Shared vram vs vcard

Which is better the newer shared video ram Imacs or the 2008 versions with dedicated 256 chip?

Since the new 2009 iMac has other significant improvements, other than the NVIDEA integrated graphics versus older discreet graphics difference, if you have an Apple Store nearby, I would go there for a test drive. The NVIDEA graphics seem pretty competent, compared to the Intel version. Even the MacBook Pro uses it, unless you switch it over to the more power-hungry GeForce 9600M GT.

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Increasing shared VRAM on a GMA X3100

I have a white Macbook with the GMA X3100 graphics chipset (I think it is Santa Rosa). The system profiler says I have 144MB of VRAM. I have 2GB of RAM installed. My questing is, since the VRAM is shared memory from the system RAM, would I be able to get more shared VRAM to the GPU if I upgrade to 4GB? Or, even better, is there any way to allocate more of my current memory to share with the GPU? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

From http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3246:
GMA X3100
The GMA X3100 allocates a base amount of 144 MB for video and boot processes at startup. For example, a MacBook (Late 2007) with 1 GB of RAM installed has 880 MB of memory available to Mac OS X and applications (1024-144=880).
Products with the Intel GMA X3100 include:
* MacBook (Late 2007)
* MacBook (Early 2008)
* MacBook (Late 2008)
* MacBook Air (Early 2008)
Note: Depending on the application or task being accomplished, Mac OS X may make additional main memory available to the graphics processor for texture use beyond the base amount mentioned above. The most common types of applications that request more system memory to be used as graphics memory are 3D and graphics-intense applications. Using an extended desktop or mirrored desktop may also increase the amount of system memory used as graphics memory. For example, the GMA 950 would allocate 80 MB, resulting in 432 MB of available memory (512-80=432). Likewise, the GMA X3100 would allocate 160 MB, resulting in 864 MB of available memory (1024-160=864).

Increasing shared VRAM on Intel HD Graphics 3000

Hello,
Question about MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011) with Intel HD Graphics 3000. I upgraded RAM with 16GB, and wonder if it is possible to allocate more then 512 MB of system memory for shared VRAM. Now system profiler shows 512 MB shared VRAM, the same like it was with 8 GB RAM before the RAM upgrade.
"About integrated video on Intel-based Macs" topic (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3246) mentions MBPs with 8 GB of RAM only.
Thanks!

HI M,
On a Windows machine, you can go into the BIOS and change RAM allocation.
I have found nothing to suggest the same is true on a Mac. It appears it is controlled in ROM, and unless Apple makes a firemware upgrade, it is what it its. Which begs the question, what is it?
Given that the article you cite states the VRAM allocation goes from 256MB to 512MB by increasing RAM from 4GB to 8GB in one example, it would seem that amount might go up to 1GB VRAM with 16GB of RAM. As you're probably aware, Apple bases everything on RAM available at time of production of the Mac, and never goes back to change specs as RAM density increases, so it may also be "locked in" at 512MB for 8GB.
Bottome line: It's possible the base VRAM available may indeed go up as needed on your Mac, but that's far from certain. There is information out there on the internet suggesting this "as needed" theory, so you may want to do further searching reading and see if you can find that needle in a haystack.

Vram vs shared Vram?

I'm considering new Imac 2.66 with shared vram or last gen 2.8 with dedicated vram. I plan to do some home video editing and my sons play WOW.
I'm not sure what the realworld difference is but, I'm sure dedicated vram is better.
Could someone clarify this in a way that even I can understand?
Thanks

Well, the 2.66 uses the shared 256Mb, however it is faster memory than before.
The new iMac has a whole new chipset with faster memory and core graphics support. If you do anything with graphics, I recommend purchasing the newer iMac than the older one (even if it is the 2.66 with dedicated). The next level up (2.9) will give you the option of having one of 3 other graphics cards with dedicated ddr3 memory. This would be the better option, if you could put out the funds.

Lenovo 3000 N200 graphic card memory problem

Hello,
Ive recently bought a new Lenovo 3000 N200, which has a onboard graphic card Intel X3100 with 256MB (shareable) memory.
The problem is, it shows, in the Intel media graphic accelerator driver (under information) it has only 128MB.
This is a copy-paste of the info, the graphic driver shows me:
DirectX* Version:        9.0
Physical Memory:        2038 MB
Minimum Graphics Memory:    8 MB
Maximum Graphics Memory:    128 MB
Graphics Memory in Use:    10 MB
So i would like to know, how can i extend this shareable memory (tried in BIOS, but theres nothing there).
Thanks in advance.

Okay, some of you people are using the Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics rather than the Intel X3100 graphics chipset. The GMA 950 is supposedly to have the maximum shared v ram of 224 mb, but this is only accessable only when the ram is paired and also depends on the motherboard chipsetyou are using. This is also true for the Intel x3100 graphics chipset. However, the catch is that the shared vram is not the bottleneck, you can still play WoW if youwith all the graphics setting to low.

Need Win XP Drivers for Satellite A100 bought in Malaysia

Hi All,
I bought this A100 (PSAAKL-00E002) in Malaysia. Below are the specs
* Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor T2060
(1.73GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB)
* Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic
* 512MB DDR2 SDRAM
* 80GB Serial-ATA HDD
* DVD SuperMulti Double Layer Drive (DVDRW/RAM)
* 15.4" WXGA TFT display
* ATI Radeon Xpress 200M, up to 128MB shared VRAM
* Integrated Wireless 802.11b/g
* 56Kbps Modem
* 10/100Mbps Ethernet
and upgrade to 1GB Mb RAM currently.
I occasionally get BSOD in Vista Basic. Not that frequent but occasionally BSOD. I felt the new Vista is kinda sensitive to any drivers changes. Eg. screnario: I bought a new mouse, plug it and it will start installing the itself. After installing the mouse drivers, i went to control panel->mouse to change some settings.... well.... BSOD... :(
So i decided to downgrade to Win XP Pro instead. I manage to get everything installed except the graphics card drivers: ATI Radeon Xpress 200M.
I tried to download from all the Toshiba website but none of them is working. I even tried to download from ATI website itself. Everytime i try to install the drivers it prompts me, missing "INF".
For VISTA here is the list of drivers and application that need to be installed
Sun Java 2 Runtime Environment
ATI UMA Chipset Software and Display Driver
Realtek ALC861 Audio Driver
Synaptics TouchPad Driver
Realtek Wired LAN Driver
ENE1410 Cardbus driver
TOSHIBA Software Modem
Atheros 802.WireLess Lan Driver
Toshiba Extended Tiles for Windows Mobility Center
TOSHIBA Value Added Package
TOSHIBA Hardware Setup
TOSHIBA Supervisor Password
TOSHIBA Assist
TOSHIBA ConfigFree
CD/DVD Acoustic Silencer
I manage to install all the mention above in XP except for "ATI UMA Chipset Software and Display Driver"
Now I'm not sure that the missing "inf" is referring to the chipset or display driver
Anyone have any idea where i can download a compatible graphic drivers for Win XP PRO?

yupe..i'm facing the same problem. it is not BSOD but it is freeze and halted. You can try to remove one additional ram. It will work fine in single 512MB RAM. I tried single 1GB ram, it will halt in vista too. i had post the message, but i can't found the message anymore in my history message now. someone is reply me but my post is missing now?? :(. help!
I think it will be a known issue in future.:0
Message was edited by: redman_8888
Message was edited by: redman_8888

Is the new (2012) the best choice for home theater use?

I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this update because my 2009 model just doesn't cut it any more. Unless I clean the ram (4GB) a couple of times after shutting down the usual ram hogs (Firefox, NZB Vortex, etc.), 1080p delivery is unacceptable, and I certainly can't multitask in the background while watching any HD movie (usually run NZBVortex, sabNZB and Sickbeard in Firefox, And, of course Plex media server and client are also running. Connection between TV and mini is DVI to HDMI.
So, with much-improved decoding and delivery to the player (I do most of my encoding on another machine) and multitasking being my goals (I'm sure the quad i7 and 4 times the ram in the new model will solve the latter), the lack of an independent video card (such as that in the previous model), concerns me. I know nothing about Intel's HD Graphics 4000 chip and how it performs versus an independent video card (again, such as that in the previous model).
I see my option as purchasing the previous model (with independent video card) when it hits the refurb bin and then juicing it up in the same fashion I would with the new model (SSD x2 Raid 0, max out ram, etc.
The only other issue that I know is a factor with my mini performance is my storage array, which I am heavily invested in and can't change until it's my turn in the lottery. Attached to my mini is a 4-bay drobo device, which is not the fastest device known to man as far as read/write goes. At the moment, though, I'm crippling it even more because I have to use a FW400 (mini side) to FW800 (Drobo side) cable. That would go away with either replacement, but I know for sure that array can deliver the read speed required for HD viewing (as long as I clean out the mini's ram first). My second array comprises an 8-bay Drobo device on Gb Ethernet -- which we know is more than capable of streaming HD content. I only mention this as a known factor in my goals with a caveat that (a) it can't change right now, and (b) I have sufficient evidence to believe that this factor can deliver the read speeds required.
I hope I've provided sufficient information to request some "seasoned" advise. Either way, I will purchase a new mini. I guess the ultimate question, given the above scenario, is should I be concerned with the lack of a dedicated graphics card in the new model?
Thanks very much for your consideration and contribution to this thread.
The Doctor of Spin

Yes, you are melting down your 2009 mini.
Presently, you are performance challenged in every dimension due to hardware limitations and your multi-tasking workflow. Unless you are running a graphics application that requires greater than 512MB of VRAM, a 2012 mini with quad-core i7 and the HD4000 should be sufficient, including video streaming. The most shared VRAM that the HD4000 can use will be 512MB, whether there is 8GB or 16GB of ram in the mini.
I just streamed the October 23 Apple presentation to my 2011 mini with just the HD3000. Perfect stream -- no a/v artifacts or pauses.
Here is what I would do in your circumstance. Understand the Apple return policy terms and conditions. Get the 2012 mini in the configuration you plan, and without modifying the hardware or operating system, try it out. The quad-core i7 will give you 8 threads. Test the HD4000 against your normal workflow. Encode and decode video, and do some streaming. Connect the Drobo boxes (FW800/Enet). Based on what I read from your original post, it may be all that you need. If it doesn't meet your needs, then return it. It won't take long to make a decision, either way.
If you decide to go with a 2011 mini with the discrete 6630m graphics, here is a Verge review and 9.0 score.
An Ars Technica review of another 2011 mini w/ Core i5 with 6630m.
And a graphic performance chart reprinted by OSXDaily of work done by macminicolo, that covers entire Mac mini history through the 2011 with Core i7.
Jumping off that Core 2 Duo will be fun. Enjoy.

Better video quality on my old G3 than my new iMac?!?!

How is this possible???
The visual quality of my new 17 inch 2 duo iMac 1.83 is horrendous. The screen detail and colors look like they're stuck in thousands instead of millions. Even though the resolution says otherwise (1440x900 millions).
As a test, I played the same exact divx video file on my old G3 pismo powerbook and on the new iMac using my VLC player.
And despite the iMacs supposedly superior 3D card, screen resolution, intel-processor, and every other improvement over the past 7 years since I bought my G3 powerbook, the video image on the iMac is flat-out HORRIBLE!
On the old powerbook, every shade and color of the video is there. Crystal clear. On the new iMac, it's as if nothing but the 3 primary colors are available.
Is this because of the intel processor's need to borrow ram for video? I have 512MBs installed. Do I have to install a ton more just to get the same visual quality of my G3 powerbook?
Am I crazy? Is my iMac defective? Or are the new intel-chips that lame when it comes to VRAM?
Thanks in adavance.

I've discovered what the problem is with my new 17inch Duo 2 iMac...
DON'T EVER BUY A COMPUTER WITH A "GMA" GRAPHICS SETUP!
I'm not talking about 3D gaming, or iphoto, or even Youtube for goodness sakes. I am talking about the basic of basics! The desktop! The menu text! The color and contrast of the screen!
Just turning the iMac on without a single program running, and the machine looks like it's running on a thousand, even 256 colors, at best!
When I first saw how awful the display quality was, I was positive the iMac was defective. But after a couple hours of google research, I came to learn that this was what PC users have always referred to as "the curse of the shared VRAM". Something Apple users have never had to deal with... until now.
I've already ordered a 1GB chip to replace one of the two 256 chips that came with the iMac. But if I can't even get the basic screen quality comparable to a G3 powerbook that I bought nearly 7 years ago, I am going to raise the biggest stink with my beloved Apple Corp. until they take this **** thing back and exchange it for an Intel model with ACCEPTABLE display hardware.
BUYERS BE WARNED: DON'T BUY ANYTHING WITH THE WORDS "GMA 950" INVOLVED, NOT UNLESS YOU DON'T MIND STARING AT A SCREEN THAT'LL HURT YOUR EYES UNTIL YOU GO BLIND.

Photoshop CS5 - Slow launch time Mac

Takes a long time to launch: Starts out "application not responding", then rainbow pinwheel for a while, then finally it "Intialized Type Tool". Usually good to go after that.

When I got my Mini in June, it had 4Gb DDR3. I installed CS5.5 and CS6 Master Collections. CS5.5 ran "OK" but CS6 was slow and my Photoshop wouldn't enable 3D because of the integrated GPU and shared VRAM was only 256Mb with that setup. I got 16Gb from Crucial and installed it, and even with Mavericks, things run fast. The oNLY time I see any lag is when opening or saveing a file, and that's Finder, not Photoshop, becuase I get the "spinner" for about 30 seconds before I can see a file to open or a folder to save.
Have you reset your PRAM recently? or your Photoshop preferences?

Macbook Pro (2010) vs Macbook Air (2011)

I have a Macbook Pro (2010 model, 15" screen, i7 2.66ghz, 500gb 7200rpm drive) which I currently use for work which includes some photoshop. I am a little tired of lugging it around as it is quite heavy especially when you include the power pack and wireless mouse. So I was considering getting the 2011 Macbook Air (13", i7 1.8ghz, 256gb SSD drive) as a replacement.
According to this web site (http://www.primatelabs.ca/geekbench/mac-benchmarks/) the Air (5786) scores marginally better than my Pro (5562).
Before (and if) I make my purchase I was hoping someone here knew more about a direct comparison of these notebooks and wouldn't mind sharing their knowledge.
Thanks!

The 1.8GHz dual-core i7 Air is 32% slower than your 2.66GHz dual-core i7 Pro in all respects other than hard drive speed. In highly disk-intensive operations, the Air's SSD may make up the difference, but in pure processing operations, your Pro has a big edge. For graphics, the Air's integrated GPU with shared VRAM is considerably less powerful than your Pro's discrete GPU and dedicated VRAM. Nothing in the Air is upgradeable; your Pro can be outfitted with a larger hard drive or a faster SSD and twice as much RAM as the Air will ever have. All the non-resizable user-interface elements (menu bar and its text, dialog boxes and their text, tool palettes and toolbars in many apps, etc.) will be dramatically smaller and may be hard to read on the Air, unless your Pro has the optional high-resolution 1680 x 1050 display, in which case things will be the same size on the Air screen, but you'll see less of them because there are fewer pixels in its screen.
I think sticking with the Pro is a no-brainer. To lighten your load, leave the mouse at home and use the wonderful features of the MBP's trackpad. The Pro will never be as light as an Air, but it's a substantially more capable computer, and best of all, you've already paid for it.

Are there any new adventure games like Myst ?

I dearly loved Myst and regret that there is no version compatible with later Mac operating systems like Tiger and Leopard. Does anyone know of newer similar adventure games I can play on my Mac Mini running 10.4.11?
Thanks!
Joyce Ware

Myst III, IV, V are all Mac compatible.
Riven there is a new beta here for Mac OS X:
http://www.devklog.net/rivenx/
Realmyst is a newer release of the original Myst that is available for Mac OS X.
The Mac Mini has too slow a GPU to run Riven X. You need an iMac minimum for Riven X. The Mac Mini unfortunately has a shared VRAM GPU. Same is true of the MacBook. The iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro are the only Macs with full ATI and/or nVidia GPUs.

Is it possible to increase GMA 950 Video Ram from 64MB?

Hi,
Sorry if this question has been answered plenty of times before, but I am wondering if there is a way to increase the GMA shared VRAM from 64MB?
If not is Apple planning to make this a configurable option in future firmware versions?
The reason I'm worring about video RAM is although the GMA 950 holds up pretty well in OS X animations, as soon as I start using 2 or more desktops in spaces, or 2 monitors, things get choppy. Has anyone else had this problem and if so did anyone find a solution?
Message was edited by: squater

That might be a good idea. I started out with an upgrade myself and had a few problems. I then did a new install and it runs much better. You might want to try an Archive and Install.
Mac OS X: About the Archive and Install feature
Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5: About installation options
Apple OS X 10.5: Leopard Installation and Setup Guide

New i Photo and Outlook for Mac

Hi,
I have just installed the new version of I photo and checked that it is set to open Outlook as my prefered mail prog.
When I select share these photos in i Photo it does not open Outlook. The previous versions have always done so and this is a bore beceause whilst I would like to use Mail I cannot migrate my address book back to the native Mail prog "Mail" as there is no means I have been offered to to do so.
Please can you help with a fix for this or if not a re install previous version fix if this is not possible.
Regards
David

Mail doesn't have an Addresbook, it uses the native Contacts app. Whatever you're using now for Contacts, does't it support export to standard sharing formats, like vCard?

Would running voice over cause this problem?

Hi
I have a ? for anyone who might know the answer. I recently noticed that pressing shift + s does not make the s uppercase. I can only uppercase the s by pressing the caps lock key. Would VO cause this? I have tried it with both shift keys and it only has this problem with the letter s. Come to think of it, it happens when universal access is not running as well. Any ideas as to the cause of this? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Funny how things work. While reading another thread, I found someone with a link on to make selected text talk through system preferences> speech> text to speech. Within those options I found that the key that was set to read any text that is highlighted was shift + s. Thanks for that, here is the article if anyone is interested.
Make Your Mac Speak
Did you know that your Mac can read aloud to you? Mac OS X Leopard includes a cool Text to Speech function that makes the Mac speak selected text in text-based files — including web pages, email messages, spreadsheets, calendar entries, PDFs, text documents, Finder windows, and even iTunes.
To start, open the System Preferences panel under the Apple icon and click on Speech. Select the Text to Speech tab, check the option “Speak selected text when the key is pressed,” and click the Set Key option. Choose one modifier key — Command, Control, Option, or Shift — plus one other key of your choice, then click OK. Now each time you type this key combination, your Mac will read aloud any text you have selected. To stop the speech, type the same key combination again.
You can even choose your Mac’s voice. Mac OS X includes 24 human-sounding and novelty voices, from the suave Alex to the robotic Zarvox. (To see the complete list, click the “Show More Voices” option at the bottom of the pull-down System Voice menu.) You can also ask your Mac to speak more slowly or quickly by adjusting the Speaking Rate slider. Whichever you choose, listening to your text can be a surprisingly useful tool for editing and proofreading.
In addition to speaking selected text aloud, you can configure Text to Speech to announce when an application needs attention or to summon you if you ignore an onscreen alert. This function includes an adjustable delay between the text alert and the spoken announcement, which gives you a chance to tend to the alert before being verbally prompted. You can also have your Mac announce the time on the hour, half-hour, or quarter-hour. To set this up, choose the Clock tab under Date & Time in System Preferences and check Announce the Time.
Note that Text to Speech differs from VoiceOver, which provides more comprehensive control of speech and enables the blind or those with low vision to use a Mac. Also, some applications that come with Mac OS X Leopard — including Mail, Calculator, and Chess — and some other Mac programs, such as FileMaker Pro, are “self-speaking” and provide speech capabilities that you can configure independently of the Text to Speech System Preference.
Next Tip: Spell-Check on the Fly
Pro Tip
07.23.09 Set Search Priorities in Spotlight
06.25.09 Reassign Files to Another Application
05.14.09 Really Empty the Trash
04.16.09 Lock Your Data with Disk Images
03.19.09 Sharing Contacts with vCards
12.23.08 Super-Clean Screenshots
Tip of the Week Archive

Macbook Overheating/Battery?

Hello,
This is my first post on the community boards so I would like to take a minute to say hi and thank you for looking into my problem.
Now to start, I have been having some trouble with my Macbook recently. I have been having an issue where I will be doing something very CPU/GPU intensive, them my computer just randomly shuts off. It has happened twice now, once when rendering video in Final Cut Pro X in Mac OS, and then just now again when I was playing Team Fortress 2 on my Windows partition. I did notice that the temperatures were a bit high (about 180-190 degrees) but I have never had any trouble with it shutting off before. I can be overheating because I know Macs have a failsafe built in to keep them from damaging themselves, but the thing that has been steering me away from this is the fact that my battery gets completely drained when this happens. I will be at about 80% charge while working, then my computer shuts off with no warning, and ALL the charge is dumped out of the battery. So I am not sure if it is just the normal failsafe or if it is the fact that my batter is going. I have been getting the Service Battery announcement as it just passed its 80% life mark but I still have a long way to go before it is completely depleted. If it helps at all, my setup is as follows:
Macbook Pro 13 inch 7,1 (Mid 2010 Model)
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
8GB DDR3 RAM at 1067Mhz
120GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD
250GB 5400RPM HDD (Replaced optical bay)
Nvidia GeForce 320M with 256mb of shared Vram
OS: Mac OS 10.8.3
Dualboot: Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit via Bootcamp
Battery: 4331 mAh remaining of the designed 5770 mAh (fluctuates from 75%-83% life)
Battery cont.: 639 charge cycles, 33 months old
Case: Speck Seethru Satin snap on case (put this in because it may restrict airflow if it turns out to be overheating)
Repairs: Upgraded RAM, Upgraded to SSD, Replaced Optical Bay with mounting bracket and HDD, replaced the top case due to a broken keyboard from a cofee spill (about 9 months ago).
So that is pretty much the case. Doing something that works my computer hard, shuts off without warning, and all the charge is drained in the battery. It Even happens when I am plugged in. I have tried resetting the SMC and NVRAM, still no help. Just want to know if it is overheating, battery, logic board, or charging board.
Let me know your suggestions (whether is be taking it to the Genius bar or trying something at home) I am all ears. Keep in mind that I am pretty technical and know this machine inside and out so don't be afraid to ask me to open it up and peek inside, I have already had this machine completely in pieces.
Thanks,
Hank

***UPDATE***
Just recently, on the magsafe part of my charger, I heard a high pitched hissing/whining sound. Almost like a tiny computer fan but a bit of hissing mixed in. I unplugged my chager then plugged it back in and the hissing went away but then comes back after a bit. I am stumped on this one...

Shared vram vs vcard

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