how do you increasing GMA950 past 64mb

[silentnight]

Hi every one.

I hope this is in the right place.
I have a core duo 2ghz 160gb hd with 2gb memory but the down side is the video card. I read on another forum that apple could increase the 64mb up to 128-198mb by a firmware update, and yet again on another forum people have increased the size by other means but they have not stated on how they did this.
I would like to increase this on my macbook so I could play a few games and install vista and to do some graphic design on it too. Wait, why don't you just buy MBP. I tell you why $$$.
So if you could help me to increase the vram I would be very very great full indeed.

[Marvin]

I would like to increase this on my macbook so I could play a few games and install vista and to do some graphic design on it too. Wait, why don't you just buy MBP. I tell you why $$$.
So if you could help me to increase the vram I would be very very great full indeed.

Which games need more than the default? The Macbook should play the majority of lower end games quite well. If you find a game that can't play, it's more likely you are reaching the chip's limitations. I have a list of games that work on the GMA:

http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=70500

DON'T INSTALL VISTA FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!

[silentnight]

Thanks Marvin. It looks like you have tested a number of games but not the ones that I want.
1, call of duty 2 or 3.
2, battlefield 1942 or 2142.

Thanks for the lead any ways.

[John French]

Thanks Marvin. It looks like you have tested a number of games but not the ones that I want.
1, call of duty 2 or 3.
2, battlefield 1942 or 2142.

Thanks for the lead any ways.

I've never played either one of those games, but from what I understand, increasing the memory won't help playing them very much; the Intel GMA 945 is junky for playing advanced 3D games. as for the memory thing, there's probably some software (count on it being for windows) that can change some of the settings on your GPU.

[Marvin]

Thanks Marvin. It looks like you have tested a number of games but not the ones that I want.
1, call of duty 2 or 3.
2, battlefield 1942 or 2142.

Thanks for the lead any ways.

Call of Duty 2 ran ok on the Mac side but I had to run at medium quality I think and still some stuttering - come to think of it, I'm sure I had to lower the texture quality so yeah more video memory might help. I will try and test the Windows version because I'm pretty sure it will run better.

[ecking]

I would like to increase this on my macbook so I could play a few games and install vista...

I'm pretty sure that when in windows through bootcamp the gma950 automactially clocks itself up to it's natural 256mb threshold. I think the 64mb is a software limitation that apple placed on it that can only work while in OSX. Or so I've heard, I don't own a mac with gma950.

[Marvin]

I will try and test the Windows version because I'm pretty sure it will run better.

:lol: Correction. It actually doesn't run at all on the Windows side for me. I just get a DirectX error and I can't find a way round it. That's quite odd because it actually looks and plays fairly well on OS X. It's officially unsupported too:

http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/intel945gm/sb/CS-021400.htm
http://forums.macnn.com/77/games/322981/call-duty-2-not-working-all/

So if you want to play CoD2 on a GMA, get the Mac version. I never thought I'd say that concerning a game.

[silentnight]

That is some good news that COD2 will work on a macbook but on low settings.
I'm pretty sure that when in windows through bootcamp the gma950 automactially clocks itself up to it's natural 256mb threshold. I think the 64mb is a software limitation that apple placed on it that can only work while in OSX. Or so I've heard, I don't own a mac with gma950.
I wish that they would open it up a bit then. I think every one would be happy if they would open it up to 128mb or even better open it up all the way to the max. I know for sure that I would be a happy camper if they (Apple) did this.
All it would take is for them to put out a firmware update, but I can not see them doing it in the near future so as I said before that I heard that some one has managed to open it up but the main question is how did they do that?

[silentnight]

:lol: Correction. It actually doesn't run at all on the Windows side for me. I just get a DirectX error and I can't find a way round it. That's quite odd because it actually looks and plays fairly well on OS X. It's officially unsupported too:

http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/intel945gm/sb/CS-021400.htm
http://forums.macnn.com/77/games/322981/call-duty-2-not-working-all/

So if you want to play CoD2 on a GMA, get the Mac version. I never thought I'd say that concerning a game.
Thanks Marvin for your help.

[Marvin]

Also, Call of Duty 3 isn't out for the PC I believe. I read it wasn't being ported.

I tested out battlefield 1942 and also Battlefield 2 and neither of them work either. 3DAnalyze lets me get to the select screen but it crashes when loading the graphics.

[silentnight]

I have the demo of battlefield 1942 on my MB and it works ok with a few slow patches here and there, but the full version you say will not work. Thats a bummer. I know that battlefield 2142 will not work, thats the demo that is. It will install but as soon as you start it up it dies in the *****.

It's very interesting that COD2 will not work on an intel core duo pc but it will work on a mac. Go figger.

Again Marvin thank you for your great work and help.

[Marvin]

I have the demo of battlefield 1942 on my MB and it works ok with a few slow patches here and there, but the full version you say will not work. Thats a bummer. I know that battlefield 2142 will not work, thats the demo that is. It will install but as soon as you start it up it dies in the *****.

No, I tried the demo of 1942 and it wouldn't work. I'll try it again, maybe something got messed up with DirectX. Windows is so bloody temperamental. It recently stopped booting with my external firewire burner connected so now I have ot unplug it every time.

It's very interesting that COD2 will not work on an intel core duo pc but it will work on a mac. Go figger.

Yeah, I would have understood if it played too slowly but on the Mac side, it ran ok at medium for me.

[Zandros]

It's very interesting that COD2 will not work on an intel core duo pc but it will work on a mac. Go figger.

Might have something to do with the GMA950 not having full Direct3D compliance, but do on the OpenGL side.

[silentnight]

Battlefield 1942 works just fine on my macbook and also close combat works really good, infact it runs better than battlefield 1942.

[Marvin]

Battlefield 1942 works just fine on my macbook and also close combat works really good, infact it runs better than battlefield 1942.

Hmmm, that's very strange. I'll add that info to my list of games compatibility. I can't think why it doesn't work on my machine. If you test out any other games, I'd appreciate if you could add them to this thread so we can keep a contained compatibility list:

http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=70500

Which version of Close Combat is it?

[Archstudent]

I hate to bring this back up but I've just ordered a macbook and wanted to find out for sure about the gma 950... Found this interesting page and thought it might interest people:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303407

"Mac OS X may make additional main memory available to the graphics processor for texture use beyond the base 80 MB amount mentioned above, depending on the application being used. The most common types of applications that request more system memory to be used as graphics memory are 3D and graphics-intense applications."

IOW the macbook can in fact use up to ~256mb of VRAM if demanded by an application.

Of course, this is still weak compared with a real gpu because the data transfer between GPU and main RAM is a fraction of what it would be between GPU and dedicated VRAM.

[silentnight]

Just to let you know.
Which version of Close Combat is it?
This is First to fight, I upgraded it with the latest patch.
Version number ? I forgot sorry.
Also I have Halo which works very well on normal setings.
Ghost recon - Desert Siege works very well too.
Unreal Tournament 2004 works very well on mormal settings.
I got COD2 the full version and that works fine on normal settings. But the demo did not work for me, go figure.
And last of all I have now Medal Of Honor which works very well too.

"Mac OS X may make additional main memory available to the graphics processor for texture use beyond the base 80 MB amount mentioned above, depending on the application being used. The most common types of applications that request more system memory to be used as graphics memory are 3D and graphics-intense applications."

IOW the macbook can in fact use up to ~256mb of VRAM if demanded by an application.

I wish and a lot of other people wish that they would open it up to the max.

Well will keep you up todate if I get some more games.

[Archstudent]

I wish and a lot of other people wish that they would open it up to the max.

Well will keep you up todate if I get some more games.

the implication of that page I linked, is that they HAVE opened it up to the max. According to that page, the amount of dedicated RAM dynamically changes depending on the needs of particular applications. This means if a game demands it, the system will dedicate over 200 mb of RAM as VRAM.

[Marvin]

Just to let you know.

This is First to fight, I upgraded it with the latest patch.
Version number ? I forgot sorry.
Also I have Halo which works very well on normal setings.
Ghost recon - Desert Siege works very well too.
Unreal Tournament 2004 works very well on mormal settings.
I got COD2 the full version and that works fine on normal settings. But the demo did not work for me, go figure.
And last of all I have now Medal Of Honor which works very well too.

I wish and a lot of other people wish that they would open it up to the max.

Well will keep you up todate if I get some more games.

Thanks for that. I will update the list. Are those all Mac games or Windows? Also which Medal of Honor e.g Pacific Assault. The only one for Mac is Allied Assault? If any are Mac, are they universal binary?

[silentnight]

Thanks for that. I will update the list. Are those all Mac games or Windows? Also which Medal of Honor e.g Pacific Assault. The only one for Mac is Allied Assault? If any are Mac, are they universal binary?

these are all mac games, some are universal binary and others are not.
Medal of Honor is Allied Assault.

[silentnight]

Startrek: Elite Force II works fine.

[silentnight]

UPDATE:

Starwars battlefront works but on low settings, but still very sluggishly.
Rainbow six 3-Ravens sheld works very well on normal settings.
Age of Empires III works very well on normal settings.

Will update more later on.

[Marvin]

Starwars battlefront works but on low settings, but still very sluggishly.
Rainbow six 3-Ravens sheld works very well on normal settings.
Age of Empires III works very well on normal settings.

Will update more later on.

Interesting. Star Wars Battlefront works smoothly on Windows - is it universal on the Mac? I wish we could set up some sort of alphabetic list here on AppleInsider. It would probably be easier if it wasn't a thread so that it's easier for people to find the games. I might edit the first post in the other thread and put all the games together.

[silentnight]

That sounds like a good idea puting all of the games together.
What you could do is make a new thread but putdown on the bottom and the top of the thread that if they have a new game that works on a mac to PM you with all the details so you can update the thread with out having people replying to the thread so people don't have to scroll through the thread to find what they are looking for, if you know what I mean.
"Games That Work & Do Not Work On A Mac". Sounds like a good title for the new thread.

Also,
Star wars battlefront if I remember was not UB.
I have one more game which works very very well on the mac and that is Age Of Empires 3.

[silentnight]

Sorry but it looks like I have stated that age of empires 3 works already. I'm half asleep.

Sorry for double posting.