# Video Card Confusion \[don't need answer fast\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310 "2013-02-25T03:27:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310/1 "2013-02-25T03:27:24Z")
OK, I am now confused. Up until the most recent update for GW2 it was playing fine with my system. Now it tanks, video cardwise. So I ran a checker that tells me the video card is now insufficient. ``` Required You Have Pixel Shader version 3.0 4.1 Vertex Shader version 3.0 4.1 Dedicated Video RAM 256 MB 384 MB [SIZE=2]I am confused, I have newer versions of the sha[SIZE=2]ders and more ram. I normally don't deal with screwing around with videocards because typically I am on my desktop and can just order a new card and[SIZE=2] slot it in but I am restricted to bed and playing on [SIZE=2]a laptop. ``` So, I have the current drivers, I seem to be above spec, think of me as looking at my laptop like the old [victrola doggy](http://www.pamperedpetcare.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Victrola.jpg). [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310/2 "2013-02-25T03:33:17Z")
I can’t even figure out what the problem is here. what graphics card do you have that is giving you problems? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310/3 "2013-02-25T03:48:23Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > I can’t even figure out what the problem is here. what graphics card do you have that is giving you problems? ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 (128MB) According to the AMD driver detect applet it is up to date driverwise, and GW2 just updated on me yesterday. I know it is a gimpy card, I prefer Gforce myself, but I stole the laptop from mrAru so I wouldn’t have to buy a replacement laptop [my old one finally died]. With the plethora of numbers, I can’t tell if a 10 zillion series WTF card is better than a 1000 series card or a 7000 series card. I would _guess_ that a 7010 card is not as good as a 7020 card, but sometimes with computer crap it is prettu much impossible to tell, because another section of the page says you need a 6010 card to upgrade the 7010 card, not the 8010 card… [series numbers pulled out of my ass because I am not going to backtrack to the amd site.] ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310/4 "2013-02-25T03:57:03Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 (128MB) How do you figure that 128MB is more than 256 or 384 MB? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310/5 "2013-02-25T04:57:40Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > How do you figure that 128MB is more than 256 or 384 MB? 😕 I normally dont, but when I ran the applet, it gave me Dedicated Video RAM 256 MB 384 MB [SIZE=2]first number required, second number what I theoretically have. Hence my confusion. When I go to the manufacturers site, the most common video card for my laptop is[SIZE=2] an [/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=2]ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 (128MB). [SIZE=2]Believe me, if I could manage to sit at my desk, I would seriously prefer playing with [SIZE=2]the 26 and 28 inch monitors, the speakers and the whole shebang. Since they killed Glitch, there isn’t a lot I _can_ play on a laptop. I was having fun with GW2 until the recent update. _sigh_ Bei[SIZE=2]ng a shut-in basically s[SIZE=2]ucks ass, but until the weather lets up and my body likes me again, I need to find _something_ I can do on this [SIZE=2]laptop in bed that has me online interacting with other people other than message boards.[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE] [/SIZE][/SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310/6 "2013-02-25T07:11:05Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 (128MB) > > With the plethora of numbers, I can’t tell if a 10 zillion series WTF card is better than a 1000 series card or a 7000 series card. I would _guess_ that a 7010 card is not as good as a 7020 card, but sometimes with computer crap it is prettu much impossible to tell, because another section of the page says you need a 6010 card to upgrade the 7010 card, not the 8010 card… [series numbers pulled out of my ass because I am not going to backtrack to the amd site.] Tom’s Hardware [Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart](http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html). For when the manufacturers purposefully confuse. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310/7 "2013-02-25T17:42:04Z")
Thanks=) Though I think I am going to go to a local computer place and ask the people there is there is a way to upgrade the video card to one that will play GW2, it will definitely be way cheaper than getting a new laptop [which I really don’t have the money for.] While I have actually done motherboard and HDD swaps before, I prefer to leave it in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing and not just following instructions found online. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dolomite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@Dolomite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dolomite)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310/8 "2013-02-25T17:59:56Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Though I think I am going to go to a local computer place and ask the people there is there is a way to upgrade the video card to one that will play GW2, it will definitely be way cheaper than getting a new laptop [which I really don’t have the money for.] > > While I have actually done motherboard and HDD swaps before, I prefer to leave it in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing and not just following instructions found online. 😃 There isn’t. There is a standard for removable video cards in laptops called MXM, but it is not used. Look in the BIOS to see if you can allow the video card to syphon more memory. Most laptop video cards get their memory for the main system RAM, they do not have dedicated VRAM. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310/9 "2013-02-25T18:51:18Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I normally dont, but when I ran the applet, it gave me > Dedicated Video RAM 256 MB 384 MB > [SIZE=2]first number required, second number what I theoretically have. Hence my confusion. When I go to the manufacturers site, the most common video card for my laptop is[SIZE=2] an [/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=2][SIZE=2]ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 (128MB). Are you sure something didn’t switch from using your video card to using your on board video during the update or maybe the applet is looking at onboard VRAM (256M) + card (128M) to come up with 384M ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-confusion-dont-need-answer-fast/651310/10 "2013-02-25T22:25:45Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Are you sure something didn’t switch from using your video card to using your on board video during the update or maybe the applet is looking at onboard VRAM (256M) + card (128M) to come up with 384M Perhaps, as I said the game did an update, and Wincrap always seems to be sneaking in updates whenever my back is turned. Since it is also time to get the vorpal kitten untangled from the fan and one of the goddaughters seems to have done something to the keypad it is going in for a bit of a tuneup anyway, I can have the tech check it out for me.