8600m Gt Graphics Memory Query

I have a Dell Inspiron 1520 laptop with a 8600M GT GPU with 256 MB dedicated graphics memory. However, it also shares another 256 MB with the system memory, making the total graphics memory about 512 MB. I have 1 GB of system RAM (DDR2 667 Mhz), am playing the game Oblivion on this machine and want to download some texture packs. Should I download the packs optimized for 512 MB GPU's or the ones for 256 MB GPU's (obviously lower quality)? Would really appreciate some help, I'm quite confused.

Thanks in advance.

 

I would play it safe and get the 256 MB one since the shared memory is considerably slower than the dedicated memory.

 

Thanks. Any other opinions? BTW, I use Vista Basic, but with absolutely no bells and whistles (most services disabled, including themes - it looks like Windows 2000) and use a 1GB flash drive for ReadyBoost.

 

Noone? Anyone?

 

Dmacfour has it right. It may seem like you can handle 512mb textures but not quite. I would get the ones optimized for 256mb. The 256 on the card and 256 shared probably wont be able to handle the textures properly. At least thats my 2 cents

 

Thanks. And by the way, looking at your laptop specs... I... I... just really don't have anything to say. That must have cost you at least five grand!

 

Shhhh...dont tell anyone

 

..........

 

Any more information? Doesn't ANYONE have any insight regarding this matter?

 

..........

 

As noted I'd play it safe as well and get 256MB. See, the shared memory is far slower than dedicated memory and even though Nvidia has done a great job with TurboCache, it still cannot match the performance of real dedicated memory.

1GB of system RAM is a limitation anyway - the GPU will only share memory if it is available, and Oblivion will probably take most if not all of that so the GPU will not be able to share much at all. Therefore getting the 512MB texture packs would most likely be detrimental to performance.

If you really want to increase your gaming performance, invest in more RAM. It is very inexpensive these days - take a look at the RAM DEALS thread. I recommend a single 2GB stick.

 

Like Chaz said, the 512 texture packs are likely to give very poor performance as the GPU can't handle that kind of performance. I'd be akin to setting textures "Very High".

 

Thanks a lot Chaz, I'll go for the smaller textures. Though now I'm beginning to think whether I should be downloading any textures at all. Maybe the vanilla game is enough to keep my card busy!

 

download both, try both an let us know?

 

This is the thread I posted on another forum. Any comments?

I'm running Oblivion on a (Dell Inspiron 1520) laptop with the following specs:

1. T7300 (2 Ghz) C2D processor.
2. 8600M GT 256MB GPU sharing another 256MB system RAM
3. 1 GB 667Mhz DDR2 RAM
4. Onboard sound
5. 256MB flashdrive (ReadyBoost)

The software environment is as follows:

1. Windows Vista Basic, but with all bells and whistles disabled, unnecessary services stopped, themes disabled, etc - system fully optimized for gaming.
2. Minor / gameplay mods installed, but no major mods or texture packs.
3. Latest nVidia forceware (169.17) and latest updates for Vista, all drivers etc - everything upto date.
4. Hard disk defragmented and optimized.

In running Oblivion with the following settings:

1. High preset (with large textures)
3. 2xAA (enabled in nVidia panel) , HDR enabled
3. INI file optimized according to the TOPP guide (multithreading enabled but iPreload kept default, etc)
4. 1440x900 resolution (native LCD resolution)

My problem is that the game is stuttering every few seconds while moving or looking around outdoors, especially while running or riding a horse. I get atleast 20-25 fps outdoors but this suddenly drops to 5-10 fps during the stutter. As far as I know, this problem occurs when the GPU has insufficient VRAM. However, with no texture packs installed this shouldn't be a problem with my card!

I've tried most of the 'fixes' on the internet such as DISABLING ALL SOUND, using the 'operation optimization' mod, even reducing grass distance and shadows - nothing has worked. Other games run smoothly on my system, even Crysis! (at medium settings)

I'd really appreciate some help, I can't seem to fix this problem. Thanks in advance.

 

Hmm... the only thing i can see that would be causing that is you dont have much system ram.

 

Yes, I regret my decision to take only 1GB RAM now! But the RECOMMENDED system reqs. for Oblivion say 1GB, don't they? With a pretty good GPU like mine, it must be possible to run the game at high settings with at least REASONABLE stutter, right? :confused2:

Gone are my dreams of installing texture packs!

 

256MB Textures. Also, invest in another 1GB of RAM. It will make all the difference in the world, especially with Vista.

 

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

on XP with a singlecore, oblivion worked perfect for me, on med/high settings with 1gb... however on vista with 1gb... i wouldnt expect much...

what you could do is strip your vista down, change performance settings to "best" (giving a windows 95 look) turn off all unneeded programs/processes(disconnect from internet an turn off firewalls, updates and antiviruses), maybe even kill off explorer.exe (i used to do that in xp) and salvage every last bit of ram you can get.

to me, it does sound like a lack of ram thats causing the problem. vista can be a bit of a hog, remember that

 

I've already done everything you've suggested apart from killing explorer.exe. I didn't know that could be done - I'll try that. I'll also try using a RAM defrag / boost software. Know which one is best? Also, if I do have to turn down the visuals, which options would be the most 'intelligent' turn-down for a RAM-starved system? In other words, in what sequence should I turn down the options to reduce memory usage while not completely trashing the visuals.

Also, since you're ordering a 1520 yourself, do you know if removing Vista (pre-installed) and installing XP will void the warranty? Or maybe a Vista /XP dual-boot? Also will (soft) overclocking void the warranty?

 

Removing Vista and installing XP will not void the warranty. Overclocking will void the warranty on the GPU technically, but if you don't tell them about it they'll never know.

I highly recommend picking up a 2GB stick for $40 and see if that solves your problems.

 

Thanks for responding. I have a few more questions - will making it a dual XP / Vista boot void the warranty? I want to keep Vista for some other purposes. Also, If I buy RAM and manually install it, that WILL void the warranty, won't it?

 

overclocking of any kind will void it instantly... and wouldnt give you much gain in the area you are having problems.

installing XP wouldnt be a problem, i believe dell also give you suppport should you wish to do this... try dualbooting vista & xp, dependant on how big your HDD is. put 15-20gig (ish) in a partition an try XP, if you find out its better to use then vista, go for a 100% clean install.
although it may be tricky gettting all the drivers working.

i have no idea on ram boosters for vista, i use CashemanXP all the time for XP, i dont think its vista compatible... have you tryed any proper defrag software? you can mark the oblivion flies as high priority and have them moved to a part of your HDD thats faster to access? ive always found diskkeeper good for that (i think it has that option) and works with vista?

these are all small tweaks though, but may prove effective...
oh, i normaly change the priority of the process running... normaly ctrl+alt+del and right click oblivion.exe (not sure if thats the name) and raise the priority by one/two (above normal/high).
that normaly speeds up choppy videos on my singlecore while multitasking, not sure how effective it is in games.

 

do whatever you want with OS's that wont void it... ram changing however i have no idea.

 

You can upgrade the RAM by yourself without affecting the warranty in any way. Also nothing you do on a software level (including with the OS) will affect your warranty.

 

1GB is quite painful with Vista Ultimate, I would guess it would still cause issues with Vista Basic (just not quite as bad).

As per your original post though, stick with texture packs designed for 256MB. Whilst your graphics system can cope with up to 512MB worth of textures, you will incurr a severe performance penalty if you start eating into the shared RAM portion.

You might wonder why there is even the option to use shared RAM, if the performance is so bad as to render games unplayable. Two simple reasons: -

1) Quoting bigger numbers for marketing means more sales.
2) A few people (and I do mean a few) will actually not mind the performance penalty or they are using 3D CAD or other productivity software that doesn't necessarily require smooth updates.

Lastly, I note that you have 2xAA enabled. Turn it off and you will reduce your VRAM usage by up to 13.5MB. It may just make that little bit of difference

Oh, and with Oblivion, turn grass off completely. It speeds it up a great deal.

 

Well, I already use Diskeeper. I don't think the priority thing will work - it simply increases the CPU time for the thread, and my C2D CPU is certainly not the bottleneck in this case.

 

Firstly, thanks for posting.

However, regarding my severe stuttering issue, which I posted a few posts earlier, it is evident that insufficient VRAM is not the culprit. That's because the stuttering (largely) persists even if I turn textures to medium, and I'm sure that frees up a lot more VRAM than just 13.5MB! And I don't even have ANY texture packs installed yet. It looks like the stuttering is caused either by my 1GB RAM or my 5400 rpm hardisk (even though it's fully defragmented using Diskeeper).

 

If the stuttering is pretty continual, then it's not the hard drive, it's the RAM.

What is your RAM and page file usage while playing Oblivion?

 

When will people learn? Vista *NEEDS* 2GB of RAM to do anything of signifcance. Don't care about listed system requirements. Vista is a system HOG. I hate that most low end or average laptops only come with 1GB of RAM and people wonder why their PC's are so sluggish. 2GB should be standard for a Vista machine.

 

Stuttering is NOT continual - it's only while loading new 'cells' i.e. when moving or running into new areas. The HDD lights blinks like mad during this time and the game stutters. If I stay in approx. the same area for a few minutes I get good fps (20-25) and no stutter whatsoever. I'll check my RAM and pagefile usage and get back to you. Thanks.

 

I understand your point. To try and counteract this, I've crippled my Vista so much by disabling things that I'll bet it now has less functionality than Windows 95! But still I get the stutter

 

theres like 2 pages of people telling you to get more ram and you're still not listening

i don't get what you're still here for then....


software like ram boaster/ram optimizer are USELESS


get more RAM

i will bet that the ram usage on vista is still MUCH MUCH greater (dispite what ever junk you disabled) than win95

 

+rep for telling it how it is...

Edit: "telling it how it is" - common western phrase, where the word "it" primarily refers to the current status of the situation at hand. Normally used in the context where someone is being very blunt and to the point about a particular response. this phrase is rarely used with a malicious tone.

 

Why Don't you wanna get more RAM? Running vista ultimate on full everything and running Oblivion with 2GB ram gives you more performance than scaling down vista basic and running oblivion on 1 GB. Vista Likes Ram, Oblivion Likes Ram. GET MORE RAM!

And +rep for hmmmmm

 

Definitely get more RAM it's the cheapest and easiest solution to your problem.

 

OK, OK, OK, OK! I get it! No need to drill it in! It's just that I've just bought the laptop and frankly I'm a little strapped for cash at the moment. I live in a (poor) country where electronic goods are much more expensive than they are in the USA or in western Europe. Also, I had the (wrong) impression uptil today that buying and installing your own RAM voids the laptop warranty. I fully understand that there are no shortcut solutions. Thanks to everybody for posting in this thread, I'll buy more RAM as soon as I can afford it.

 

I find this post highly offensive, as it appears that you are referring to me as 'it'. Rudeness is not expected in this forum. I've reported this post.

 

Tell it how it is=tell how things lie. He didn't call you an it. It's an expression.

And stop double posting. Edit you posts instead.

 

Rudeness is expected on the internet especially if you act ignorant. Seems like you forgot the easiest way to reduce stutters. Turn down your resolution and disable AA.

 

im sorry you feel that way . this is a classic phrase that most people understand and wasn't intended maliciously against you (or anyone), i have edited my post to show a basic definition, and stand by the right that i believe in the context i used it prevails no rudeness. while me and a few others were giving you tips of what you could do for improvements into your game, one guy came out and just said exactly what the problem was (lack of ram), and was "telling it how it is", i rep'd him for that. somtimes problems are easyer solved with quick short answers, rather than trying to tweak a mini run the speeds of a bugatti.

sometimes if English is not your primary language it can be easy to misinterpret phrases in a negative way, and im sorry once again, good luck sorting the game out.

 

The easiest way to check if the problem really is the lack of RAM and not something else is: run the game at the LOWEST settings.
Now: do you see any more sttutering?
Yes, then should be something else (since the minimum RAM requierement is 512 MB, and you have more than that).
No, then the problem is lack of RAM.

 

I'm sorry for creating a fuss, then. Yes, English is not my primary language, though I doubt many people would call my English poor. However, as you pointed out, sometimes street phrases and western slang can be difficult to interpret for a person living in a country where the language is generally spoken very poorly, if spoken at all. Such phrases are almost never used here. 'Telling it how it is' is obviously not the kind of English you would find in a grammar book! Still, the fault is mine.

 

Seems like you forgot that I've already mentioned that disabling AA increases FPS, but does nothing for the stuttering on my rig. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to turn down the res., but now I'll give it a try.

 

Well, it looks like it's an issue of insufficient RAM. While playing the game, I had only 7MB RAM left out of 1GB and my pagefile usage was 1436MB out of 2048MB. Coudn't check the VRAM usage. RivaTuner can do this under XP, but not under Vista because of something called memory virtualization (it told me that). I crippled Vista further by disabling more services and killing even more processes, then I used a 1GB flash drive as ReadyBoost. The moment I put in the flash drive, around 200MB of memory was freed. After this, the stuttering reduced to something close to reasonable. I can't buy more RAM at the moment, so I'm thinking of switching to XP, since that would leave more RAM to oblivion.exe.

 

i was about to sugest that... depending on how much free space you have left, create a dualboot vista/xp and try it there.

oh, is your oblivion the latest version? have you patched it at all?
not sure if theres any patches for it or not, but worth a try? could be a known problem the devs sorted out?

source - http://www.elderscrolls.com/downloads/updates_patchnotes6.htm

may be some things on there you havent done, but worth a try.

the new patch adds a "very very low" setting for older systems.

i believe its a lack of ram, or too much vista causing the prob

 

My Oblivion (I also have SI) is patched to the latest version. As I mentioned in my previous post, I don't need to change any of the settings you've talked about (thereby reducing image quality) since my game is now working with reasonable stutter. I've disabled anisotropic filtering, inserted a 1GB flash for ReadyBoost, reduced shadow filtering and blood decals, and crippled Vista a little more (it's half dead now). I suspect that if I switch to XP, I'll have a playable game (it's just ALMOST playable now). I haven't had to turn down any other quality settings and I still have HDR and 2xAA enabled.

 

For God's sake, stop treating my system as if it's antique! A 8600M GT C2D system would hardly require the 'very very low' settings option! And you'll be getting almost the same system in a few days, just with more RAM, won't you?

 

thats right, i will be getting the system stated below in a few days...
i was only offering advice to make the game "more playable" for you. this problem you are incountering is not about what you got (c2d + 8600, GT) but about what you dont have (enough ram)...

i belive the ram is the weakest link in your system, that would be holding everything else back. you can have the fastest processor in the world combined with quad 8800 gtx's... but still you can get one compontant holding the rest of the system back.

turning all the settings down to the very lowest, turning all special effects off (AA, AF, HDR), and bringing your screen res down to lowest settings (640x480?) and see if the problem is still there... if it is... then you know there is nothing else you can do to get this sorted. unless you want to experiement with different (earlyer) game patches.

you may see me as insulting when i offer useing the very very low setting but it would meen less textures to load up, which may solve your problem... maybe you should actualy try it? truth is vista wasnt made for gaming with 1gb of memory, and oblivion wasnt developed with vista gaming in mind. you may also concider googleing for some oblivion console command tweaks, as they may help you further.
( http://www.tweakguides.com/Oblivion_1.html)

ill leave you too it