Newbie question: What is graphics aperture size?

  • Thread starter Thread starter llib
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llib

I just built a computer. I have an ASUS A7N8x-E deluxe. Within the BIOS
there is an option called Graphics Aperture Size. Are you supposed to set
this to the amount if video memory your video card has?

Thanks in advance.
 
I just built a computer. I have an ASUS A7N8x-E deluxe. Within the BIOS
there is an option called Graphics Aperture Size. Are you supposed to set
this to the amount if video memory your video card has?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

It's the amount of system RAM that the AGP card is permitted to use. Leave it
on the default of 64, or play around with it and end up leaving it on 64. ;)
 
llib said:
I just built a computer. I have an ASUS A7N8x-E deluxe. Within the BIOS
there is an option called Graphics Aperture Size. Are you supposed to set
this to the amount if video memory your video card has?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
No.
It is a definition for an 'aperture', into the main system memory, that
the video card can talk through. The idea was, that if the graphics card,
needed more RAM for 3D rendering operations, it could use part of the
system memory without involving the motherboard processor in the
transaction, by talking through this window. In the days when this was
thought of, graphics cards often had only 8 to 16MB of RAM. At this time,
the recommendation, was that the aperture should be set to half the size
of the _system_ memory.
In recent years, the recommended size for this has dropped, as cards have
more memory (and hence need extra RAM, less often), and memory sizes on
the main machines have grown. Generally the more memory there is on the
graphics card, the smaller this can be. The 'default' 64MB, is usually
pretty good.

Best Wishes
 
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