Available Texture Memory

eolewis · Post by **eolewis** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:01 am

What exactly does the Texture Memory for? I ask because I generally thought this was in reference to how much memory from the graphics card was left, however, my video card only has 128mb of memory yet shows 449mb of Texture Memory Available. Before I had a P4 1.6ghz cpu and a 256mb AGP vid card and the texture memory avail was in line with the vid card memory. I now have an amd 64 3200 cpu with a 128mb pci-e vid card and since the switch, the texture memory avail, with full graphics on one account in EQ, shows 449mb texture mem avail.

The main reasons I ask is because I dont understand what the difference is between the 2 as well as some days I can run 3 accounts no problem but others, I get an error message if I try to run 2 accounts.

"Another Direct3D Device could not be createdbecause there is not enough video memory."

This error is usually cleared up when I reboot my computer though but Im still kinda confused by why it occurs. It's mostly just a curiosity thing but thought I'd ask some experts on it so I dont drive myself crazy wondering whats going on

eolewis · Post by **eolewis** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:01 am

WinEQ 2 System Information
System:
-----------------------------------
Windows Version: Microsoft Windows XP/Service Pack 2/2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254
System Physical RAM: 1381/2687MB
Page File: 3452/4575MB
Virtual Memory: 1143/2047MB (Extended: 0MB)
CPU 1: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+ @ 2010MHz
CPU Affinity Mask: 1
Video 1: \\.\DISPLAY1/NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT
Video 2: \\.\DISPLAYV1/NetMeeting driver
Video 3: \\.\DISPLAYV2/RDPDD Chained DD
Monitor 1: \\.\DISPLAY1 (0,0,1280,1024) (1280x1024) PRIMARY
Sound: Realtek AC97 Audio
DirectX: 4.09.00.0904
Internet Explorer: 7.0.5730.11
WinEQ: 2.15

Loaded Modules:
-----------------------------------
Module 0: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\eqgame.exe
Module 1: C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntdll.dll
Module 2: C:\WINDOWS\system32\kernel32.dll
Module 3: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\mss32.dll
Module 4: C:\WINDOWS\system32\USER32.dll
Module 5: C:\WINDOWS\system32\GDI32.dll
Module 6: C:\WINDOWS\system32\WINMM.dll
Module 7: C:\WINDOWS\system32\ADVAPI32.dll
Module 8: C:\WINDOWS\system32\RPCRT4.dll
Module 9: C:\WINDOWS\system32\WSOCK32.dll
Module 10: C:\WINDOWS\system32\WS2_32.dll
Module 11: C:\WINDOWS\system32\msvcrt.dll
Module 12: C:\WINDOWS\system32\WS2HELP.dll
Module 13: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DINPUT8.dll
Module 14: C:\WINDOWS\system32\d3dx9_30.dll
Module 15: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\DSETUP.dll
Module 16: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VERSION.dll
Module 17: C:\WINDOWS\system32\ole32.dll
Module 18: C:\WINDOWS\system32\WININET.dll
Module 19: C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHLWAPI.dll
Module 20: C:\WINDOWS\system32\Normaliz.dll
Module 21: C:\WINDOWS\system32\iertutil.dll
Module 22: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\xul.dll
Module 23: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\js3250.dll
Module 24: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\nspr4.dll
Module 25: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\MSVCR71.dll
Module 26: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\plc4.dll
Module 27: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\plds4.dll
Module 28: C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll
Module 29: C:\WINDOWS\system32\WINSPOOL.DRV
Module 30: C:\WINDOWS\system32\comdlg32.dll
Module 31: C:\WINDOWS\system32\COMCTL32.dll
Module 32: C:\WINDOWS\system32\IMM32.dll
Module 33: C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.2600.2982_x-ww_ac3f9c03\comctl32.dll
Module 34: D:\Sony\WinEQ2\EQPlayNice.dll
Module 35: D:\Sony\WinEQ2\Lavish.dll
Module 36: C:\WINDOWS\system32\iphlpapi.dll
Module 37: C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSCTF.dll
Module 38: D:\Sony\WinEQ2\WinEQ2.dll
Module 39: C:\WINDOWS\system32\PSAPI.DLL
Module 40: C:\WINDOWS\system32\mswsock.dll
Module 41: C:\WINDOWS\system32\hnetcfg.dll
Module 42: C:\WINDOWS\System32\wshtcpip.dll
Module 43: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DNSAPI.dll
Module 44: C:\WINDOWS\System32\winrnr.dll
Module 45: C:\WINDOWS\system32\WLDAP32.dll
Module 46: C:\WINDOWS\system32\rasadhlp.dll
Module 47: D:\Sony\WinEQ2\WinEQ2-EQ.dll
Module 48: C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSIMG32.dll
Module 49: D:\Sony\WinEQ2\WinEQ2-D3D9.dll
Module 50: D:\Sony\WinEQ2\WinEQ2-D3D8.dll
Module 51: D:\Sony\WinEQ2\WinEQ2-DI8.dll
Module 52: C:\WINDOWS\system32\msctfime.ime
Module 53: C:\WINDOWS\system32\NTMARTA.DLL
Module 54: C:\WINDOWS\system32\SAMLIB.dll
Module 55: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\EQGraphicsDX9.DLL
Module 56: C:\WINDOWS\system32\d3d9.dll
Module 57: C:\WINDOWS\system32\d3d8thk.dll
Module 58: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\dpvs.dll
Module 59: C:\WINDOWS\system32\mslbui.dll
Module 60: C:\PROGRA~1\Yahoo!\MESSEN~1\idle.dll
Module 61: C:\WINDOWS\system32\OLEAUT32.DLL
Module 62: C:\WINDOWS\system32\usp10.dll
Module 63: C:\WINDOWS\system32\HID.DLL
Module 64: C:\WINDOWS\system32\SETUPAPI.DLL
Module 65: C:\WINDOWS\system32\WINTRUST.dll
Module 66: C:\WINDOWS\system32\CRYPT32.dll
Module 67: C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSASN1.dll
Module 68: C:\WINDOWS\system32\IMAGEHLP.dll
Module 69: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\mssmp3.asi
Module 70: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\mssvoice.asi
Module 71: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\mssa3d.m3d
Module 72: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\mssds3d.m3d
Module 73: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\mssdx7.m3d
Module 74: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\msseax.m3d
Module 75: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\mssrsx.m3d
Module 76: C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSACM32.dll
Module 77: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\msssoft.m3d
Module 78: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy\mssdsp.flt
Module 79: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wdmaud.drv
Module 80: C:\WINDOWS\system32\msacm32.drv
Module 81: C:\WINDOWS\system32\midimap.dll
Module 82: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DSOUND.DLL
Module 83: C:\WINDOWS\system32\KsUser.dll

Direct3D9:
-----------------------------------
Driver: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT/nv4_disp.dll/6/14/10/9424
Adapter Display Mode: 1280x1024 D3DFMT_X8R8G8B8
Game Display Mode: 1280x996 D3DFMT_X8R8G8B8 (Windowed)
Current Adapter: 0
Available Texture Memory: 449MB
Direct3D8:
-----------------------------------
Adapter Display Mode: 0x0 D3DFMT_UNKNOWN
Game Display Mode: 0x0 D3DFMT_UNKNOWN
Current Adapter: 0
Available Texture Memory: (not currently available)
DirectInput8:
-----------------------------------

EverQuest:
-----------------------------------
Profile 2: Siwel
EQ Path: D:\Sony\Everquest Trilogy
EQClient.ini: .\siwel.ini
Patch: OFF Server Type: Normal Locale: us
Video Adapter: Application Controlled
Luclin models: 29 (+145 min RAM)
Texture Compression: ON (+0 min RAM)
MipMapping: ON (+4 min RAM)
Sound: ON (+22 min RAM)
Dynamic Lighting: ON (+4 min RAM)
Texture Caching: ON (+0 min RAM)
Texture Quality: MEDIUM (+30 min RAM)
Calculated minimum RAM: 488MB (BASE+205MB)
Level of Detail: 1
MaxFPS: 20
Additional setting: VertexShaders=1
Additional setting: 20PixelShaders=1
Additional setting: 1xPixelShaders=1

EQPlayNice:
-----------------------------------
EQ Version: eqgame.exe Jul 10 2007 19:38:34
Foreground
Mode: FPS Limiter
Max FPS: 20
Rendering: 1/1
Background
Mode: CPU Limiter
Max FPS: 20
Rendering: 1/30

fearless · Post by **fearless** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:43 am

Texture memory according to the sysinfo.txt is video memory (the amount of ram on your video card) + aperture memory (the amount of system ram the BIOS lets the video card use once the video card is out of its own ram).

The difficulty is that in order to start additional 3d windows, base video memory must be available. The system can not use aperture to start additional sessions. If you are already through your initial 128 then you are at you limit for 3d windows.

The best way that I can explain this is if you imagine your video card memory as a cardboard box and every 3d session as a balloon. Over time, each balloon can expand to fill the box, if you start two balloons at the same time, they expand around each other to fill the space. If the box is full and you go to start a third balloon, you don't have room (hence "Another Direct3D Device could not be created because there is not enough video memory.").

Aperture memory can only be used for certain things, IE textures. Initial 3d sessions can not be put into aperture memory, which again leads you to "not enough video memory".

Hope this answers your questions.

Post by **Lax** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:04 pm

Good answer fearless, thank you

The only thing left to mention is that you can work around the issue of not being able to launch additional sessions by launching all 3 at once, rather than waiting. That way, you minimize the number of textures that are in the video RAM, because the game doesn't load them all until you actually log into the game. So, launch 3, and they will run fine. If you launch 2 and play, then later try to launch a 3rd, you may not be able to because the video RAM will be full.

eolewis · Post by **eolewis** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:47 pm

Ahh, thanks... havent really looked at the Bios for my MB but that does explain it alot to me, thanks.

eolewis · Post by **eolewis** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:10 pm

Just as a funny... I downgraded to the 84.21 driver set and I went from 430mb texture avail to 230 texture avail... just found it funny since thats the only change

Unchayned · Post by **Unchayned** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:03 am

A lot of cards support "compressed" textures, and a modern GPU has all kinds of code to compress/scale/mangle textures on the fly...you probably just found a driver version that doesn't happen to jive exactly with whatever texture set it had been using, and the game decided to load a different one. I've seen that type of thing a lot when fiddling with different drivers.