ATI Card Only Showing Half Memory

[Scratch]

I have an Asus ATI 3870 card and I just noticed via ATI Traytool that it is showing only 512mb when I have 1 gig. What could be causing this?

[harleyman]

I have an Asus ATI 3870 card and I just noticed via ATI Traytool that it is showing only 512mb when I have 1 gig. What could be causing this?



It will not throttle up until placed under load...

Open FSx in windowed mode along with you CCC and check it under load...

[Scratch]

Still the same:

Hardware Information ASIC (Software) Method
Family 71
Emulated Revision 41
Gfx Engine ID 6
VRam Bit Width 256
Installed memory 512

It's running fine, I get good frames, but I notice when playing a few other sims that I always get a warning that my 512megs is not enough to run with maxed out settings.

[NoNewMessages]

Isn't the X2 series of ATi cards considered a Crossfire? And doesn't that need to be turned on to work? I use nVidia cards, so I'm just going by what I *think* I've seen while out and about.

[Scratch]

I thought about that too so I enabled Crossfire and it still shows 512 megs.

[harleyman]

Maybe its Tooltray thats reporting incorrectly ???

open the ATI CCC and on the left at the bottom open and unlock *OverDrive*

Read the GPU & memory Clocks there..

Then run FSX windowed and see if they increase in Overdrive in CCC


All the Googeling only shows that card as a 256 bit 512 mem card...

What makes you think its a 1 Gig card...I think that that card was out before 1 Gig cards were readily avaible

[Scratch]

I'll try that too. It's a 3870 x 2. I figured that it used a whole gig all at once.

[harleyman]

I'll try that too. It's a 3870 x 2. I figured that it used a whole gig all at once.


its shared memory, a trick actually calling it a 1 gig card...but its what it is..


My 4870X2 is the same..And FSX HATES it...my little 3850 will out perform the 4870X2 in FSX....LOL

I was not aware we were talking a X2 card...but thats the deal....

[Scratch]

Thanks for the info. I'd hate to think all this time I've been playing with only half a card all this time. All is well again:wiggle:

[funkydmunky]

its shared memory, a trick actually calling it a 1 gig card...but its what it is..


My 4870X2 is the same..And FSX HATES it...my little 3850 will out perform the 4870X2 in FSX....LOL

I was not aware we were talking a X2 card...but thats the deal....

True. Dual GPU cards each have their own memory per GPU, but are advertised with the total ram. It isn't shared. But what I'm really chiming in for is, what do you mean your 3850 out performs your 4870X2! What could possibly be the logic for that?

PS- first post here. Great site!