vRAM, RAM, VM, and Sys Restore dealings

**magnethead** · 10-30-2008, 03:28 PM

I find it hard to believe that a graphics card with it's own dedicated vRAM would also use the system's hard RAM.

I'm in vista 32 bit, with a pair of 1 GB sticks for RAM. The mobo has no onboard video, and I have a 512 MB XFX 9800GTX.

Vista reports the system has 2046 MB of RAM. While i'm not sure where that 2 MB went, it doesn't have the erroneous factor that many claim it should have. [?]

Also, don't they say to have 150% virtual memory? Of course when you have a mega-huge amount of hard RAM, that's not quite true. I have 4 partitions across 3 hard drives, and on 3 of the partitions, I had a hard-set velue of 768 MB VM for each partition. I just went back and re-adjusted that to 512 each (1.5 GB of VM).

Also, it seems unknown that vista system restore uses 15% of each hard drive....for me, that's

C: 298 GB = 45 GB
E: 180 GB = 27 GB
F: 30 GB = 4.5 GB
G: 88 GB = 13.2 GB

That's only a modest 90 GB of disk space lost.

http://www.watchingthenet.com/how-to...m-restore.html

Here's what the command prompt reports:

C:\ Used: 2.782 GB
C:\ Allocated: 4.372 GB
C:\ Maximum: 44.713 GB

E:\ Used: 175.219 MB
E:\ Allocated: 387.609 MB
E:\ Maximum: 17.574 GB

F:\ Used: 11.359 MB
F:\ Allocated: 203.391 MB
F:\ Maximum: 4.5 GB

G:\ Used: 24.484 MB
G:\ Allocated: 209.703 MB
G:\ Maximum: 5.184 GB

So Here's what I done:

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /On=C: /For=C: /Maxsize=20GB
vssadmin resize shadowstorage /On=E: /For=E: /Maxsize=10GB
Turned off F
Turned off G

So now the readings are:

C:\ Used: 2.782 GB
C:\ Allocated: 4.372 GB
C:\ Maximum: 20 GB

E:\ Used: 175.219 MB
E:\ Allocated: 387.609 MB
E:\ Maximum: 10 GB

**wrench97** · 10-31-2008, 05:34 PM

What does the Bios report as the total installed ram and the total usable?

**magnethead** · 11-01-2008, 10:25 PM

BIOS says total memory 2048K extended memory 2046K base memory 640K

**wrench97** · 11-02-2008, 03:06 AM

So Vista is reporting the extended memory?

**magnethead** · 11-02-2008, 10:23 PM

right.

But why does everybody say that hard RAM is addressed for gfx cards as well? I think there's a misunderstanding?

**wrench97** · 11-03-2008, 12:15 PM

As far as I know it can be when the card runs out of onboard ram but it's not dedicated ram like you would have with integrated graphics, and some older lesser cards could have ram dedicated to them from the system ram.

10-30-2008, 03:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
magnethead Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Texas, USA Posts: 3,570 OS: Vista ultimate 32bit My System Blog Entries: 3	vRAM, RAM, VM, and Sys Restore dealings I find it hard to believe that a graphics card with it's own dedicated vRAM would also use the system's hard RAM. I'm in vista 32 bit, with a pair of 1 GB sticks for RAM. The mobo has no onboard video, and I have a 512 MB XFX 9800GTX. Vista reports the system has 2046 MB of RAM. While i'm not sure where that 2 MB went, it doesn't have the erroneous factor that many claim it should have. [?] Also, don't they say to have 150% virtual memory? Of course when you have a mega-huge amount of hard RAM, that's not quite true. I have 4 partitions across 3 hard drives, and on 3 of the partitions, I had a hard-set velue of 768 MB VM for each partition. I just went back and re-adjusted that to 512 each (1.5 GB of VM). Also, it seems unknown that vista system restore uses 15% of each hard drive....for me, that's C: 298 GB = 45 GB E: 180 GB = 27 GB F: 30 GB = 4.5 GB G: 88 GB = 13.2 GB That's only a modest 90 GB of disk space lost. http://www.watchingthenet.com/how-to...m-restore.html Here's what the command prompt reports: C:\ Used: 2.782 GB C:\ Allocated: 4.372 GB C:\ Maximum: 44.713 GB E:\ Used: 175.219 MB E:\ Allocated: 387.609 MB E:\ Maximum: 17.574 GB F:\ Used: 11.359 MB F:\ Allocated: 203.391 MB F:\ Maximum: 4.5 GB G:\ Used: 24.484 MB G:\ Allocated: 209.703 MB G:\ Maximum: 5.184 GB So Here's what I done: vssadmin resize shadowstorage /On=C: /For=C: /Maxsize=20GB vssadmin resize shadowstorage /On=E: /For=E: /Maxsize=10GB Turned off F Turned off G So now the readings are: C:\ Used: 2.782 GB C:\ Allocated: 4.372 GB C:\ Maximum: 20 GB E:\ Used: 175.219 MB E:\ Allocated: 387.609 MB E:\ Maximum: 10 GB __________________ For proper support: what are you running? graphics, cpu, m/board, ram, PSU brand wattage PCI-E requires 26 amps at 12 volts. That's a 650W PSU. Power Supply Info and Selection . Info on thermal compounds & application . TEST PSU USING MULTI-METER . Bench Testing Your System

10-31-2008, 05:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,531 OS: Win7	Re: vRAM, RAM, VM, and Sys Restore dealings What does the Bios report as the total installed ram and the total usable? __________________ Power Supply and Selection

11-01-2008, 10:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
magnethead Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Texas, USA Posts: 3,570 OS: Vista ultimate 32bit My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: vRAM, RAM, VM, and Sys Restore dealings BIOS says total memory 2048K extended memory 2046K base memory 640K __________________ For proper support: what are you running? graphics, cpu, m/board, ram, PSU brand wattage PCI-E requires 26 amps at 12 volts. That's a 650W PSU. Power Supply Info and Selection . Info on thermal compounds & application . TEST PSU USING MULTI-METER . Bench Testing Your System

11-02-2008, 03:06 AM	#4 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,531 OS: Win7	Re: vRAM, RAM, VM, and Sys Restore dealings So Vista is reporting the extended memory? __________________ Power Supply and Selection

11-02-2008, 10:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
magnethead Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Texas, USA Posts: 3,570 OS: Vista ultimate 32bit My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: vRAM, RAM, VM, and Sys Restore dealings right. But why does everybody say that hard RAM is addressed for gfx cards as well? I think there's a misunderstanding? __________________ For proper support: what are you running? graphics, cpu, m/board, ram, PSU brand wattage PCI-E requires 26 amps at 12 volts. That's a 650W PSU. Power Supply Info and Selection . Info on thermal compounds & application . TEST PSU USING MULTI-METER . Bench Testing Your System

11-03-2008, 12:15 PM	#6 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,531 OS: Win7	Re: vRAM, RAM, VM, and Sys Restore dealings As far as I know it can be when the card runs out of onboard ram but it's not dedicated ram like you would have with integrated graphics, and some older lesser cards could have ram dedicated to them from the system ram. __________________ Power Supply and Selection