Are Graphics Cards Take away RAM and Speed?

[Marcel]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-25-02 AT 03:57PM (EST)[p]Hello!

Sorry for my bad english. This is my first post on forum.

I have a computer Packard Bell 2.0 Ghz and 196MB DDRAM and geForce 4 MX 440. When I buy my PC Dixons say It has 256 MB DDRAM. But In "System Properties" it says that my PC has 196MB RAM.

I go to Dixons and Ask Them Why.

Dixons Say bacaue geForce4 Mx 440 shares RAM with PC. geForce MX 440 needs 64 MB RAM and it takes that from main RAM. so 256-64=196. But this is wrong. 256-64=192 and My friend has a PC Hewlett Packard with a Radeon 9000 64MB and he buy his PC at Currys and they said it is 256MB RAM and in Properties is 256MB RAM.

Are Graphics Cards taking away RAM, or do they have their own, or was that bacause my PC has geForce4 and Friends is Radeon?

I want to give back Packard Bell and buy same as my friend HP, but with a geForce4 Ti-4600 128MB RAM. Will the Card make my RAM to 128MB or will I still have 256MB?

Do Dixons tell Truth about geForce takeing away RAM? If yes, does this happen to Processor power?

Which geForce4 Ti4600 better? PNY or Creative Labs? Both cost same, and both work same.

Thank you and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Marcel Lech

[cerwinvega]

I can assure you sir that your graphics card, no matter what brand, has it's OWN memory, be it 64MB or 128MB. If you have 256MB of system memory installed, you should see 256MB installed. I would get ahold of this 'Dixons' and tell them you want the truth, or at least someone more qualified to answer your questions. The card also has it's own Graphics Proccessing Unit, or GPU, that will not 'take away' from your system's CPU.

Brian J. Doney
cerwinvega78@wi.rr.com

[jcmissionary]

What about an on-board GPU? HewlittPackard/Packard Bell is notorious for using those kind of things.

http://www.virtualkoreanair.com/images/banner.jpg
J.C. Howell
PPL in Training