Is it possible to add shared memory to a dedicated graphics card?

Question

Right, i thought because i like to game on the PC a lot more now that maybe theres a way to share memory like with a GPU that also shares memory.

I currently have a 24" iMac with the 'older' ATi Radeon 2600 PRO graphics card that has 256mb of memory, i was looking to share some of the memory already in my computer with the graphics card, if this is at all possible.

This is just an idea, im really just looking for ways to boost my gaming potential on this iMac (please don't say it's not a gaming platform because i know it's not the best for gaming). So if this isn't possible, can you suggest any other way to improve gaming capabilities on this computer? Much Appriciated

Answer 1

In that case, you can only achieve better performance at a cost. The memory in the dedicated graphic cards is usually GDDR3 with a bandwidth in Gigabits/sec. When the games run on the system, they use have two ways of using memory. The processing which needs to be done i.e smoke, motion blur, fog and physics is done via the graphic card. So these instruction about generating these effects are sent via the memory present in the graphic card. While the system memory is used for storing textures, soundtracks in the game, bitmaps and movies.



Also, the data transferred to the graphic card has to go through your processor. Slower processor will lead to improper and insufficient performance. It might not end up using the full potential of the graphic card. If you can possibly go for a processor upgrade (i don't know if it's possible with macs) then you can certainly get a better performance.



For gaming reasons, go for nothing less than 2.5Ghz with multiple clocks, Core 2 duo E7300 or equivalent would do the job. Q6600 will be a blessing.

Answer 2

The intel HD 2000 is your onboad graphics card,if you wish to upgrade it buy a Dedicated graphics card and connect it with your motherboard by using PCI Express slot which is already present in Motherboard .find the PCI slot in motherboard and fix the card in it connect the power supply to it as mentioned in the instruction manual.and then install the graphics card 's drivers and enjoy the games.

Answer 3

I don't know anything about Mac, but PC's have a set amount of shared memory.