Gaming World Forums

General Category => Technology and Programming => Topic started by: otomon on June 01, 2008, 01:08:04 am

Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: otomon on June 01, 2008, 01:08:04 am
Bear in my mind that I am a computer n00b,anyways I purchased a mobo with an integrated video card...I know it means that the video card is soldered into the mobo or something like that and also that I can change how much mb the video card uses,does anyone know:

a)If changing how much mb the video card uses will alter performance.

b)How would I go about changing how much mb the video card uses.

Thanks for your time.
Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: Seawed on June 01, 2008, 01:38:00 am
Well, you'd have to let us know what brand and model it is, I assume. And I would suppose you'd just go to the control panel for your video card...There should be software available at the manufacturer's site.

I've also never heard of a video card that would, by default, not leave on full memory usability but whatever...

Anwyay, I'm not too tech savvy so...
Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: `~congresman Ron paul~~ on June 01, 2008, 01:40:35 am
I don't know how to change the video memory, but you'd be far better off just getting a video card as the integrated one won't reliably run any games that were released past late 2003-early 2004.
Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: goat on June 01, 2008, 02:16:01 am
There's a setting in your bios, sometimes called "AGP Aperture Size" and it's what determines how much of you system memory is allocated to your video card.

First, you need to understand what determines video card performance before understanding where video card memory helps. It's the chipset of the video card itself that determines it's speed, that all important GPU, and the memory is on board to help speed up things rather than use the slower system ram. Since on board uses system ram, you don't get the nice DDR3 that most of the recent video cards feature. Even if you had DDR3 system memory, you would still suffer from having to go through your motherboard to get to it. Onboard video is some of the most incompatible, incapable, and slowest video you can get. If you're concerned about video performance, get a new video card. Replacing a good PCIE card with a same model but with more VRAM will barely give you a performance boost (and mostly only in higher resolutions with max settings), so increasing your allocated onboard memory will not only be barely noticable AND take up more of your system ram, but it could even reduce video performance/compatibility.

The Nvidia Geforce 7600GS and the ATI Radeon x1650 are good entry level cards for about $50 and come in AGP and PCIE. I suggest you save up a bit and grab one rather than waste any more time thinking your onboard solution is adequate.
Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: ATARI on June 01, 2008, 03:00:45 am
but the real question.... is it good enough for otomon to watch his precious hentai
Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: Terin on June 01, 2008, 04:44:35 am
but the real question.... is it good enough for otomon to watch his precious hentai

Not if he wants it in high-def, lawlz.


In all seriousness, integrated video doesn't perform as good as an actual video card that's separate.  Reason is they basically usually just toss something on that uses the normal system's memory, etc.  Video cards are designed to basically exist somewhat outside the system with their own memory and pipeline, so that they can run at ridiculous speeds.  Think of it this way -- your computer may have 2 2.4 gHz processors (or like a core 2 duo or whatever), so you have 4.8 gHz of power.  So why is it that a 600 mHz video card just totally annihilates the performance of software rendering on those 2 cores?  You'll find top-notch video cards running at 1gHz these days, last I checked, I believe.

Anyway, the reason is because it has a dedicated pipeline at a faster speed, with faster memory and the like.  It's all dedicated to one task, so it can handle everything on it.  If you're going to do any gaming, just spend $100 on a reasonable video card and you'll be set.

--Terin
Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: goat on June 01, 2008, 05:38:18 am
Not if he wants it in high-def, lawlz.

Technically, high-def is dependant on the processor   :fogetbackflip:
Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: otomon on June 01, 2008, 05:40:50 pm
There's a setting in your bios, sometimes called "AGP Aperture Size" and it's what determines how much of you system memory is allocated to your video card.

First, you need to understand what determines video card performance before understanding where video card memory helps. It's the chipset of the video card itself that determines it's speed, that all important GPU, and the memory is on board to help speed up things rather than use the slower system ram. Since on board uses system ram, you don't get the nice DDR3 that most of the recent video cards feature. Even if you had DDR3 system memory, you would still suffer from having to go through your motherboard to get to it. Onboard video is some of the most incompatible, incapable, and slowest video you can get. If you're concerned about video performance, get a new video card. Replacing a good PCIE card with a same model but with more VRAM will barely give you a performance boost (and mostly only in higher resolutions with max settings), so increasing your allocated onboard memory will not only be barely noticable AND take up more of your system ram, but it could even reduce video performance/compatibility.

The Nvidia Geforce 7600GS and the ATI Radeon x1650 are good entry level cards for about $50 and come in AGP and PCIE. I suggest you save up a bit and grab one rather than waste any more time thinking your onboard solution is adequate.

Okay so do I have to replace the whole mobo or can I just stack a new video card or top or whats the deal here?
Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: goldenratio on June 01, 2008, 07:29:36 pm
Yeah you just put a new card in, and there's usually an option in the BIOS to disable onboard video.
Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: goat on June 01, 2008, 09:31:38 pm
If you have an AGP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Graphics_Port) or PCIE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express) slot, you just stick it in there, and bios should disable on-board automatically when you boot-up with the monitor connected to the card. Even if you don't have AGP or PCIE, there are PCI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_Component_Interconnect) solutions that would still no doubt be faster than your on-board.
Title: Integrated Video Card!!??
Post by: otomon on June 01, 2008, 10:32:39 pm
If you have an AGP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Graphics_Port) or PCIE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express) slot, you just stick it in there, and bios should disable on-board automatically when you boot-up with the monitor connected to the card. Even if you don't have AGP or PCIE, there are PCI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_Component_Interconnect) solutions that would still no doubt be faster than your on-board.

Thank you for assisting me,I clearly understand what it is I must do now.
Once again thank you.