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Calith

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Increase RAM usage for onboard video?

Hi,

I have a eMachines T1860.  It has a S3 ProSavage8 (integrated) video card that uses 32 MB of the computers RAM.  The computer came with 256 MB of RAM and I added an additional 512 MB of RAM.  

I would like to know if I can increase the amount of RAM the video card uses and how I would do that and what risks this poses to my computer.

Specifications of eMachines T1860

AMD Athlon™ XP processor 1800+ (1.533 GHz) with QuantiSpeed™ architecture
VIA KM 266
7.25"w x 14.125"h x 16"d
60 GB HDD
256 MB DDR (PC 2100)
(DDR for optimal performance)
56K* ITU v.92 ready Fax/Modem
10/100Mbps built-in Ethernet
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
32x10x40x Max. CD-RW Drive
3.5" 1.44MB FDD
Keyboard, Wheel Mouse, Amplified Speakers
AC '97 Audio
S3 ProSavage8 (integrated)
(1 AGP slot available for upgrade)
4 USB ports (2 on front), 1 Serial, 1 Parallel, 2 PS/2, Audio In & Out, MIDI/Game port, Mic-In & Head Phone jack on front, 3 PCI slots (2 available)

Thanks

Calith
Avatar of rrhunt28
rrhunt28

I do not think there is any settings for this.  Your best bet if their are would be in your bios.  There might be a memory setting there that allows you to up or down the memory size.  As far as I know it is set automatically based on what is needed.

I noticed you have a agp slot.  That would be your best bet.  A good agp card is not even 100 bucks today.  You could easily pick up a card way better than your onboard vid for 100 or less.  

www.pricewatch.com has good deals, check it out.  And www.tomshardware.com has reviews so you can see which cards give you the best bang for your buck.  Off hand the radeon 8500 is an older card that is pretty cheap these days, and gives a good chunk of power, I use it in my game machine.
One thing I forgot to mention is sometimes people with emachines have power supply issues especially after upgrading.  If this happens dont freak, you can always put an after market power supply on the machine, you just have to put it out side the case.
Good luck.
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Glen A.
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Open your system BIOS setup and in Advanced Chipset setting/features try to find the line that reads something like:

AGP Graphic Aperture Size  ( options are usually in  8,16,32,64,128,256 Mb )

That  feature usually set aside the amount of the systems memory you've specified in BIOS

Nedvis:  AGP Aperture size isn't the amount of system memory used by the onboard video card, sorry.  You'll find it on virtually every motherboard with OR WITHOUT onboard video.

The AGP aperture setting specifies to the motherboards' north bridge how much of a PC's system memory can be addressed by an AGP video card for textures AFTER the video card has used all of its video memory.

There are no true benchmarks to prove the best setting for it, but usually setting it to half the system RAM gives the best overall video performance.  

It does nothing to increase the amount of system RAM used by the vid card, however.
Thanks . I didn't know that .
However I've found a good article here:
http://www.rojakpot.com/default.aspx?location=4&var1=190

Sorry, Calith, for misleading answer !
Upgrade to an AGP card, even a 32MB AGP card will be a huge inprovement over your onboard video.
Don't get another case.  As far as I know, your motherboard's power and LED cables are designed specifically by eMachines.  You'd have to do some very strange work...

rrhunt said you'd have to stick a new power supply somewhere on the outside of the case.  That's somewhat good thinking, but you have to understand that your eMachines probably has about 2-3 fans... One is in the power supply and one is one your CPU heatsink.  Also, you may have a case fan.  I'm not sure if eMachines would want to spend the extra cash for that.

If you get a type of mATX (micro) power supply, you should be able to fit that in there.  I've seen 300W power supplies.  Someone please correct me if necessary.


ATI Radeon 8500 LE
http://www.allstarshop.com/shop/product.asp?dept%5Fid=124&pid=4168&sid=XQGD7N6JNHFQ8HWP1WDVLACVSW3A2TSE

ATI Radeon 9200 SE 128MB
http://216.136.224.156/hoct12/atira9212ddr.html

MSI GeForce3 Ti500
http://www.computer123.com/home.asp

MY RECOMMENDATION:
GeForceFX 5200 128MB - Get this with the 5400 RPM fan, if possible.  It's amazing!  Make sure that you have a spare PCI slot to donate to the cause of great graphics.
http://www.amamax.com/vdinob555gfx52sa3xy.html

GeForceFX 5200 128MB (not so cool-looking, and no vram heatsinks)
http://www.amamax.com/vdinob555gfx52sa316.html

I feel really bad for having to tell you to buy things.  This really seems like an easy question at first...
How much can you spend on a video card?  The above cards are the cheapest cards I could recommend and be able to sleep at night.  I guess since eMachines PC was cheaper than the other XP 1800 PCs, the video card still won't make that much of a difference.  Please understand that I had an eMachines before (id366) and do not ever wish to have another one.  This is based on the fact that I went to chat with their "tech support team" online, and they told me I can upgrade to a Celeron 500 without changing jumper settings, nor resetting the CMOS.  The quote was, "Just take out the old processor and put in the new one."  The motherboard is now a prickly paperweight.  Would you like a 366MHz CPU?  It's unharmed.
A new case / power supply should work fine, radomir.

Unlike your old emachine, the current motherboard in the emachines Athlon XP is a mATX board by ECS.  Completely standard unless they've very recently changed it.  

The model T1860 came with an ECS L7VMM microATX mainboard.  You can see it here:  http://www.e4all.info/motherboards/l7vmm.htm

This board and the components should go into a new case just fine.
Here's the instructions from an emachine upgrade site on upgrading the video in your system:

Disable On-board Video (WinXP)

03/28/03 There is actually no jumper on the motherboard for this, it is supposed to automatically detect a new card and look to it.

The process for disabling onboard video, (which is really just faking out windows.) goes as such. Before starting this process, go into BIOS and choose to load optimized defaults, then let it come up into windows and remove all display adapters regarding your new video card, this will temporarily involve taking out the new card.

1-Make sure that the new video card is out of the system, with your monitor on the built-in video.
 

2-Start the computer up, tapping the F8 repeatedly until you get to the windows advanced options menu. Choose the option for safe mode, press enter at the OS selection screen, and log in as the administrator.
 

3-Go to start->control panel. Then go into system, click on the hardware tab, then the device manager button.
 

4-Click on the + sign next to display adapters. Right-click on what pops out, and choose DISABLE. Close out, and shut down the computer so it turns off.
 

5-Insert your new video card, and hook up the monitor to it. Turn on the computer, and let it come up normally.
 

6-You can now install the drivers for the new card, and all of windows and your programs will not see the old card.

Link to ATX cases / 300W power supplies on pricewatch: http://www.pricewatch.com/1/74/2871-1.htm

Of course, looking at the recent specs you might not need one.  This emachines unit seems to be decent in terms of power supply.  I'd try a new card without replacing the case/power supply first, and only upgrade the power supply if you experience problems.

AB
So, eMachines stopped using "their own" boards and switched to ECS?  Is that a turn for the better or a brick wall?  What has changed?  Do any of you like ECS?  Give me reasons to like those motherboards.  I'm truly interested.
the only reason to like ECS is price.  But I *NEVER* buy something based solely on it's price.  Overall I'm extremely displeased with ECS.  I first tried using some about 7 years ago.  Game them a chance again about 3 years ago.  Never give them another chance.  Not from my experience, and not from what I've read currently.  NO way, NO how.

Did I mention I don't like ECS??
Thank you.
I would try the card in the EMachine before I spent the time and money upgrading.  He migth get lucky and not have any problem.  LOL

Did I mention I dont like emachine.  It comes from selling them to people at best buy for over a year.  And watching them over and over again not work right.