# Shared graphics memory? A laptop question.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-graphics-memory-a-laptop-question/347935
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 11, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-graphics-memory-a-laptop-question/347935 "2006-03-11T12:30:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-graphics-memory-a-laptop-question/347935/1 "2006-03-11T12:30:07Z")
I just bought a new Toshiba laptop. So far it’s pretty nice, however while checking out system settings etc I noticed the graphics adapter listed graphics memory at 64 Megs (it’s a ATI Xpress 200M).
Now, the product description says it’s supposed to have 128Megs of **SHARED** memory.
I asked the store employee and the kid tells me that the “shared” means that it has 64 meg chip but that it can ‘borrow’ another 64 as needed from system memory.
Knowing nothing about this, I ask you all. Is this how it works? Or should I go yell at them to upgrade my computer?
Thanks
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### Author:  [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2006, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-graphics-memory-a-laptop-question/347935/2 "2006-03-11T12:53:47Z")
That kid at the store was incorrect; the shared memory is all borrowed from your main memory with that particular chip, IIRC. However, there is a setting in the BIOS where you can tell the computer how much memory to allocate for the video chip; right now it is set to 64 MB, but you could turn it up to 128 MB if you wanted too.
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### Author:  [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-graphics-memory-a-laptop-question/347935/3 "2006-03-11T14:24:07Z")
checked the bios, no settings for graphics that I could find… argh.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-graphics-memory-a-laptop-question/347935/4 "2006-03-11T14:42:40Z")
For the normal stuff you’d use a notebook for shared main memory is generally fine. Unless you’re running very complex animations or gaming on a notebook current (new) integrated GPU’s and RAM are more than fast enough to allow DVD playback and smooth video etc. There are higher end notebooks with dedicated GPUs & video RAM but even the best these won’t score appreciably better than a mediocre desktop video card.
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### Author:  [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2006, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-graphics-memory-a-laptop-question/347935/5 "2006-03-12T02:18:58Z")
> [@astro](#):
>
> For the normal stuff you’d use a notebook for shared main memory is generally fine. Unless you’re running very complex animations or gaming on a notebook current (new) integrated GPU’s and RAM are more than fast enough to allow DVD playback and smooth video etc. There are higher end notebooks with dedicated GPUs & video RAM but even the best these won’t score appreciably better than a mediocre desktop video card.
Your information is several years out of date. The best notebooks are very competitive with reasonably high end desktop graphics today.
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### Author:  [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-graphics-memory-a-laptop-question/347935/6 "2006-03-12T17:48:24Z")
Oh Im not particularly worried about the capabilities of the system as such. It’s taken everything I’ve thrown at it without missing a beat, and the price was very nice. (Toshiba Satellite M70-CL1). Paid CAD899 for it but the question arose as I chose it over similarly priced laptops because it was the only one that specifically stated it had 128megs shared memory.
I was just concerned that I was being ripped off somehow cause when I looked under settings, it only listed the memory as 64megs.
And I still can’t find where on the bios to switch it.
Ive almost gotten to the point of _gasp_ reading the manual. :eek: