Shared Video Memory, Why?

My system is using 766MB of Shared Video Memory. Here are my specs:

AMD64 5200 X2 Processor
2048 MB DDR2 (800Mhz) Dual Channel Memory
WD 10,000 RPM Raptor Hard Drive
NVidia GeForce 8800 GTS (640 GDDR3 Memory) Graphics
Windows Vista Business x64

So why does Vista insist on still taking my valuable system memory for
shared video memory? I have 1406 MB of total video memory. I don't need that!
I need my system ram back. Question is how to turn off shared video memory in
Vista?

(Also: Please do not recomend upgrades as remedies, I dont need em.)

try disabling the onboard graphics.

"John Tullos" <JohnTullos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:335134B2-87A4-45BA-9EE5-2BD1A8F0F3C2@microsoft.com...
> My system is using 766MB of Shared Video Memory. Here are my specs:
>
> AMD64 5200 X2 Processor
> 2048 MB DDR2 (800Mhz) Dual Channel Memory
> WD 10,000 RPM Raptor Hard Drive
> NVidia GeForce 8800 GTS (640 GDDR3 Memory) Graphics
> Windows Vista Business x64
>
> So why does Vista insist on still taking my valuable system memory for
> shared video memory? I have 1406 MB of total video memory. I don't need
> that!
> I need my system ram back. Question is how to turn off shared video memory
> in
> Vista?
>
> (Also: Please do not recomend upgrades as remedies, I dont need em.)

I do not have onboard graphics, my specs are exactly as shown. I see a lot of
questions, articles, and forum topic around this shared video memory issue no
matter what the card, high performance, or not there is always shared
graphics in vista. Considering what I have (again read specs) it seems
incredibly waistful. How can I turn this off?

"C.Skaggs" wrote:

> try disabling the onboard graphics.
>
> "John Tullos" <JohnTullos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:335134B2-87A4-45BA-9EE5-2BD1A8F0F3C2@microsoft.com...
> > My system is using 766MB of Shared Video Memory. Here are my specs:
> >
> > AMD64 5200 X2 Processor
> > 2048 MB DDR2 (800Mhz) Dual Channel Memory
> > WD 10,000 RPM Raptor Hard Drive
> > NVidia GeForce 8800 GTS (640 GDDR3 Memory) Graphics
> > Windows Vista Business x64
> >
> > So why does Vista insist on still taking my valuable system memory for
> > shared video memory? I have 1406 MB of total video memory. I don't need
> > that!
> > I need my system ram back. Question is how to turn off shared video memory
> > in
> > Vista?
> >
> > (Also: Please do not recomend upgrades as remedies, I dont need em.)
>
>

um, i don't think thats shared memory, but total available for the card.
your card has 640, plus the 128 meg apeture window.
are you looking at the used memory vs free memory?


"John Tullos" <JohnTullos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1BDCE931-FFBC-48EF-B3C6-E97C3C963F6A@microsoft.com...
>I do not have onboard graphics, my specs are exactly as shown. I see a lot
>of
> questions, articles, and forum topic around this shared video memory issue
> no
> matter what the card, high performance, or not there is always shared
> graphics in vista. Considering what I have (again read specs) it seems
> incredibly waistful. How can I turn this off?
>
> "C.Skaggs" wrote:
>
>> try disabling the onboard graphics.
>>
>> "John Tullos" <JohnTullos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:335134B2-87A4-45BA-9EE5-2BD1A8F0F3C2@microsoft.com...
>> > My system is using 766MB of Shared Video Memory. Here are my specs:
>> >
>> > AMD64 5200 X2 Processor
>> > 2048 MB DDR2 (800Mhz) Dual Channel Memory
>> > WD 10,000 RPM Raptor Hard Drive
>> > NVidia GeForce 8800 GTS (640 GDDR3 Memory) Graphics
>> > Windows Vista Business x64
>> >
>> > So why does Vista insist on still taking my valuable system memory for
>> > shared video memory? I have 1406 MB of total video memory. I don't need
>> > that!
>> > I need my system ram back. Question is how to turn off shared video
>> > memory
>> > in
>> > Vista?
>> >
>> > (Also: Please do not recomend upgrades as remedies, I dont need em.)
>>
>>

Graphics
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Display adapter type NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS
Total available graphics memory 1406 MB
Dedicated graphics memory 640 MB
Dedicated system memory 0 MB
Shared system memory 766 MB
Display adapter driver version 7.15.11.65
Primary monitor resolution 1600x1200
Secondary monitor resolution 1024x768
DirectX version DirectX 9.0 or better

This is from View & Print Details where it scores my computer's performance.
What exactly does the Shared system memory under graphics mean. I certainly
know I do not need 1406MB of graphics memory.

"C.Skaggs" wrote:

> um, i don't think thats shared memory, but total available for the card.
> your card has 640, plus the 128 meg apeture window.
> are you looking at the used memory vs free memory?
>
>
> "John Tullos" <JohnTullos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:1BDCE931-FFBC-48EF-B3C6-E97C3C963F6A@microsoft.com...
> >I do not have onboard graphics, my specs are exactly as shown. I see a lot
> >of
> > questions, articles, and forum topic around this shared video memory issue
> > no
> > matter what the card, high performance, or not there is always shared
> > graphics in vista. Considering what I have (again read specs) it seems
> > incredibly waistful. How can I turn this off?
> >
> > "C.Skaggs" wrote:
> >
> >> try disabling the onboard graphics.
> >>
> >> "John Tullos" <JohnTullos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:335134B2-87A4-45BA-9EE5-2BD1A8F0F3C2@microsoft.com...
> >> > My system is using 766MB of Shared Video Memory. Here are my specs:
> >> >
> >> > AMD64 5200 X2 Processor
> >> > 2048 MB DDR2 (800Mhz) Dual Channel Memory
> >> > WD 10,000 RPM Raptor Hard Drive
> >> > NVidia GeForce 8800 GTS (640 GDDR3 Memory) Graphics
> >> > Windows Vista Business x64
> >> >
> >> > So why does Vista insist on still taking my valuable system memory for
> >> > shared video memory? I have 1406 MB of total video memory. I don't need
> >> > that!
> >> > I need my system ram back. Question is how to turn off shared video
> >> > memory
> >> > in
> >> > Vista?
> >> >
> >> > (Also: Please do not recomend upgrades as remedies, I dont need em.)
> >>
> >>
>
>

"John Tullos" wrote:

> Graphics
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Display adapter type NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS
> Total available graphics memory 1406 MB
> Dedicated graphics memory 640 MB
> Dedicated system memory 0 MB
> Shared system memory 766 MB


- Dedicated system memory 0 MB means no RAM is reserved (i.e. you don't have
a graphics card integrated into the mother board).
- Shared system memory is 766 = 640 + AGP aperture size. Shared doesn't mean
used! Games will use this mem via AGP aperture size

I think you're right, it has to be the Card's ram plus the aperture.
I have the same card and my read out is;
Display adapter type NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS
Total available graphics memory 1407 MB
Dedicated graphics memory 640 MB
Dedicated system memory 0 MB
Shared system memory 767 MB
Display adapter driver version 7.15.11.65
Primary monitor resolution 1680x1050
DirectX version DirectX 9.0 or better
according to his and mine both, 0 system memory is being used.

"BillD" <BillD@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:491974E9-632A-4FD3-8A51-CFA90093DDC9@microsoft.com...
>
>
> "John Tullos" wrote:
>
>> Graphics
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Display adapter type NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS
>> Total available graphics memory 1406 MB
>> Dedicated graphics memory 640 MB
>> Dedicated system memory 0 MB
>> Shared system memory 766 MB
>
>
> - Dedicated system memory 0 MB means no RAM is reserved (i.e. you don't
> have
> a graphics card integrated into the mother board).
> - Shared system memory is 766 = 640 + AGP aperture size. Shared doesn't
> mean
> used! Games will use this mem via AGP aperture size
>

Your motherboard may be different than mine, but my BIOS has an aperture
setting that I can change. Mine is set to 64meg but can be increased. You
might check to see if yours has one, and what it is set to.


Eric the Grey

"BillD" wrote:

>
>
> "John Tullos" wrote:
>
> > Graphics
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Display adapter type NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS
> > Total available graphics memory 1406 MB
> > Dedicated graphics memory 640 MB
> > Dedicated system memory 0 MB
> > Shared system memory 766 MB
>
>
> - Dedicated system memory 0 MB means no RAM is reserved (i.e. you don't have
> a graphics card integrated into the mother board).
> - Shared system memory is 766 = 640 + AGP aperture size. Shared doesn't mean
> used! Games will use this mem via AGP aperture size
>

For us who do not have that feature, someone needs to tell us how to fix this
problem. In the windows interface, it adds that shared memory in the used (I
know with the new systems that means nothing as it will be given back to the
game. ) But my RAM is kinda slow, so with a 512mb PCIe card, I cant move a
window in Windows without it lagging a little.

We need a fix, I dont CARE what it does or why it's there, it would be more
helpful for it to be gone.

"Eric the Grey" wrote:

>
> Your motherboard may be different than mine, but my BIOS has an aperture
> setting that I can change. Mine is set to 64meg but can be increased. You
> might check to see if yours has one, and what it is set to.
>
>
> Eric the Grey
>
> "BillD" wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > "John Tullos" wrote:
> >
> > > Graphics
> > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > Display adapter type NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS
> > > Total available graphics memory 1406 MB
> > > Dedicated graphics memory 640 MB
> > > Dedicated system memory 0 MB
> > > Shared system memory 766 MB
> >
> >
> > - Dedicated system memory 0 MB means no RAM is reserved (i.e. you don't have
> > a graphics card integrated into the mother board).
> > - Shared system memory is 766 = 640 + AGP aperture size. Shared doesn't mean
> > used! Games will use this mem via AGP aperture size
> >

I have this problem as well. I've got a 768 MB graphics card, and Vista hands
it 767 MB of my physical memory.

I've got a GeForce 8800Ultra and 2 gig of DDR RAM, and i use Vista Business
x32.
The "shared" memory does indeed seem to be reserved for the graphics card,
since some info-windows, such as "Performance Information and Tools >
Advanced Tools > View advanced system details in System Information" state
that i have only 1.33 GB of available physical memory.
Also, i get slowdowns and complaints of insufficient system memory in some
apps, which i doubt i would get if i had 2 gig RAM available.