Providing 512MB of video RAM with VirtualBox
I'm attempting to use VirtualBox to play a game on a Windows guest machine, running under an OSX Mavericks host with 512MB of video RAM. The game requires 512MB of video RAM (although it doesn't do anything particularly intensive, graphics-wise).
The slider in the configuration screen only goes up to 256MB.
I tried
VBoxManage modifyvm "Name of VM" --vram 512
but that did not work:
VBoxManage: error: Invalid VRAM size: 512 MB (must be in range [1, 256] MB)
VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_INVALID_ARG (0x80070057), component SessionMachine, interface IMachine, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "COMSETTER(VRAMSize)(ValueUnion.u32)" at line 570 of file VBoxManageModifyVM.cpp
As I understand it, video RAM is emulated using regular host RAM, so I don't see any reason for such a limit. Is there a way to increase guest video RAM past 256MB?
virtualbox virtualization
asked Jul 10 '15 at 16:47
intuited
1,94141831
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 21 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
add a comment |Â
I'm attempting to use VirtualBox to play a game on a Windows guest machine, running under an OSX Mavericks host with 512MB of video RAM. The game requires 512MB of video RAM (although it doesn't do anything particularly intensive, graphics-wise).
The slider in the configuration screen only goes up to 256MB.
I tried
VBoxManage modifyvm "Name of VM" --vram 512
but that did not work:
VBoxManage: error: Invalid VRAM size: 512 MB (must be in range [1, 256] MB)
VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_INVALID_ARG (0x80070057), component SessionMachine, interface IMachine, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "COMSETTER(VRAMSize)(ValueUnion.u32)" at line 570 of file VBoxManageModifyVM.cpp
As I understand it, video RAM is emulated using regular host RAM, so I don't see any reason for such a limit. Is there a way to increase guest video RAM past 256MB?
virtualbox virtualization
asked Jul 10 '15 at 16:47
intuited
1,94141831
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 21 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
add a comment |Â
I'm attempting to use VirtualBox to play a game on a Windows guest machine, running under an OSX Mavericks host with 512MB of video RAM. The game requires 512MB of video RAM (although it doesn't do anything particularly intensive, graphics-wise).
The slider in the configuration screen only goes up to 256MB.
I tried
VBoxManage modifyvm "Name of VM" --vram 512
but that did not work:
VBoxManage: error: Invalid VRAM size: 512 MB (must be in range [1, 256] MB)
VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_INVALID_ARG (0x80070057), component SessionMachine, interface IMachine, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "COMSETTER(VRAMSize)(ValueUnion.u32)" at line 570 of file VBoxManageModifyVM.cpp
As I understand it, video RAM is emulated using regular host RAM, so I don't see any reason for such a limit. Is there a way to increase guest video RAM past 256MB?
virtualbox virtualization
asked Jul 10 '15 at 16:47
intuited
1,94141831
I'm attempting to use VirtualBox to play a game on a Windows guest machine, running under an OSX Mavericks host with 512MB of video RAM. The game requires 512MB of video RAM (although it doesn't do anything particularly intensive, graphics-wise).
The slider in the configuration screen only goes up to 256MB.
I tried
VBoxManage modifyvm "Name of VM" --vram 512
but that did not work:
VBoxManage: error: Invalid VRAM size: 512 MB (must be in range [1, 256] MB)
VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_INVALID_ARG (0x80070057), component SessionMachine, interface IMachine, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "COMSETTER(VRAMSize)(ValueUnion.u32)" at line 570 of file VBoxManageModifyVM.cpp
As I understand it, video RAM is emulated using regular host RAM, so I don't see any reason for such a limit. Is there a way to increase guest video RAM past 256MB?
virtualbox virtualization
virtualbox virtualization
asked Jul 10 '15 at 16:47
intuited
1,94141831
asked Jul 10 '15 at 16:47
intuited
1,94141831
edited Aug 4 '17 at 1:18
asked Jul 10 '15 at 16:47
intuited
1,94141831
asked Jul 10 '15 at 16:47
intuited
1,94141831
asked Jul 10 '15 at 16:47
intuited
1,94141831
1,94141831
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 21 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 21 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
This is apparently a hard limit built in to VirtualBox. Haven't tried this myself but someone on this thread reports having raised the video ram above 256MB by editing the VM configuration file and having been met with an error message and failure to start up the VM.
That same thread ventures into some speculation as to why this limit exists. It seems a reasonable question, given that modern CPUs are likely capable of handling GPU emulation for older programs that needed >256MB of video ram. Also, given that 3D support passes much of the work to the actual video card, it may well be possible to run newer programs requiring >256MB of VRAM under VirtualBox.
Some commenters on that thread thought that there was a significant amount of complexity involved in coding this change (enough to scare off those looking to hack the changes themselves) and that missing features in the emulated video card would prevent many such programs from running even given a larger amount of emulated VRAM.
answered Oct 23 at 20:02
intuited
1,94141831
add a comment |Â
This is due to available system resources and it can't go above the hardware capabilities.
I'm running Yosemite on my MacBook Pro. I created a new VB Virtual Machine and my max video memory available is 128MB.
answered Jul 10 '15 at 16:59
Bradly
1
Video RAM on the Mac is 512MB.
– intuited
Jul 10 '15 at 20:52
2
my linux-based machine has 3GB of VRAM. I can't use more than 256MB.
– Wyatt8740
Sep 13 '15 at 21:04
My machine has 4GB video ram, but I can also only used 256MB in virtualbox. :(
– axel22
Apr 1 '17 at 13:53
add a comment |Â
Easy.. Do the maths..
In HD: 1920x1080=2073600 or 2.1Mb.
VirtualBox uses your system RAM to makeup vRAM and vRAM straight.
A GPU does much more with its memory than just display images. Especially in Games, it has to process the images way deeper...
Eg: OSX Sierra uses 4Mb vRAM, it is therefore useless to give it 256Mb, right??
Do not mix GPU RAM and system vRAM...
I hope I have been clear enough..
Cheers..!!
answered Jul 27 '17 at 2:15
EmJay.Au
11
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
This is apparently a hard limit built in to VirtualBox. Haven't tried this myself but someone on this thread reports having raised the video ram above 256MB by editing the VM configuration file and having been met with an error message and failure to start up the VM.
That same thread ventures into some speculation as to why this limit exists. It seems a reasonable question, given that modern CPUs are likely capable of handling GPU emulation for older programs that needed >256MB of video ram. Also, given that 3D support passes much of the work to the actual video card, it may well be possible to run newer programs requiring >256MB of VRAM under VirtualBox.
Some commenters on that thread thought that there was a significant amount of complexity involved in coding this change (enough to scare off those looking to hack the changes themselves) and that missing features in the emulated video card would prevent many such programs from running even given a larger amount of emulated VRAM.
answered Oct 23 at 20:02
intuited
1,94141831
add a comment |Â
This is apparently a hard limit built in to VirtualBox. Haven't tried this myself but someone on this thread reports having raised the video ram above 256MB by editing the VM configuration file and having been met with an error message and failure to start up the VM.
That same thread ventures into some speculation as to why this limit exists. It seems a reasonable question, given that modern CPUs are likely capable of handling GPU emulation for older programs that needed >256MB of video ram. Also, given that 3D support passes much of the work to the actual video card, it may well be possible to run newer programs requiring >256MB of VRAM under VirtualBox.
Some commenters on that thread thought that there was a significant amount of complexity involved in coding this change (enough to scare off those looking to hack the changes themselves) and that missing features in the emulated video card would prevent many such programs from running even given a larger amount of emulated VRAM.
answered Oct 23 at 20:02
intuited
1,94141831
add a comment |Â
This is apparently a hard limit built in to VirtualBox. Haven't tried this myself but someone on this thread reports having raised the video ram above 256MB by editing the VM configuration file and having been met with an error message and failure to start up the VM.
That same thread ventures into some speculation as to why this limit exists. It seems a reasonable question, given that modern CPUs are likely capable of handling GPU emulation for older programs that needed >256MB of video ram. Also, given that 3D support passes much of the work to the actual video card, it may well be possible to run newer programs requiring >256MB of VRAM under VirtualBox.
Some commenters on that thread thought that there was a significant amount of complexity involved in coding this change (enough to scare off those looking to hack the changes themselves) and that missing features in the emulated video card would prevent many such programs from running even given a larger amount of emulated VRAM.
answered Oct 23 at 20:02
intuited
1,94141831
This is apparently a hard limit built in to VirtualBox. Haven't tried this myself but someone on this thread reports having raised the video ram above 256MB by editing the VM configuration file and having been met with an error message and failure to start up the VM.
That same thread ventures into some speculation as to why this limit exists. It seems a reasonable question, given that modern CPUs are likely capable of handling GPU emulation for older programs that needed >256MB of video ram. Also, given that 3D support passes much of the work to the actual video card, it may well be possible to run newer programs requiring >256MB of VRAM under VirtualBox.
Some commenters on that thread thought that there was a significant amount of complexity involved in coding this change (enough to scare off those looking to hack the changes themselves) and that missing features in the emulated video card would prevent many such programs from running even given a larger amount of emulated VRAM.
answered Oct 23 at 20:02
intuited
1,94141831
answered Oct 23 at 20:02
intuited
1,94141831
answered Oct 23 at 20:02
intuited
1,94141831
answered Oct 23 at 20:02
intuited
1,94141831
1,94141831
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
This is due to available system resources and it can't go above the hardware capabilities.
I'm running Yosemite on my MacBook Pro. I created a new VB Virtual Machine and my max video memory available is 128MB.
answered Jul 10 '15 at 16:59
Bradly
1
Video RAM on the Mac is 512MB.
– intuited
Jul 10 '15 at 20:52
2
my linux-based machine has 3GB of VRAM. I can't use more than 256MB.
– Wyatt8740
Sep 13 '15 at 21:04
My machine has 4GB video ram, but I can also only used 256MB in virtualbox. :(
– axel22
Apr 1 '17 at 13:53
add a comment |Â
This is due to available system resources and it can't go above the hardware capabilities.
I'm running Yosemite on my MacBook Pro. I created a new VB Virtual Machine and my max video memory available is 128MB.
answered Jul 10 '15 at 16:59
Bradly
1
Video RAM on the Mac is 512MB.
– intuited
Jul 10 '15 at 20:52
2
my linux-based machine has 3GB of VRAM. I can't use more than 256MB.
– Wyatt8740
Sep 13 '15 at 21:04
My machine has 4GB video ram, but I can also only used 256MB in virtualbox. :(
– axel22
Apr 1 '17 at 13:53
add a comment |Â
This is due to available system resources and it can't go above the hardware capabilities.
I'm running Yosemite on my MacBook Pro. I created a new VB Virtual Machine and my max video memory available is 128MB.
answered Jul 10 '15 at 16:59
Bradly
1
This is due to available system resources and it can't go above the hardware capabilities.
I'm running Yosemite on my MacBook Pro. I created a new VB Virtual Machine and my max video memory available is 128MB.
answered Jul 10 '15 at 16:59
Bradly
1
answered Jul 10 '15 at 16:59
Bradly
1
answered Jul 10 '15 at 16:59
Bradly
1
answered Jul 10 '15 at 16:59
Bradly
1
1
Video RAM on the Mac is 512MB.
– intuited
Jul 10 '15 at 20:52
2
my linux-based machine has 3GB of VRAM. I can't use more than 256MB.
– Wyatt8740
Sep 13 '15 at 21:04
My machine has 4GB video ram, but I can also only used 256MB in virtualbox. :(
– axel22
Apr 1 '17 at 13:53
add a comment |Â
Video RAM on the Mac is 512MB.
– intuited
Jul 10 '15 at 20:52
2
my linux-based machine has 3GB of VRAM. I can't use more than 256MB.
– Wyatt8740
Sep 13 '15 at 21:04
My machine has 4GB video ram, but I can also only used 256MB in virtualbox. :(
– axel22
Apr 1 '17 at 13:53
Video RAM on the Mac is 512MB.
– intuited
Jul 10 '15 at 20:52
Video RAM on the Mac is 512MB.
– intuited
Jul 10 '15 at 20:52
2
2
my linux-based machine has 3GB of VRAM. I can't use more than 256MB.
– Wyatt8740
Sep 13 '15 at 21:04
my linux-based machine has 3GB of VRAM. I can't use more than 256MB.
– Wyatt8740
Sep 13 '15 at 21:04
My machine has 4GB video ram, but I can also only used 256MB in virtualbox. :(
– axel22
Apr 1 '17 at 13:53
My machine has 4GB video ram, but I can also only used 256MB in virtualbox. :(
– axel22
Apr 1 '17 at 13:53
add a comment |Â
Easy.. Do the maths..
In HD: 1920x1080=2073600 or 2.1Mb.
VirtualBox uses your system RAM to makeup vRAM and vRAM straight.
A GPU does much more with its memory than just display images. Especially in Games, it has to process the images way deeper...
Eg: OSX Sierra uses 4Mb vRAM, it is therefore useless to give it 256Mb, right??
Do not mix GPU RAM and system vRAM...
I hope I have been clear enough..
Cheers..!!
answered Jul 27 '17 at 2:15
EmJay.Au
11
add a comment |Â
Easy.. Do the maths..
In HD: 1920x1080=2073600 or 2.1Mb.
VirtualBox uses your system RAM to makeup vRAM and vRAM straight.
A GPU does much more with its memory than just display images. Especially in Games, it has to process the images way deeper...
Eg: OSX Sierra uses 4Mb vRAM, it is therefore useless to give it 256Mb, right??
Do not mix GPU RAM and system vRAM...
I hope I have been clear enough..
Cheers..!!
answered Jul 27 '17 at 2:15
EmJay.Au
11
add a comment |Â
Easy.. Do the maths..
In HD: 1920x1080=2073600 or 2.1Mb.
VirtualBox uses your system RAM to makeup vRAM and vRAM straight.
A GPU does much more with its memory than just display images. Especially in Games, it has to process the images way deeper...
Eg: OSX Sierra uses 4Mb vRAM, it is therefore useless to give it 256Mb, right??
Do not mix GPU RAM and system vRAM...
I hope I have been clear enough..
Cheers..!!
answered Jul 27 '17 at 2:15
EmJay.Au
11
Easy.. Do the maths..
In HD: 1920x1080=2073600 or 2.1Mb.
VirtualBox uses your system RAM to makeup vRAM and vRAM straight.
A GPU does much more with its memory than just display images. Especially in Games, it has to process the images way deeper...
Eg: OSX Sierra uses 4Mb vRAM, it is therefore useless to give it 256Mb, right??
Do not mix GPU RAM and system vRAM...
I hope I have been clear enough..
Cheers..!!
answered Jul 27 '17 at 2:15
EmJay.Au
11
answered Jul 27 '17 at 2:15
EmJay.Au
11
answered Jul 27 '17 at 2:15
EmJay.Au
11
answered Jul 27 '17 at 2:15
EmJay.Au
11
11
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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