newbie question on RAM

[leonx81]

Hi, I've just added a 512MB Kingston SODIMM memory to my new laptop which it has 512MB memory already; so the total of memory is 1GB. But I only see 896MB in the Sysem Properties.(see pic)

Will some1 explain to me, please? Sorry for the stupid question.

Thanks in advance.

[prathapml]

I suppose 128 MB has been allotted for some integrated graphics card.

Don't you remember whether only 384 MB of RAM was shown when you had only a 512 MB module?

[leonx81]

I think it was 488MB before I installed the new RAM module..

don't know where the 128MB goes?

[leonx81]

nobody can explains it for me?

[prathapml]

don't know where the 128MB goes? 

Your graphics card (display/AGP/VGA/whatever you like to think of it as) needs to have some RAM for video processing - which it shares from your main system RAM, since it has none of its own.

So, your motherboard has arbitrarily allotted 128 MB - that would be a default setting, normally you have the option to set it to as much as you want (from your BIOS). So if you don't play much of games, lower it from 128 to just 8 MB (so that you gain 120 MB for use by the OS).

[jrzycrim]

Go to Start > Run, enter msinfo32, from there go to Components > Display. You should be able to see the amount of Ram that is being used for Video memory.

As prathapml pointed out, this generally can be adjusted in the bios although 896MB is a goodly amount of ram.

[leonx81]

Thanks for your help, guys. I finally figured out my ATI RADEON 9000 takes 128MB away..

[Bâshrat the Sneaky]

Go to Start > Run, enter msinfo32...

Very useful feature, didn't know it existed!

Thank you!

[prathapml]

Go to Start > Run, enter msinfo32...

Very useful feature, didn't know it existed!

Thank you!

Well, that's surprising.

Since msinfo32 is the same as "Start >> Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> System Information".