Upgrading Video Memory

[TtlRecall]

I am trying to upgrade video memory because I have installed a dual monitor card (appian J2/N) and my monitors are very slow rendering images.

If I put two 256MB dimms in the memory slots of my HP system (with video attributes: 810L controller on motherboard, 11 MB shared memory, integrated graphics, NOT UPGRADEABLE) will the speed of my graphics improve?

Thanks.

[HAL9000]

If you had a marginal amount of RAM in previously, you might get a speed up in overall performance (provided the system was lacking to begin with) which could cause a faster redraw. If the system wasn't marginal on RAM, adding more isn't going to help.
If you have added a dual monitor card, the 11Mb shared memory isn't going to affect the new card at all and you can reduce the shared memory (if there is an option) to a minimal amount, and/or disable the card if possible.

[TtlRecall]

So increasing RAM won't necessarily increase redraw speed?

So how do you increase video speed?

Buy a video card with lots of memory in the first place?

[glc]

If you put a video card into an i810, disable the onboard video and release the shared memory back to the system. You increase video speed by buying a fast video card in the first place and using a fast CPU.

[TtlRecall]

How do you release shared memory?

Maybe this will help my new card.

Right now I've got one monitor plugged into the old video outlet, plus one plugged into the new card (the only setup I can get to work--since one of the new card's outlets is always black).

Thanks, y'all!

[HAL9000]

You should be able to disable the onboard video in the BIOS.

[glc]

If you are using one monitor in the onboard connector, then you can't disable it.

To enable the second connector on the card, you have to install the Hydravision software and set it up in there.

I just read the documentation - that's an old card and by today's standards, it's a very weak card - it has a Cirrus Logic chipset and either 4mb or 8mb memory - that's it. That's probably why it's slow. If you want a dual display that's going to render stuff well, pull that thing out and put an advanced PCI video card such as an ATI Radeon in there and use the built-in multiple monitor support in Windows in conjunction with your onboard video - and render on the card's monitor, not the onboard video's monitor.

Better yet, build a new computer that has an AGP slot and put a dual head AGP card in.

[TtlRecall]

Increasing system memory from 190 to 380MB really helped out with the redraw rate. There is no perceivable lag in the monitors now and I am perfectly satisfied with the Appian J2 card.

However, now I want FOUR monitors (yes, I am greedy!). Could you recommend the Matrox G200?

Thanks.

[glc]

The G200 is an excellent card for that use.