Thinkpads Forum

Hello,

I have just bought a new T400 with the ATI discrete graphics. My laptop is configured with 4GB ram and loaded with Windows 7 32bit enterprise edition. I'm expecting my usable memory to be close to 3.3-3.5 gigs of memory, but instead found that i only have 2.5 gigs available due to the intel 4500 utilizing 1 gig of memory.

How can i restrict the amount of memory the intel graphics can use? I would like to set it to 256-512 instead of 1 gig? This is such a dumb design, I have a discrete graphics card, and yet the onboard gpu uses 1/4 of my system memory when i'm using the ATI discrete card.

I ended up disabling the intel card from the bios, but this has only given me 3066 megs of usable memory. I'm assuming the lost 250-450 megs is used to address the intel gpu and all the extra upgrades (camera, turbo cache, bluetooth, wifimax, wireless usb).

Any ideas?

Thanks.

af22 wrote:I have just bought a new T400 with the ATI discrete graphics. My laptop is configured with 4GB ram and loaded with Windows 7 32bit enterprise edition. I'm expecting my usable memory to be close to 3.3-3.5 gigs of memory, but instead found that i only have 2.5 gigs available due to intel 4500 utilizing 1 gig of memory.

You are using a 32 bit operating system and it is only able to effectively use ~3GB of memory (this has been extensively discussed both here and on many other web sites). If you want to be able to use all 4GB of your installed memory you will need to use a 64 bit operating system.

It has nothing at all to do with "the intel 4500 utilizing 1 gig of memory".

Cheers,

Bill B.

turning off switchable graphics in the bios is the only way to "see" more than 3GB AFAIK. My Vista 32 with switchable turned off shows just over 3GB of available memory, which according to MS is about all we can expect due to mapping by various components (including the ATI card's own memory)

The "cause" section of the following MS article explains quite nicely why:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605