6400 and Ati X1400 256

I just purchased a Dell 6400 for a great price. The specs are the following:

Dual core 1.83 GHz
80 Gb HD 7200 rpm
2 Gb Ram 557 Mhz
ATI X1400 256Mb
15.4 WXGA

I want to know if I can expand de shared video memory of the ATI to 512 Mb, becuase I have seen on other computer manufacters doing that if they have enough RAM on the computer, or am I stuck with the 256 Mb? I think I have enough RAM to expand the shared video memory, what do you think? I want to play FEAR if not with top notch graphics, but with enough frame rates to feel its guts. How will it perform?

Cool forum, and very informative. Hope you can help me too.

Project Mandalorian

 

Your not going to be playing FEAR with max graphics on a x1400, ever. lf you have everything on low then it would be playable but not at max settings. And l'm not sure if the x1400 can use up to 512mb shared memory.

 

Cancel the order and buy it with 512mb RAM. 2 gigs of full speed 667mhz RAM will cost about $150 from Newegg. I bet you paid several hundred for that 533mhz junk from Dell (which doesn't match the FSB).

 

fear is playable on my e1505,@ 1024x 768 with everything low, 1.6 core duo, ati x1300, it came set at 256 meg, 64 dedicated, thats with stock settings and drivers, you could probably pull off medium at the resolution with the 1400 with medium overclocking and omega drivers

 

Just curious, how important is it that the RAM speed match the FSB? I've read that the difference between 533Mhz & 667Mhz is trivial & it seems that most people on these boards (even the "Pros") have gone w/ the cheaper PC2-4200 @ 533 Mhz.

But yes, I do agree that OP should cancel his order & reorder w/ the cheapest RAM option available.

 

your benchmarks might look alittle better, real world performance, you wont see much, though the price difference isnt much, I have two 512 sticks of 533, my next upgrade will be 2 1 gig sticks, I'll probably go with 667....though its really 666....

 

Thy cost about the same, and 2gb of 666mhz is probably half the price of 2gb of 533 from Dell, so why NOT go with the 666mhz? It may not be noticeable, but consider that it's not noticeable in day to day use when the CPU underclocks to 1ghz to save power. I just think it's foolish having RAM that isn't in sync with the rest of the system, because data has to wait for the next cycle. Dell only uses 533 to save a few bucks.