Changing RAM to visual memory (need help).

[RussianVodka]

Ok, the problem is that my video card keeps getting artifacts and texture coruptness when I run things on high quality. The card itself performs fine, but it still get the texture glitches.

Now if I\'m not mistaken, visual memory (in video card) is the fastest for recicling of bytes, then comes RAM, and then ROM.

There is a thing called swap-space (or something like that) where you can set your computer to use some ROM as RAM. Like for example, I have 512MB of RAM, but if my comp goes overboard with it, i still have 1.2GB of ROM alocated as swap-space.

The computer will slow down while the ROM is being used, but will not crash or anything.

So I\'m wondering, is there a way to use some of my RAM as backup for visual memory? Seeing as my card has a 9800XT core, but only 128MB of VM.

I\'m also adding another GB to my RAM, so I\'ll soon have enough to make the swap.

Anyone know how to do this?

[Seytra]

What you are referring to is called \"Shared Memory\": the graphics board doesn\'t have any memory on it\'s own (which is called \"video memory\") and instead uses a (sometimes configurable) chunk of the computer\'s main memory instead. (Don\'t confuse this with the \"shared memory\" technique in programming, where two or more processes / threads have access to the same chunk of memory).

This is something that is only used by cheap onboard graphics cards. It performs very badly by itself and also clogs up the system memory bus, thereby delaying access to RAM for other components like the CPU, slowing things down even more. Since, as you said, the normal RAM is usually slower than the dedicated video memory, bad performance is guaranteed, as well as the obvious loss of usable main memory, which is fixed regardless of if you run text mode or PS.

This technique is not usable with cards that have memory onboard, at least not high-end cards, because they were optimised for the onboard RAM and would in fact lose so much of their accelleration function that the effort for implementing the shared memory functions would be wasted.

Also, ROM is \"Red Only Memory\", i.e., it cannot be written to at all. What you are referring to is virtual memory, which  is a file / partition on your harddisk that is used to store the contents of parts of the actual RAM that aren\'t likely to be accessed (i.e., if you are editing a large image in GIMP and then switch to PS, the GIMP program will not likely be used and thus stored to the harddisk, along with the image data, so that the fast RAM can be used for PS).

Both ROM and virtual memory are a lot slower than RAM, but virtual memory is the slowest of all, since it relies on a mechanical device.

In short: there is no way (short of replacing the memory chips on your graphics card) to get rid of the glitches. If possible, get a replacement board since yours clearly is faulty.

[Nada]

Originally posted by RussianVodka
Ok, the problem is that my video card keeps getting artifacts and texture coruptness when I run things on high quality. The card itself performs fine, but it still get the texture glitches.

I\'m not an expert but are you using the latest drivers, have you over-clocked your graphics card, is it properly cooled? I don\'t think your board is necessarily faulty since apparently the problem only happens at maximum setting.

You say \"only 128MB\", that\'s not bad at all!

If you still want to optimize your swap file settings under WinXP, check this guide and see if tips 22, 23 and 24 apply but it won\'t solve your problem.

[RussianVodka]

Also it could be the fact that my monitor is over 7 years old. When I tried using the LCD monitor from the comp in my living room, I had alot less problems. At least it held out longer before geting the problems.

Just a little history for you, I brought my computer way back in 98, and then upgraded. From the original rig all that\'s left is the monitor and the case.

And the case may be another problem, just like everything else in the past (cars, toys, etc.) it\'s built like a tank. On one hand it\'s compact, on the other hand it has a metalic shell and almost no ventilation (the PSU has a fan hole, and that\'s it). Needless to say it gets VERY hot (especialy the area with the card and the processor).

Yesturday I tried taking off the side panel of the case, and  runing a benchmark again (withought leting the card cool), I got a slightly better score than while the case was on. I guess the air circulation must have helped. But the reason I perfer to keep it on at times is because of all the dust that gets into the fan and ultimately makes things worse. But I am geting a new case soon, so that\'s good.

Something I\'m forgeting to mention... But what ever.

[Seytra]

Originally posted by RussianVodka
Also it could be the fact that my monitor is over 7 years old. When I tried using the LCD monitor from the comp in my living room, I had alot less problems. At least it held out longer before geting the problems.

The monitor itself won\'t do glitches like that. It will either corrupt everything, or work.
That your flatscreen monitor works better is due to the different way it communicates with the GFX card. It uses different parts of it than the CRT, and these either produce less heat, are less damaged (yet), or not pushed that far.

However, the heat is a problem. Modern computers are pushed way beyond the actual capabilities of the hardware, and the only way to keep it from frying itself is (comparatively) extreme cooling. Without proper cooling, things will overheat and this will lead to instability.
In this case, the component that seems to be most susceptible to heat (i.e., which is pushed farthest beyond it\'s capabilities) seems to be the video memory and / or the GPU and the RAMDAC. Obviously, with higher settings, more heat will be produced and if this heat cannot be carried away, the chips will overheat and start to make mistakes. This leads to crashes in case of CPU / mainboard components and glitches / artifacts in case of video memory / GPU (the GPU may also lock up leaving you without graphics).

Overheating, even slightly, will, if prolonged, damage your components, making them more susceptible to heat over time and / or run hotter. So it might be that even with proper cooling, the glitches won\'t fully go away anymore.

However, you should definitely install several additional coolers inside the case and at it\'s sides, to move air around and get heat out quicker.

As for the dust: you can clean things with a vaccuum cleaner (be careful not to suck away small compinents like jumpers!) or pressurized air (take it outside for that ). I\'m almost always running with case off for easy access to the components, and the dust isn\'t terribly bad.

[Dregan Tepis]

Yea dude, get a new case with some well placed 120mm fans in it. And don\'t get fan filters, they just restrict the airflow. As far as the dust, get a room air filter and get used to using caned air. Dust will build up over time no mater what you try, and everything you try will restrict airflow. It\'s better to get used to bi-monthly cleanings then wasting your time and money. I know, I tried. If you got the room / cash after you get the new case, then look into an aftermarket GPU cooler and ram sinks.