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video RAM

A

AJ795

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 4, 2004
30
0
Hi All!

Bought an ibook a few weeks ago and am having lots of fun with it!!!

Just a question...the book comes with 32MB VRAM. If I am using applications that need more than that, does the computer borrow RAM from the main RAM or is it stuck using that amount?

When Tiger arrives I hope the ibook will be able to make some use of it. Is it more a question of VRAM or is it the video card which is important when trying to make use of all the capapbilities of Tiger. Or shall I just buy a new ibook once Tiger is out???

Look forward to hearing your responses.

AJ
 
What is the "sweet spot" for running Tiger (specifically, I'm wondering about choppy performance when running expose)? 64MB? Is 128 better, or is it true that that's only important if you're using a large external moniter or playing 3D games?
 
AJ795 said:
Bought an ibook a few weeks ago and am having lots of fun with it!!!
Just a question...the book comes with 32MB VRAM. If I am using applications that need more than that, does the computer borrow RAM from the main RAM or is it stuck using that amount?
When Tiger arrives I hope the ibook will be able to make some use of it. Is it more a question of VRAM or is it the video card which is important when trying to make use of all the capapbilities of Tiger. Or shall I just buy a new ibook once Tiger is out???
Click to expand...
The iBook's video "card" and VRAM are built onto the motherboard, and neither are upgradeable.

The "word" is that Tiger will run fine on smaller video RAM machines, but that it has additional capabilities on larger VRAM and GPUs that support the extra functions. Don't sweat it until the real Tiger comes out and has been tested.
 
As I understand it, Apple's original statement was that the Core Image parts of Tiger would not run in 32MbVRAM but that in systems with insufficient VRAM, the Core Image routines would be handed off to the main processor. On that basis there is no reason to believe that any part of Tiger would not run on a Mac with an 'incompatible' card.

However, after the release of the Mac mini, Apple removed references to minimum specification regarding VRAM - leading to a suspicion that a re-write was taking place to ensure that it would run.

One way or another, I doubt that Apple would release a new OS product that would prove feature-limited for the majority, or at the very least a significant minority, of Mac users with non-upgradable video such as the mini, iBooks, Powerbooks etc.
 
And again, I post this image:

ibooksupport.jpg
 
It's a scene from Animal House. I can wait for Tiger to come out so these annoying and repetitive threads will stop.
 
It's mostly dependent on the graphics chip, not the amount of vram. The iBook's Radeon 9200 (iirc what it has) is unlikely to support it, even if it did have enough vram. Instead, it will be run by the main processor (or, if it's non-essential and the developer is worried about it being slow, they'll probably just turn it off, so you might not get a little eye candy).
 
I also read somewhere that 128MB drains the battery. Is that true?

I'm trying to figure out whether or not to upgrade when I buy my PowerBook 15". The guy at the Mac store in Ginza said not to bother, unless I was interested in one of their lovely giant screen moniters (at a very reasonable price lol)...

Catfish, what's the graphics card like on the new PB's? Something I might consider replacing?
 
DaveinJapan said:
I also read somewhere that 128MB drains the battery. Is that true?

I'm trying to figure out whether or not to upgrade when I buy my PowerBook 15". The guy at the Mac store in Ginza said not to bother, unless I was interested in one of their lovely giant screen moniters (at a very reasonable price lol)...

Catfish, what's the graphics card like on the new PB's? Something I might consider replacing?
Click to expand...

i went with 64 in my rev d. powerbook that i bought last month. plus, if an apple employee is saying to stick with the 64, then either he is honestly telling you the truth, or else he doesn't make any more commission money if he were to sell you a powerbook with the 128. hehe.

i have read a lot of mixed opinions on why/why not you should buy a powerbook with the 128mb. the most valid reason to add the 128 i have read is because of future possibilities. i decided not to go with 128 just because i will probably buy one of the newer dual g4/g5 powerbooks when they are released, which will hopefully be within the next year. i also do not do gaming or movie editing.
 
tekmoe said:
i went with 64 in my rev d. powerbook that i bought last month. plus, if an apple employee is saying to stick with the 64, then either he is honestly telling you the truth, or else he doesn't make any more commission money if he were to sell you a powerbook with the 128. hehe.
Click to expand...

Apple employees don't work on commission. :)
 
I may be missing the point, but what image/video core apps are actually out there? As far as I know none, and even if there were, they would be top of the range image/video manipulation, and I've read that Photoshop won't be one of them. So why worry about the vram?
 
Here is what I think. Please feel free to correct me If I've got it wrong.

Core Image brings into the table some new instructions that are supported by the listed hardware (not a complete list). It has nothing to do with VRAM at this point!

In the case that your graphics card (read hardware) does not support these instructions, then this will be done through software, hence the CPU has to do all the processing.

Tiger uses them to do various visual effects. Now, depending on the usage, it will require more or less VRAM.

I believe that 32Mb of VRAM is adequate for desktop use, but we have to wait Tiger to see that.

Now if an application (being a game or whatever) utilizes Core Image to take advantage of the extra visuals, thats when you will have to think in terms of VRAM.
 
Tiger works fine on iBooks with 32MB Radeon 9200s, even the 1GHz model. I've seen it (developer friend), and it looks fine. It's better on supported cards (nothing to do with the amount of VRAM), but otherwise it's offloaded to the CPU. And if you have to ask, you probably won't be using the more advanced features anyway.

Dashboard's flippy thing is cool BTW, wish I had more time to play with it,
 
"It's better on supported cards"

What does this mean exactly? Cards that support Tiger, or something? Would the new Powerbooks and Ibooks that come WITH Tiger have supported cards (I assume that's a "yes") or which ones would be best?
 
Core Image in a nutshell:

If you have a supported card, it will offload some of the graphic tasks onto the GPU, taking work off the CPU. If you do not have a supported card, this work will be done by the CPU.
 
CORE IMAGE AND MINI

solvs said:
Tiger works fine on iBooks with 32MB Radeon 9200s, even the 1GHz model. I've seen it (developer friend), and it looks fine. It's better on supported cards (nothing to do with the amount of VRAM), but otherwise it's offloaded to the CPU. And if you have to ask, you probably won't be using the more advanced features anyway.

Dashboard's flippy thing is cool BTW, wish I had more time to play with it,
Click to expand...

Can you please tell me (because theres lots of people who would like to know as well) if the you see the ripple effect when adding a widget to Dashboard??? This has been told to me by apple as something my mini's video card wouldnt be able to do cause of core image. Please can you confirm this? This would help a lot of people out who are b****ing on the main tiger thread. Thanks! Plus I just ordered my mini and im curious!!!
 
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