Article Number: PA-280
Overview
This article provides information about configuring UMA frame buffer size on desktop systems with integrated graphics.
Many modern desktop systems equipped with processors with integrated graphics are designed for lower power consumption and are usually more compact in size than systems built with discrete graphics cards.
Unlike discrete graphics which have dedicated video memory on the card, systems with integrated graphics are based on Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) technology, which means a portion of the system memory is shared with the integrated graphics controller.
The amount of shared system memory, also known as UMA frame buffer size, is usually set to Auto in the BIOS by default and does not need adjusting. However, in some situations increasing the UMA frame buffer size may help improve graphics performance in some games.
Configuring UMA Frame Buffer Size
To manually configure the UMA frame buffer size, follow the general steps below:
- Boot up or restart the PC and enter the system BIOS.
- In the BIOS, locate the UMA Frame Buffer Size setting usually found in the Advanced menu section
- Use the mouse or assigned keys to increase/decrease the size in predefined increments.
- Once the desired UMA frame buffer size value has been set, save the change before exiting the BIOS.
- The PC will reboot with the new setting applied.
NOTE! For instructions on how to access and navigate the BIOS, please refer to the system user manual.
Recommendations
The UMA Frame Buffer Size when set to Auto (default setting) allows the system to manage the amount of shared memory for graphics. In this configuration, the size of the UMA frame buffer should scale depending on the amount of available system memory, enabling the system to perform in an optimal state. Therefore, it is recommended to leave the setting on Auto, which is ideal for most types of video processing workloads.
That being stated, some games may not yet be optimized for integrated graphics. In such cases, missing and/or low-resolution textures could be observed in game, or a warning message about the GPU not meeting requirements may appear during launch. These issues could be potentially resolved by manually setting the UMA frame buffer size. As an example, for systems equipped with 8GB of RAM or more, set the UMA buffer size to 1GB or 2GB.
NOTE! Setting the UMA buffer size to 2GB on a system with only 4GB in RAM is not advised as it could negatively impact the overall system performance.
The above recommendations apply to desktop systems equipped with integrated graphics only. Users with desktop systems customized with both integrated and discrete graphics should consider disabling the integrated GPU via system BIOS settings. This may produce a better gaming experience by ensuring graphics workloads are tasked only to the discrete GPU and freeing UMA frame buffer memory.