Integrated graphics memory allocation

[karasuhebi]

As of right now, I don't have a discrete video card, I use Haswell's IGP to play games on PCSX2. Most of them play just fine even on 2x (3x for FFX ), with me having minor issues with DMC and not being able to play games like Ratchet & Clank at full speed (yes, I know that's expected). My question is, will increasing memory allocation for the IGP from the BIOS default 64M to 1024M help at all? Also I'm assuming that will take away from the RAM Windows will have available for itself?

P.S. AMD HD 7950 is on the way, I'll be able to game with best of them soon.

[Pikasora]

>AMD HD 7950

nope, i have the same GPU and i cant even hold 60fps on KH2 at the Axel-Data-Battle

[karasuhebi]

It's my understanding that PCSX2 is pretty CPU-intensive. What CPU do you have? I'm running a i5-4670K. Also what res are you playing at? Because I've been able to play most of KH1 just fine on 2x and even 3x if memory serves. Of course my framerate plummets when I jump into the waterfall at Destiny Islands lol

[Blyss Sarania]

64M is way to low for the IGP, but I wonder if Windows is even "obeying" the BIOS? 64M on your GPU is barely enough to run Windows itself.

Anyway, the 7950 will help with your scaling ability, but that will still be CPU bound too mostly. Increasing the resolution increases the GPU workload, but it increases the CPU workload too.

You are right, above all else pcsx2 is CPU bound.

[karasuhebi]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. I think I remember seeing somewhere in Windows that the IGP had the full 1024M available to it. So you're probably right.

Ninja Edit:
Yeah just confirmed it. CPU-Z is reporting 1024M for graphics memory size.

[Blyss Sarania]

In case you decide to go balls to the wall with the 7950, I thought I'd mention this:

3-4x + MSAA will look better than going to 5 or 6x. Above 3x really starts to stress the CPU GS emulation thread, and also consider that in most cases 3x = 640x480 x 3 = 1920x1440. So unless your monitor is > 1080p, going above 3x only has a very mild super sampling effect and a massive performance hit. Using 3x + MSAA will look better than 6x too as I said.

Just a bit of advice, you might know this already though.

[karasuhebi]

Why are you doing the math with 640x480? I thought PS2 games were mostly 512x416?

Thank you very much for the advice but yes, I pretty much already knew that. Read it somewhere else on the forums. It was probably you who said it too lol.

[Blyss Sarania]

Because 640x480 is easy math. PS2 games use a lot of different resolutions. Most common(that I've seen) is 640x448. 512x384 is common as well. 640x480 on some. Some PAL may be 720x480. Some ports can be 3yy*2yy even, like 320x240.

[Akio]

64M is way to low for the IGP, but I wonder if Windows is even "obeying" the BIOS? 64M on your GPU is barely enough to run Windows itself.

I believe that 64 MB is the static allocation. More memory will be allocated automatically. All games will work fine except for the games that don't understand this and refuse to run (they misunderstand that 64 MB is the total amount of memory).

[Blyss Sarania]

Makes sense. Thanks.