ok.. I have a Mini with 32mb vid ram.. Can someone show me a real life example of where it limits me? I see all the folks with tinfoil hats runnin scared when they see anything less than 64mb vid ram.

Which game, app, demo, something...shows that I need more RAM?

Patiently waiting on examples.. if you dont have an example other then something you read here or there or are pulling something out of you-know-where..dont bother posting. Looking for facts with examples!

[ Edited by TheMagicM 13.01.2012 - 15:02 ]

You will see a huge difference if you run :
- run Ambient on an "enhanced Display" screen
- use a 21st century resolution (1680x1050 or higher)
- have some windows open

I use (on a 64MB Mini) 1920x1080 (FullHD) in 16bit and atm those windows are open:
-Ambient backdrop (doh)
-1 Ambient lister
-1 Ambient panel
-OWB
-ANR
-Wookiechat
-YAM

22.5MB in use

Useing a 16bit !! screenmode !!

Opening Cubic IDE with some windows (I tend to get my desktop cluttered while coding) will easily push it over 32MB. I even hit the hard wall at 64MB on a regular basis (and you will surely notice the difference once swapping to main memory sets in.

One can "solve" these issues by not useing enhanced or atleast have most apps open on a non-enhanced screen, so it's not a life&death issue but IMO the 50Euro or so that a 1.5GHz/64MB Mini costs more than the 1.42 model are really well spent considering that you might use it for years to come (and it's allways nice to have the top-off-the-line model).

[ Edited by Kronos 13.01.2012 - 22:17 ]

yea right now I'm using 1280x1024, OWB, diskmaster, and an emulator.. I guess thats why I never have issues..lol

> Can someone show me a real life example of where it limits me?
> [...] Patiently waiting on examples..

You already know my example:

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=8190&forum=3&start=10

Hello TheMagicM,
my first morphOS computer was a mac mini with 32 MB. If you want to use a big tft-display, your graphic-memory is very fast full.

Wolfenstein or Quake3 need more memory. And other programs (effects in showgirl or blender) need a lot of ram.
I think 64mb ist ok, but more would be better.

Mac Mini connected to 24" Dell in fullhd resolution. Run blender and expand window to the full screen.

[ Edited by pampers 13.01.2012 - 22:44 ]

TheMagicM,
Quote:

Simply by using multiple screens normally with today's resolutions. I use browser(s) on their own screens as well as other apps like gfx programs from Showgirls to image processors, MPlayer on fullscreen, text processors etc. I have 64M vram on my main mini and it ends pretty soon after two or three screens. Screen switching becomes slower annoyingly. I use enhanced display only on Ambient and had to compromize others to non enhanced. With 32M I just couldn't use the system daily with my way on fullhd display.

And simply watching movies with fullhd display suffered on 32M machine with only little decorated Ambient and mplayer... some movies got trashed until I switched to lower resolution..

My Peg1 is fine with 128M vmem, but it just lacks cpu power :)

TheMagicM,
Quote:
Enhanced display mode (1280x1024), a couple of open Ambient windows and OWB - red alert!

[ Edited by Megander 14.01.2012 - 11:07 ]

Wasn't the some talk about changing the graphics memory handling so it's able to cope with low chip graphics ram in 3.0, or did I just make that up?

IIRC, there was said something about slightly faster graphics drivers.

Er.. Andreas!?!

yea..you guys use your systems in ways I dont. I just opened Blender, simplemail, muibase, diskmaster II, and a whole bunch of apps..I did hit the red..still useable. I dont watch movies on my mini or any computer, just on TV. If I did, I'd use my laptop since it has HDMI out.

Speaking of Blender...that is one very very good looking interface.

> Er.. Andreas!?!

You probably refer to AGP transfers in MorphOS 3.0+ which accelerate the throughput between RAM and VRAM so that screen switches will be faster in cases where the screen that got swapped to RAM due to low VRAM has to be copied back from RAM to VRAM.

I am looking to build another MorphOS machine as I gave my last one to a developer.

I am considering Mac Mini G4 but struggling to find a 64mb vram version, so should I just wait, or put up with 32mb vram or get another machine, maybe a G4 laptop. I am in no real rush.

Advice as always greatly received.

Reason for getting another is to honestly compare AmigaOS on X1000 to MorphOS, only to show positives, and so I know. Not comparing against Aros because I may be a bit biased

Also want to try Odyssey.

Steve

Depends on you of course, but I would suggest you get a G4 PowerBook, if portability and being able to use in places without plug in power are appealing to you.

If not, and depending on prices for G4 PowerMac's compared to G4 MacMini's in your area, you might want to check out getting a G4 PowerMac that you can install a video card with 128mb VRAM.

Where I live, they can be found at less than half what a MacMini costs, so they are good options, if you don't have to pay too much for shipping. If you can find one that is local for you to pick up in person, that would be even better.

Also, there was a mention that the price structure for the license key would be changing when MorphOS3.0 was released and that all license keys, except for the ones for G4 PowerBooks, would be sold at a lower price than the license for the G4 PowerBook. I have not heard or read anything more about this potential discount for everything except the PowerBook since that one message and don't know how much the difference will be.

Good luck with your decision and your search for a new (new to you anyway) MorphOS computer.

Fantastic advice, looks like I will go for a 15" Powerbook G4, especially as they can have 128mb vram. When I have one I will come back, thanks.

Looking forward to running this again.

Hi Stephen

Just in case if you will be looking for PowerBook or MacMini 1.5Ghz with 64MB VRAM I have couple of them ;)

Regards

Wiktor

> Can someone show me a real life example of where it limits me?
> [...] Patiently waiting on examples..

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=8295&forum=10&start=2