM with the intel onboard gfx and chuck 8Gb of ram into the thing it will utilise 512Mb of that for the gfx?

Would that be better/more powerful than having the radeon gpu running only 256Mb or does it not work like that?

 

[Mr.C]

going on what i've read on another thread, if i buy the basic MM with the intel onboard gfx and chuck 8Gb of ram into the thing it will utilise 512Mb of that for the gfx?

Would that be better/more powerful than having the radeon gpu running only 256Mb or does it not work like that?

It doesn't work like that. You are comparing slower shared DDR3 main RAM to on board dedicated faster GDDR5 VRAM. The discrete AMD Radeon GPU will still be more powerful and give better performance.

 

[Lokheed]

going on what i've read on another thread, if i buy the basic MM with the intel onboard gfx and chuck 8Gb of ram into the thing it will utilise 512Mb of that for the gfx?

Like this?

 

[monokitty]

It doesn't work like that. You are comparing slower shared DDR3 main RAM to on board dedicated faster GDDR5 VRAM. The discrete AMD Radeon GPU will still be more powerful and give better performance.

This.

Even with the Intel 3000 using 512 MB, the AMD will kick it out of the water.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Hi guys,

I am wondering if there is any shared RAM for the Radeon GPU in Mac Mini Mid-2011 in addition to the dedicated 256 MB. My old pc laptop has 256 mb dedicated and 767 mb shared memory according to windows 7.

The Radeon GPU only has discrete VRAM and does not share system memory to the GPU. Your Core i5/i7 has the Intel HD 3000 GPU which itself shares memory with the system, but on Mac minis with the Radeon GPU, the Intel HD 3000 is disabled and functionally useless to you. It is done this way on the Mac mini because it is a desktop and the only reason to also include the Intel HD 3000 to use functionally as an IGP in addition is to scale down graphics to save on battery power, which the Mac mini inherently lacks by technically being a desktop.