RAM memory influence on the game graphics?

[B737 Captain]

I was wondering if RAM memory has actually some influence on the game graphics.
Previously I had only 512MB of DDR RAM and my system on an idle used ~200MB including background processes. When I turned on some games the memory was almost fully used (95%). I thought if I buy another 512MB of RAM I will take full advantage of the game graphics. So I did buy more memory, but when I turn on the game my memory usage is still around 500MB (200MB for the system and 300MB for the game). The rest is unused.
My question is: are there some settings in the WIN XP that I have to turn on to use the rest of the memory in the game? Does it depend on the game (I play MS Fligh Simulator 2004) or maybe it depends on something else?


My memory is recognized by the system and other diagnostics applications correctly.

 

[Marvelous]

Of course it would depend on entirely on the game...

That game is old probably using up less RAM than current crop of games...

Almost all game today use @ least a gig of ram to be fluid while some of them use more...

 

[alan.p]

With more RAM, the system will not page out memory to your hard drive as much. Paging out sucks hard, since the hard drive is infinitely slower than DDR400.

Paging out hammers your frame rate, so I'd say yes, more RAM == better graphics, if you include FPS in that. If and only if games use more RAM than what your system currently has, though.

 

[PWMK2]

Games are only going to use as much memory as they need. This is why with a game like Half-Life 2 or CS:S, the memory usage in those games is still going to total about 250MB of RAM no matter how much you have. They simply don't need more. Other games, like F.E.A.R. or BF2, will use more depending on their settings, but still only max out at like 750MB of physical memory. That said, memory usage would only go up in those games anyway if you increased things in the graphics options like textures.

 

[BBA]

Games are only going to use as much memory as they need. This is why with a game like Half-Life 2 or CS:S, the memory usage in those games is still going to total about 250MB of RAM no matter how much you have. They simply don't need more. Other games, like F.E.A.R. or BF2, will use more depending on their settings, but still only max out at like 750MB of physical memory. That said, memory usage would only go up in those games anyway if you increased things in the graphics options like textures.

Thats a little underestimating memory use.

I can garentee you BF2 uses over 1GB of memory by itself and Fear uses just over 1GB.

 

[lodingi]

Thats a little underestimating memory use.

I can garentee you BF2 uses over 1GB of memory by itself and Fear uses just over 1GB.

i play fear at medium settings and i never go higher than 330 mb of ram. i will try it at max settings and see if it increases.

 

[Marvelous]

i play fear at medium settings and i never go higher than 330 mb of ram. i will try it at max settings and see if it increases.

It's probably using your swap file too...

I play FEAR high quality and it studders with 1 gig of ram when you first load the map and for like 10 minutes... With 1.5 gig don't have that problem..

 

[lodingi]

It's probably using your swap file too...

I play FEAR high quality and it studders with 1 gig of ram when you first load the map and for like 10 minutes... With 1.5 gig don't have that problem..

good point. i notice that too. i assumed it was punkbuster causing the stutter.

 

[Proxy]

Thats a little underestimating memory use.

I can garentee you BF2 uses over 1GB of memory by itself and Fear uses just over 1GB.

Indeed, back when I had 2GB of Ram, in the task manager while playing BF2 it would read around 1.3GB or so, then I got 4GB and now BF2 uses 1.10 or so. Same with FEAR the more you have the more it will use, and the better your games will play. There is no doubt im my mind when DX10 comes around we will see yet a nother demand for more System RAM. Not to mention, that most online gamers use a lot of back round programs (i.e. XFire, Teamspeak/Ventrilo, HLSW and so on).

Something else to keep in mind, lets say you have 1GB of system ram, and are trying to BF2 at all high settings, it will suck badly. Now lets say your video card has 512 or for the GX2 owners a 1Gig for itself then that will pick up a lot of the slack for the 1gig of system ram.


-Proxy

 

[PWMK2]

Thats a little underestimating memory use.

I can garentee you BF2 uses over 1GB of memory by itself and Fear uses just over 1GB.

Notice I said physical memory. It will, naturally, use more virtual memory. Also, at lowest settings, F.E.A.R. doesn't use nearly that much in physical or virtual memory. The game can be played with a 64MB Radeon 9000 and 512MB of RAM, after all.