3850 1G can't use the 1G

How are you a platinum member?

pff

Anyway mate, a 32bit OS (such as Windaz XP 32) can only address a total of 3.2GB of memory, which includes ram, sound card, grahics card etc. So f you are using a 32 bit os and you have say, 3gb of RAM installed (ie total is above 3.2gb), that will be why. Otherwise, if you are using a 64 bit os, i see no reason why you couldn't "use" the full 1gb on that card.
 
I disagree. 32bit OSes will see 3.25GB of MEMORY available.

my dad has a 3850 1G card but i read somewere on this site that it can't use 1G, is this true?
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Just playing games on it using a 19" monitor, most likely not. That card was made to power huge widescreens and such.
 
bigfellla said:
How are you a platinum member?

pff

Anyway mate, a 32bit OS (such as Windaz XP 32) can only address a total of 3.2GB of memory, which includes ram, sound card, grahics card etc. So f you are using a 32 bit os and you have say, 3gb of RAM installed (ie total is above 3.2gb), that will be why. Otherwise, if you are using a 64 bit os, i see no reason why you couldn't "use" the full 1gb on that card.
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It can see a total of 4GB, the 3.2GB that you speak of is the average amount of usable RAM after taken into account the memory allocated to the video card and other components.

I don't know where you actually heard it doesn't use the whole 1GB, perhaps your getting it confused with how much of the video memory is actually being used by games, because the 3850 isn't a high end card, it really doesn't have use for 1GB of RAM. But that doesn't mean it's not there.
 
[-0MEGA-];940854 said:
It can see a total of 4GB, the 3.2GB that you speak of is the average amount of usable RAM after taken into account the memory allocated to the video card and other components.

I don't know where you actually heard it doesn't use the whole 1GB, perhaps your getting it confused with how much of the video memory is actually being used by games, because the 3850 isn't a high end card, it really doesn't have use for 1GB of RAM. But that doesn't mean it's not there.
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I think you are confused acutally, with virtual memory. Explanation of what i said here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605
 
[-0MEGA-];940854 said:
It can see a total of 4GB, the 3.2GB that you speak of is the average amount of usable RAM after taken into account the memory allocated to the video card and other components.

I don't know where you actually heard it doesn't use the whole 1GB, perhaps your getting it confused with how much of the video memory is actually being used by games, because the 3850 isn't a high end card, it really doesn't have use for 1GB of RAM. But that doesn't mean it's not there.
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i read it in a post an the person said it was because it has a 256bit bus or something
 
bigfellla said:
I think you are confused acutally, with virtual memory. Explanation of what i said here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605
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Nope, I am exactly right. Here are some quotes from that article.

CAUSE

This behavior is the expected result of certain hardware and software factors.

Various devices in a typical computer require memory-mapped access. This is known as memory-mapped I/O (MMIO). For the MMIO space to be available to 32-bit operating systems, the MMIO space must reside within the first 4 GB of address space.

For example, if you have a video card that has 256 MB of onboard memory, that memory must be mapped within the first 4 GB of address space. If 4 GB of system memory is already installed, part of that address space must be reserved by the graphics memory mapping. Graphics memory mapping overwrites a part of the system memory. These conditions reduce the total amount of system memory that is available to the operating system.

The reduction in available system memory depends on the devices that are installed in the computer. However, to avoid potential driver compatibility issues, the 32-bit versions of Windows Vista limit the total available memory to 3.12 GB. See the "More information" section for information about potential driver compatibility issues.

If a computer has many installed devices, the available memory may be reduced to 3 GB or less. However, the maximum memory available in 32-bit versions of Windows Vista is typically 3.12 GB.
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So you see, the system itself can see the 4GB, however other devices which have memory such as the video card map it's memory out of that 4GB, which gives the total usable around 3.2GB. Vista on the other hand limits the amount of usable RAM to 3.12GB, however video memory is not subtracted from that 3.12GB to give you even less of an amount.
 
Hey guys this blokes asking if the 1gb on his graphics card is worth it as his interface is 256mb or whether the card would do just as well as a 512mb with the steamprocessors running at 16, 32 128, for example, i cant read anywhere in his post asking about m/b ram being either 2gb or 4gb just about his vga ram being 1gb
 
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his dad's computer already has 3GB of ram installed, an additional 1gb of gddr will not be utilised on a 32bit os, is my point.
 
What are you guys talking about...The video card's ram HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SYSTEM MEMORY. The HD 3850 isn't power enough to take advantage of 1GB of memory.
 
The memory addressing factors in the memory on the graphics card too. That is what it has to do with...

"Due to an architectural decision made long ago, if you have 4GB of physical RAM installed, Windows is only able to report a portion of the physical 4GB of RAM (ranges from ~2.75GB to 3.5GB depending on the devices installed, motherboard's chipset & BIOS). This behavior is due to 'memory mapped IO reservations'. Those reservations overlay the physical address space and mask out those physical addresses so that they cannot be used for working memory. Significant chunks of address space below 4GB get reserved for use by system hardware: BIOS – including ACPI and legacy video support; PCI bus including bridges etc. PCI Express support will reserve at least 256MB, up to 768MB depending on graphics card installed memory", explained Hilton Locke, Microsoft Software Test Engineer.

So if he already has 3GB installed as system memory, and installs a further 1gB of gddr, based on the above he will not be able to utilise 256mb of it, no matter what gpu he has.
 
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diduknowthat said:
What are you guys talking about...The video card's ram HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SYSTEM MEMORY. The HD 3850 isn't power enough to take advantage of 1GB of memory.
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bigfellla said:
The memory addressing factors in the memory on the graphics card too. That is what it has to do with...

"Due to an architectural decision made long ago, if you have 4GB of physical RAM installed, Windows is only able to report a portion of the physical 4GB of RAM (ranges from ~2.75GB to 3.5GB depending on the devices installed, motherboard's chipset & BIOS). This behavior is due to 'memory mapped IO reservations'. Those reservations overlay the physical address space and mask out those physical addresses so that they cannot be used for working memory. Significant chunks of address space below 4GB get reserved for use by system hardware: BIOS – including ACPI and legacy video support; PCI bus including bridges etc. PCI Express support will reserve at least 256MB, up to 768MB depending on graphics card installed memory", explained Hilton Locke, Microsoft Software Test Engineer.

So if he already has 3GB installed as system memory, and installs a further 1gB of gddr, based on the above he will not be able to utilise 256mb of it, no matter what gpu he has.
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What he is trying to say, is that it doesn't matter if you have a 256MB or 1GB of VRAM, it will just reduce the amount of physical memory that you can used, you will still have the entire amount of dedicated VRAM.

And as for your last statement, if he has 3GB of RAM installed and upgrades from say a 128MB card to a 1GB card, it will just reduce his physical RAM down to around 2-2.5GB, he will still be able to utilize the entire 1GB of VRAM.
 
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