G400 using only half of its memory?

[Lithindrym]

Hey folks. This isn't that big of a problem, more of a concern that one of my friends at Microsoft informed me of. We're both using DirectX 7 BTW. It seems that our G400 cards are only using 16 out of it's 32 MB of memory. While I don't know if this is true or not (I'm not a big hardware guru), I ran dxdiag and got the following:

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Display Devices
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Card name: Matrox Millennium G400 DualHead - English
Manufacturer: Matrox Graphics
Chip type: Matrox G400 Rev
DAC type: Internal
Device ID: Enum\PCI\VEN_102B&DEV_0525&SUBSYS_2179102B&REV_03\ 000800
Display Memory: 16.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (16 bit) (optimal refresh rate)
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: G400.drv
Driver Version: 4.11.01.1300 (English)
DDI Version: 6
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 10/6/1999 16:10:14, 189008 bytes
Driver Certified: No
VDD: *vdd,*vflatd
Mini VDD: G400.vxd
Registry: OK
DDraw Test Result:
D3D Test Result:

Card name: Matrox Millennium G400 DualHead - English
Manufacturer: Matrox Graphics
Chip type: Matrox G400 Rev
DAC type: Internal
Device ID: Enum\PCI\VEN_102B&DEV_0525&SUBSYS_2179102B&REV_03\ 000800
Display Memory: 16.0 MB
Current Mode: 800 x 600 (16 bit) (optimal refresh rate)
Monitor: Default Monitor
Monitor Max Res:
Driver Name: G400.drv
Driver Version: 4.11.01.1300 (English)
DDI Version: 6
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 10/6/1999 16:10:14, 189008 bytes
Driver Certified: No
VDD: *vdd,*vflatd
Mini VDD: G400.vxd
Registry: OK
DDraw Test Result:
D3D Test Result:


The first group of settings is for my PC, the second is for the TV output. Notice how both of them say the card only has 16.0 MB of memory when both our cards (mine and my friend's) are the 32MB vanilla versions.

Any ideas on why this is? Maybe DX7 is just dumb? =)



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~^~ Lith ~^~
P3-450@558, 128MB PC100 SDRAM, IBM 18GB HD, IBM 22GB HD, Matrox G400 OC'd to 153/204, Linksys NIC, 3COM NIC, Abit BX 6.0 rev 2 motherboard, Sony 6X DVD drive, Hollywood Plus mpeg decoder card, HP CD-Writer 7200e, Klipsch ProMedia v2-400 multimedia speakers, a floppy drive, Sound Blaster Live! retail, the Card Cooler, Vantec 3 fans for hard drives, and my G400 is so cold, if my monitor wasn't so crappy I could probably OC it even further ;P

[Marmita]

Hi, I think u got a 16mb version of the G400 because my dxdiag reports 32mb of ram so it isn't a problem with the g400, mybe you and ur frined bought the 16b SH version...

[hominid skull]

Mines the same as Marmita, dxdiag sas that i have approx 32 mb of display memory also. Eithr something has gone wrong with the installation(unlikely) or you've been stiched, sorry.

Take it up with the store that you brought it from if your not sure.

have a look in the display properties/information in quickdesk, it'll tell you there what amount of memory you have on the card.




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//** Memory prices SUCK **//

[Wombat]

I don't have a G400 so I don't know, but would splitting the video to dual monitors result in it appearing to be two 16MB cards?

[DuRaNgO]

hmmm
jim

------------------
PIII-500mhz @ 620!
Abit BE6 mobo
128mb pc-100
Mill G400(YAHOO!!!) 32mb @ 120%)
PD 5.30
Maxtor 13.2 gb Uata66 hdd
SB Live!
Winblows 98se
DX7
THREE BIG FANS, six little ones and a case that sounds like a turbine engine...doh!

[Speedy]

Make sure DH is off, than check again, cause when Multi Monitor mode is on (not sure about dvd and zoom)G400 divides it's memory on 2 halfs


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Matrox Millennium G400 Dual Head - English
Resolution 800*600
Color Depth 16-bit Color
Frame Buffer Triple buffering
Refresh Rate VSync Off
CPU Optimization AMD 3DNow!(tm)
3DMark Result 5420.49 3DMarks
Synthetic CPU 3D Speed 9142.76 CPU 3DMarks
Rasterizer Score 2206.33 3DRasterMarks
Game 1 - Race 63.58 FPS
Game 2 - First Person 47.24 FPS
Processor Type AMD-K7(tm) Processor
Processor Speed 500 MHz
Physical Memory 128 MB

[Larry]

Don't worry, you didn't get ripped off. Speedy is right. I've actually tested this out. When DH is enabled, DXDiag will report 16MB. I'm not sure what effect this has in terms of gameplay though...

Anyone know if Q2/Q3 takes a performance hit due to memory when DH is enabled???

Larry

[Speedy]

Larry, i don't think Q2/Q3 works when DH is on

[Larry]

It works fine with 5.30 drivers. Gamespy in one screen, Q2/3 in the other...AWSOME!!!

Larry

[radon222]

Larry

Are you saying the DH multi-monitor is now working with Q2/Q3? Is that in OGL mode or D3D?

[DoctorH]

It has to be OpenGL, cuz Quake2/3 do NOT support D3D... (Quake2 did work through a d3d wrapper though)