Why is my T500 Radeon 3650 using shared memory??

[tom12010]

Recently got a new Lenovo T500 with an ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 HD discrete graphics card (PCI Express and 256 MB dedicated RAM), with the latest drivers, and also ran the ATI drivers installer. Using Vista Business x64 with 4 GB RAM, but I need this RAM for my application!!

Presently have the BIOS set to 'discrete' graphics card and not using the switchable graphics option.

1. Why is it that this card is shown using 1757 MB of shared memory via Display Settings / Advanced Settings??

How do I prevent the card from 'stealing' system RAM??

2. Can anyone tell me why I cannot get the ATI Catalyst Control Center to install or appear despite running the ATI installer??

Thank you, Tom

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Calm down, it's not stealing your ram.

It's not shared memory it's addressed & accesible memory caller HyperMemory (similar to nV's Turbo Cache) and works in the same way the AGP aperture worked before.

It only goes to that memory if it needs it, and it's still host priority, so it won't be tied up if the system needs the memory.

You can't prevent it, and since you don't know what it is, that's a good thing.

#2, you can only install the drivers provided by Lenovo for mobile chips , you cannot install desktop drivers directly, if you can't get them to work, contact Lenovo. But make sure you read and follow directions, ie disable anti-virus and close other apps first.

Also Lenovo has a great forum community which is perfect for 'business people' and noobs.

 

[tom12010]

Calm down, it's not stealing your ram.

It's not shared memory it's addressed & accesible memory caller HyperMemory (similar to nV's Turbo Cache) and works in the same way the AGP aperture worked before.

#2, you can only install the drivers provided by Lenovo for mobile chips , you cannot install desktop drivers directly, if you can't get them to work, contact Lenovo. But make sure you read and follow directions, ie disable anti-virus and close other apps first.

Also Lenovo has a great forum community which is perfect for 'business people' and noobs.

I did inquire on Lenovo's forum, got no reply.
Thank you for explaining about the HyperMemory.
I actually got the drivers installed through MS Updates, but I'll try the 'Lenovo Way' when I do a re-install before long...actually this is on a new/clean install of Vista Business, not the saved stuff on the Lenovo hard drive...
I *hope* Win7 will be better than Vista...!!
SKSK -- been a long time since I saw GA to SK...
Thank you, Tom

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

May want to look at windows 7 again. As some are saying Windows 7 may be a rehash of Vista.

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

I did inquire on Lenovo's forum, got no reply.

That's unfortunate, they were a good, I'm not sure if that changed recently (I used to participate there up until the middle of last year, and then a few times in the fall.

I actually got the drivers installed through MS Updates, but I'll try the 'Lenovo Way' when I do a re-install before long...actually this is on a new/clean install of Vista Business, not the saved stuff on the Lenovo hard drive...

Yeah the M$ drivers don't work, they're basic they don't have all the bells and whistles.
Drivers are a big issue, and nV just recently made their notebook drivers easily available, ATi hasn't yet.

I *hope* Win7 will be better than Vista...!!

It's pretty good sofar, but the drivers are built the same way (you need to use Vista drivers in W7). I have been using the early builds for work, and had to use moded drivers to get it to work at home.

SKSK -- been a long time since I saw GA to SK...

Yeah, I was a relay/711 operator when I first started work in the city. Definitely had to keep on your toes to keep up. Loved the job though, felt very rewarding, unlike a standard operator job.

 

[Det012]

Hi, this might have been closed for a While now, but I had the same problem with the ATI drivers and Catalyst Control not installing Using ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 HD 512MB. I would run the Installer but nothing would ever be installed into programs, and the drivers would not install. I used Mobility Modder. It modifies the installer to work with Vista x64 and Win7 x64. So now I have my CCC running and the latest drivers. Their website has all info to install it. I thought the G-card was stealing from the RAM too... Im glad its not.

 

[djcoolmasterx]

May want to look at windows 7 again. As some are saying Windows 7 may be a rehash of Vista.

I hope so, vista was great.

 

[CondMan]

I don't believe Vista is similar to Win 7. Vista was one of the worst OS's l've ever used. You should definitely move on to Win 7. Inexpensive downloaded versions of it are available on a german site called software softwarebilliger.de.
I had a similar problem with an IPS Panel that had only one DVI Port. I downloaded 'Lenovo's Solution Centre'(free)' for my T500 & ran it & that fixed it, as well as a couple of other smaller issues l had at the time.
I have the same system as you with the ATI 3650 Mobility card.