My mostly spiffy new Acer 1810t laptop uses the Intel 4500 video chipset. It’s fine for video as long as you’re not a modern gamer. If you like playing older games, it works fine. However, unlike older integrated video processors, there’s no easy way to directly change the amount of shared memory allocated to video. The Intel 4500hmd uses new fangled Dynamic Video Memory Technology (dvmt) to control memory on the fly. Problem is, it doesn’t work well.
Intel 4500mhd memory allocation problem
There are plenty of gamers complaining, “the 4500mhd won’t allocate the maximum memory for my game!” But usually, more memory won’t help them. The Intel 4500mhd isn’t meant for modern gaming. Poke around on Google for threads re: what games can be played.
Some people have suggested changing the settings under: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for mobile -> 3D Settings -> Driver Memory Footprint – but everything I’ve read has been telling people to set it to “high” whereas the Intel site indicates that setting the driver memory footprint to high will unconditionally limit the amount of memory, maximum allowed texture size, depth buffer precision and amount of textures kept in memory. FAIL.
No wonder everybody trying “high” hasn’t noticed any improvement. To be fair, Intel really dropped the ball here. Yes = No ?! High = Low ?!
My problem is exactly the opposite of the 4500mhd RAM gaming conundrum partially solved above. I don’t use my rig for gaming, and I want to be able to use as much of my four gigs of RAM for things like Photoshop swap files and whatnot. So… I’m going to set Driver Memory Footprint to “High” – restart – and hopefully I’ll notice more than 3 of my 4 GB RAM available to me.
More from the Intel site:
Normal (Default Value) – Driver automatically determines memory based on available memory.
LOW – Driver does not reduce memory footprint.
Dan Dreifort usually complains about tech here. But sometimes, he finds solutions to problems and shares them with YOU. What a mensch.
Dan Dreifort 
What have you noticed, thus far, your graphics on “high” Driver Memory Footprint? About the Intel indication, it’s more logical to assume that Intel has switched the lines between low and high. Don’t you think? I have the same GMA driver settings but for 945GC Intel express chipset. I am finding dificult to calibrate adequately. Since I started tweaking GMA driver, I’ve noticed my screen changes its “default” to customized color settings when I login in Windows. You have any color measurement instrument calibration software ?
Appreciate your attention
I now rarely use the laptop with the Intel graphics chip, so I can’t really tell you what I noticed. I only dug into it in the first place b/c I was working abroad for a while and didn’t have a desktop rig.
I used to use monitor color calibration software that relied on a USB sensor of sorts, but that toy left with that photographer-housemate many years ago. If you want, I can ask him what it’s called.