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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Consumer Hardware & Components > Memory question, 3.88 instead of 4?

Memory question, 3.88 instead of 4?
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xyz123
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Aug 18, 2012, 03:11 AM
 
I have a MacBookPro, model 6,2. This computer is supposed to have 4 GB memory.
Activity Monitor says 3.88 GB and has done so since the computer was new.
Can someone explain what has happened to the missing 0,12 GB?
     
cgc
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Aug 18, 2012, 05:19 AM
 
Originally Posted by xyz123 View Post
I have a MacBookPro, model 6,2. This computer is supposed to have 4 GB memory.
Activity Monitor says 3.88 GB and has done so since the computer was new.
Can someone explain what has happened to the missing 0,12 GB?
Go to "About this Mac" in the top-left corner (aka "the Apple Menu") and you'll see you have 4GB installed. What specifically are you referring to in Activity monitor? It shows things in a way that might require a little information but rest assured this topic has been covered ad nauseum in these forums (search for it)
     
P
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Aug 18, 2012, 06:45 AM
 
Originally Posted by xyz123 View Post
I have a MacBookPro, model 6,2. This computer is supposed to have 4 GB memory.
Activity Monitor says 3.88 GB and has done so since the computer was new.
Can someone explain what has happened to the missing 0,12 GB?
That's memory in use by the integrated graphics.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
xyz123  (op)
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Aug 18, 2012, 01:41 PM
 
P: Thank you for your answer. "use by the integrated graphics" Seems to be very possible. If that is the case I will be satisfied. But … I have not seen any memory loss in other cases. Do you have any Apple document that supports this usage?
     
Waragainstsleep
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Aug 18, 2012, 04:23 PM
 
You could use the energy saver prefs and switch your graphics to 'higher performance', then check activity monitor again. This should force the OS to use the discrete GPU instead of the integrated one. You might need to reboot to free that memory up though.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
chabig
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Aug 18, 2012, 05:15 PM
 
Show us a picture of where you're seeing the 3.88GB. That will help a lot.
     
xyz123  (op)
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Aug 18, 2012, 11:00 PM
 
Look att the coloured piechart in the activity monitor window.

5082/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
     
chabig
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Aug 19, 2012, 10:56 PM
 
That's interesting. I wasn't aware it would do that. Anyway, this article says it's graphics memory:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20013398-263.html

And that's what was concluded in this thread:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=833321

So it's not something to worry about. As you showed, the computer recognized both sticks of RAM and About This Mac shows 4GB.
     
angelmb
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Aug 20, 2012, 07:04 AM
 
MacBook Pro 5,1 (late 2008) here. Running it with the discrete GeForce 9600 GT GPU, Activity Monitor's piechart shows 7,75 GB whereas 'About This Mac' reads 8,00 GB of RAM.
     
P
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Aug 20, 2012, 07:58 AM
 
I think that that RAM is always reserved, even when the discrete graphics is in use. Apple has not revealed how their graphics switching technology works, but nVidia's Optimus, which does basically the same thing on Windows, works by having the discrete GPU transfer the rendered frame to the frame buffer of the integrated graphics for the integrated graphics to send to the display. Assuming Apple's solution works similarly, the video RAM reserved for the integrated graphics would always be in use - although it could theoretically be reduced to just enough to fit the frame buffer.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
Waragainstsleep
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Aug 20, 2012, 03:59 PM
 
My MacBook Pro (5,1) is running on its 9400M and my Activity monitor is showing the full 8GB.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
angelmb
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Aug 22, 2012, 12:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep View Post
My MacBook Pro (5,1) is running on its 9400M and my Activity monitor is showing the full 8GB.
Which version of OS X are you running.? Snow Leopard here.
     
   
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