topic Re: sony vaio b1xp graphics card memory in PCs & Accessories

sony vaio b1xp graphics card memory

psampa — Sun, 21 Nov 2004 23:36:37 GMT

I have recently bought a B1XP and I am very pleased with it. I have two questions that need to be clarified:
1) Is there any utility that will force the graphic card to use always 64MB of the system RAM? (I have upgraded the RAM to 1 GB so I can easily spare 64MB for the intel graqphics card 855GME)

2) I usually work having the laptop pluged in to a power outlet, should I leave the battery in the laptop or should I remove it? In my previous laptop it was required to remove the battery, but I think that sony has more sophisticated charge circuits and this is not necessary.

Thanks in advance
Petros Sampatakos

Re: sony vaio b1xp graphics card memory

kee-lo_ — Mon, 22 Nov 2004 15:05:46 GMT

I wouldn't suggest forcing the VAIO to use the full 64MB, it's not needed, the system knows how to manage it's RAM.

As for the second question, if you work > 70% of the time on power then remove the battery

Re: sony vaio b1xp graphics card memory

psampa — Mon, 22 Nov 2004 16:49:43 GMT

Thanks for the quick reply!

Concerning the battery I will do as you suggested.

Regarding the graphics card memory , I am searching for such utility because I have the impression that the operating system doesn't handle the memory of the graphics card that wisely. I have installed the game Sims 2 which requires 32MB of video memory. I could play the game but when the scene became more complex the game started to freeze and drop frames. I checked the memory that the graqphic card was using (with the help of the report that the card utility has) and only 21MB were used by that time, and I am wondering whether the game would run more smoothly if the card had used 64MB instead. That's the reason I am searching how to force to use the maximum amount. In any case it won't hurt system performance since 1GB of RAM is more than enough.

Re: sony vaio b1xp graphics card memory

kee-lo_ — Mon, 22 Nov 2004 18:19:16 GMT

Yeah I see your concern here, but it's more likely to be the game thats not managing the memory.

If I were you I would run a memory optimiser for system RAM, not video RAM so more is available to the game.

Re: sony vaio b1xp graphics card memory

TygerTyger — Mon, 22 Nov 2004 19:47:12 GMT

I'm not really knowledgable enough to disagree, but I would say that the Sims 2 will fall flat on it's face without at least double the video RAM you currently have, if not 64Mb. Unfortunately trying to run a game as seriously graphics intensive as that on anything but the latest laptop is going to be a serious struggle. And I speak from experience.