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Integrated Graphics Memory ?

post #1 of 15
6/9/10 at 12:35am
Thread Starter 
I was reading a review on an i3-350 Gateway PC with an Intel H57 chip set. Even though it had HDMI, the reviewer said he had to add a graphic card because his tuner card required 64MB of graphics memory and the mobo had only 32MB.

I looked at the specs on the Hauppauge HVR-2250 and it does state it requires Graphics with 64 MB memory (or greater).

Looking at the manufacturer's web sites for the recommended Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H and Asus P7H55-M PRO mobos I do not see anything mentioned about their graphics memory. And I could not find anything relating to the 32MB on the Gateway board.

I never really thought about this with integrated graphics. When or how does the 64MB requirement for a tuner card apply? How do you find out if the mobo integrated graphics meets the requirements?
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post #2 of 15
6/9/10 at 12:45am
Integrated graphics on motherboards don't have "graphics memory" (unless you have one of the AMD ones with sideport). The graphics just share system memory. On my i3-530 build with 4GB RAM, I think I have either 256MB or 512MB allocated towards graphics.
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post #3 of 15
6/9/10 at 1:14am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovejedd View Post

Integrated graphics on motherboards don't have "graphics memory" (unless you have one of the AMD ones with sideport). The graphics just share system memory. On my i3-530 build with 4GB RAM, I think I have either 256MB or 512MB allocated towards graphics.

I know my older non-HTPC works that way, which is why I never thought about it. But when I saw that review comment it made me wonder if newer more powerful stuff was different.

Thanks for the information.
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post #4 of 15
6/9/10 at 6:26am
I think the main take-away from reading that review is that you shouldn't read reviews from that place anymore. Because it sounds like the reviewer doesn't know what he is talking about.

FWIW, even on AMD mobos that do have Sideport memory, you will still want to run with some system memory available to the gfx chip. My 785g board (with Sideport) will run with just the Sideport memory allocated to the gfx chip, but it runs much better with some system memory allocated too.

-Suntan
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post #5 of 15
6/9/10 at 6:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike99 View Post

I was reading a review on an i3-350 Gateway PC with an Intel H57 chip set. Even though it had HDMI, the reviewer said he had to add a graphic card because his tuner card required 64MB of graphics memory and the mobo had only 32MB.

I looked at the specs on the Hauppauge HVR-2250 and it does state it requires Graphics with 64 MB memory (or greater).

Looking at the manufacturer's web sites for the recommended Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H and Asus P7H55-M PRO mobos I do not see anything mentioned about their graphics memory. And I could not find anything relating to the 32MB on the Gateway board.

I never really thought about this with integrated graphics. When or how does the 64MB requirement for a tuner card apply? How do you find out if the mobo integrated graphics meets the requirements?

I have a Gigabyte H57 board with a i3-530 and a hauppage HVR-2250 tuner. I have mine set at 128 MB and can guarantee that the tuner card works with this set up. Thet bios allows up to 128 MB towards your graphic card. The choices are 32MB, 64MB, and 128 MB
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post #6 of 15
6/9/10 at 6:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SUBCOB View Post

I have a Gigabyte H57 board with a i3-530 and a hauppage HVR-2250 tuner. I have mine set at 128 MB and can guarantee that the tuner card works with this set up. The bios allows up to 128 MB towards your graphic card. The choices are 32MB, 64MB, and 128 MB

Hmm, I'm thinking the choice is dependent on amount of memory installed and perhaps even motherboard manufacturer. On my DH57JG, I currently have 256MB allocated. Forgot what choices are available and I didn't really feel like rebooting just to look at the BIOS.
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post #7 of 15
6/9/10 at 7:10am
I have an Intel H55 motherboard using Core i5 integrated graphics, and like others here I can confirm that the HVR-2250 works fine with it. I forget the exact name of the options in the Intel BIOS, but there is one for "Max" for the integrated graphics memory, which I think is 256 MB.
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post #8 of 15
6/9/10 at 2:10pm
iovejedd,
You might be right, I just verified mine in the bios and it is 128 +2 for GTT max. This might be something to look at when deciding on a motherboard. So far 128 has done everything I need including blu ray playback.
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post #9 of 15
6/9/10 at 6:22pm
I think the BIOS setting is just what it gives it to start with. Most Intel GMA's dating back several years dynamically allocate memory. Meaning it takes only what it needs. When it first came out it started with 8MB and took up to 32MB, that number slowly increased and on the GMA HD that's in the i3 and i5 processors it will take up to 1.7GB as it sees fit depending on demands and how much memory the system has. Windows 7 won't run on less than 128MB of memory for the video card. My other system (that is compatible with GPU-Z) is using 136MB of video memory sitting at the desktop with nothing open.
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post #10 of 15
6/9/10 at 10:03pm
Thread Starter 
I emailed Gateway & asked about the 32MB graphic memory & if bios settings could change it. They replied but did not comment on the 32MB, they just referred me to the specs on their web site which don't mention anything about this. They also said "Please be informed that BIOS settings cannot be changed to increase to increase the memory allocated for Graphics." Either they don't know or the system really is locked.
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post #11 of 15
6/10/10 at 11:43am
Mike99,
I was reading the white papers on the i3 530 cpu and mr_bots is right it can use up to 1.7GB of system memory. I will have to do some other research on what the bios is actually doing. My initial guess is that is the minimum that will be allocated to the graphics chip.
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post #12 of 15
6/10/10 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike99 View Post

I was reading a review on an i3-350 Gateway PC with an Intel H57 chip set. Even though it had HDMI, the reviewer said he had to add a graphic card because his tuner card required 64MB of graphics memory and the mobo had only 32MB.

I looked at the specs on the Hauppauge HVR-2250 and it does state it requires Graphics with 64 MB memory (or greater).

Looking at the manufacturer's web sites for the recommended Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H and Asus P7H55-M PRO mobos I do not see anything mentioned about their graphics memory. And I could not find anything relating to the 32MB on the Gateway board.

I never really thought about this with integrated graphics. When or how does the 64MB requirement for a tuner card apply? How do you find out if the mobo integrated graphics meets the requirements?

i run two hauppage 1250s and bluray on my intel x4500hd (g45) at 64mb graphics.

never had an issue.
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post #13 of 15
6/10/10 at 4:21pm
Once the windows driver loads, it is dynamic. In my Core i5 + H55 graphics drivers info page, it has

Minimum Graphics Memory: 32 MB
Maximum Graphics Memory: 1696 MB
Graphics memory in Use: 228 MB

I think the Gateway guy only knows what is printed on those spec sheets. I have a pair of HVR-2250s in my HTPC, and I can record 4 OTA ATSC shows at once just fine with integrated graphics.
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post #14 of 15
6/10/10 at 6:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gorthocar View Post

Once the windows driver loads, it is dynamic. In my Core i5 + H55 graphics drivers info page, it has

Minimum Graphics Memory: 32 MB
Maximum Graphics Memory: 1696 MB
Graphics memory in Use: 228 MB

I think the Gateway guy only knows what is printed on those spec sheets. I have a pair of HVR-2250s in my HTPC, and I can record 4 OTA ATSC shows at once just fine with integrated graphics.

Which motherboard are you using?
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post #15 of 15
6/10/10 at 6:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike99 View Post

Which motherboard are you using?

Intel DH55TC
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