The performance of new graphics cards doubles every year. This means that the "hardware", which was top-end last year, today may no longer provide a high-quality picture. Not everyone can afford to change the video card annually, but almost everyone wants to play modern games. Therefore, increasing the performance of the existing video card is an urgent task.
Instructions
Step 1
Before taking steps to increase the memory of the video card, it is advisable to carry out a set of general measures that increase the performance of the computer. Update your graphics card drivers. Install antivirus and scan your system drive. Oftentimes, removing malware has a greater effect than increasing memory. Do not use pirated antivirus software. In order not to buy a subscription, you can use the antivirus utility DrWeb CureIT.
Step 2
Determine the current amount of memory used by the video card. Run the DirectX Diagnostic Utility. To do this, press the key combination Win + R on the keyboard, in the dialog that opens, enter the line dxdiag and press Enter. Click on the "Display" tab. Find the line "total memory". The numbers opposite to it mean the total amount of memory (native and system) that the video card uses for its needs. If this value is not enough, you can try increasing it.
Step 3
To increase the amount of system memory allocated for the video card, open the ATI Catalist Control Center configuration utility. Find the value for UMA Frame Buffer. Set the value as high as possible. There is no such setting in the drivers from nVidia, the memory is allocated automatically. The only way to change it is to increase the amount of system memory on the computer, which will cause an increase in the amount of memory allocated to the graphics card.
Step 4
Overclocking is not a method of increasing the memory size of a video card, but it can significantly increase its speed. In order to overclock the hardware, you need to use the appropriate utilities. For ATI it is ATI Tray Tools, and for nVidia the best program is RivaTuner. A forced 3D accelerator will probably need more powerful cooling, because its heat generation will increase. It is necessary to control the temperature of the chip, its overheating can lead to irreversible damage to the video card.
