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A good amount of video RAM is crucial for any visually-intensive PC game or task. If your computer has been struggling in this department lately, you might think upgrading your video card is the only solution.
While a new graphics card would certainly give a boost to your desktop computer, it’s not always an option for laptops. Video cards can also be rather pricey, so getting the most out of what you currently have can save you some money for the time being. A solution that won’t require you to upgrade your hardware is increasing your PC’s dedicated video RAM. Read on to learn about this solution and how to implement it yourself.
Increasing Dedicated Video RAM
Video RAM (or VRAM) is RAM dedicated to this medium. As opposed to regular RAM, VRAM works together with your GPU to store short-term graphics-related data. VRAM is not the only factor determining how smooth your experience is while editing videos, rendering 3D models, or running graphics-intensive games. However, a certain amount of VRAM is necessary for these operations. While you can’t physically change your VRAM without changing your GPU, you can give instructions to your PC to ensure it uses what you have to the fullest capacity.
Increasing your VRAM isn’t guaranteed to improve your experience, but it can help you bypass some obstacles. Try the following solutions on your Windows PC.
How to Increase Dedicated Video RAM in Windows 11
Before embarking on your journey to increase your dedicated video RAM, checking how much your Windows 11 PC currently uses is a good idea. Follow these steps to find that information.
- Click the Windows icon and go to your Settings.
- In the “System” tab, find “Advanced display” under “Related settings.”
- Click “Display adapter properties for Display (number).”
- You’ll see your dedicated video memory in the window that pops up.
If you find this number insufficient, try adjusting it in your BIOS.
- Restart your computer and press your dedicated BIOS button repeatedly as your PC boots up.
- Find the “Advanced features” menu in your BIOS.
- Look for your graphics settings (the option may be called “Graphics Settings,” “VGA Share Memory Size,” “Video Settings,” or something similar).
- Choose the amount of space you want to allocate to your VRAM.
- Save the changes, restart your PC, and check whether your VRAM has been increased by using the instructions above.
Another way to tweak your dedicated video RAM is through your Registry Editor. While this won’t technically increase your VRAM, it will make programs believe they have more juice to work with.
- Click your Windows icon, type “regedit” in the search bar, and open the Registry Editor.
- Navigate to the following location: “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareIntel.”
- Right-click “Intel” in the sidebar and select “Key” under “New.”
- Name your new key “GMM” and open it.
- Right-click inside the right-side panel and select “Dword (32-bit) Value” under “New.”
- Name it “DedicatedSegmentSize” and double-click it.
- Select “Hexadecimal” on the right side and enter the amount of VRAM you want in megabytes.
- Save the changes and restart your computer.
How to Increase Dedicated Video RAM in Windows 10
The steps to increase your VRAM on Windows 10 are very similar. First, check your current VRAM in the following way.
- Type “Display settings” in your Windows 10 search bar and select the best result.
- Find “Advanced display settings” all the way at the bottom.
- Click “Display adapter properties for Display (number)” under “Display Information.”
- Look at the number next to “Dedicated Video Memory” to find out your current amount of VRAM.
There are two ways to increase this number without any hardware upgrade. The first one is using your BIOS:
- Restart your computer and push your BIOS key repeatedly as the system boots up.
- Find a menu called “Video Settings,” “Graphics Settings,” or “VGA Share Memory Size” under “Advanced.”
- Increase the pre-allocated VRAM.
- Save the changes and restart your PC again.
Editing your BIOS isn’t an option for everyone. Fortunately, you can also tweak your VRAM using the Windows 10 Registry Editor. While this doesn’t change the performance of your PC, it will trick programs that refuse to operate because of your currently low VRAM.
- Press your Windows and “R” keys at the same time to open the Run dialogue box.
- Type “regedit” and hit “OK.”
- Navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareIntel.”
- Right-click “Intel” in the left-side panel and select “Key” under “New.”
- Name the new key “GMM.”
- Select “GMM” and right-click inside the panel on the right.
- Click “Dword (32-bit) Value” under “New,” and type “DedicatedSegmentSize.”
- Open “DedicatedSegmentSize,” select “Decimal,” and type a value between 0 and 512.
- Click “OK” and restart your PC to see the changes implemented.
How to Increase Dedicated Video RAM in Windows 7
Before you change the amount of dedicated VRAM on your Windows 7, verify your current VRAM in your Display Settings.
- Right-click on your desktop and select “Screen Resolution.”
- Find “Advanced Settings.”
- The currently allocated VRAM will be displayed next to “Dedicated Video Memory.”
To increase this number and run software that requires a higher minimum to start up, open your Registry Editor.
- Click the Windows icon.
- Enter “regedit” in the search bar and open the first result.
- In the new window, click “Edit,” then “Find.”
- Type “INCREASEFIXEDSEGMENT” and hit “Find Next.”
- Double-click the “IncreaseFixedSegment” file.
- Type “1” under “Value data” and press “OK.”
- Restart your PC and check your VRAM in your Display Settings to see if your attempt was successful.
Put On Your HD Glasses
Insufficient video RAM can easily lead to lags and freezes, which are not only annoying but can also seriously hinder your work. If purchasing a new video card is not an option, you can try increasing your PC’s dedicated video RAM using the instructions above.
Have you noticed an improvement in how your PC handles graphics after increasing your VRAM? Do you have any tips for those still trying to tweak their settings? Let us know in the comments section below.
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