Increasing VMware video driver memory

RTmarc

The video driver memory is set to 16MB by default. Is there a way to increase this or a third party driver I can load to get better performance?

dynamik

You need to edit the vmx file.

Add this: svga.vramSize = <sizeInBytes>

What are you having problems with?

RTmarc

Well, my CEO has decided he wants to use one of his virtual machines for playing games. Yeah, I know but when the CEO says he wants to do something, you help. So, I needed the information on how to increase it from the 16MB to whatever.

Thanks for the info!

dynamik

Check this out as well then: http://www.vmware.com/support/ws5/doc/ws_vidsound_d3d_enabling_vm.html

That's for Workstation 5. I'm not sure if it'll work with what you're using or not.

Keep us posted!

astorrs

Just let him know it's going to be painful.

RTmarc

Well, I'm using Workstation 6.0.4 and he is using the latest version of VMware Player. I'm thinking I can make the changes to his configuration file and get it working. I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

astorrs

The version should matter, the VMX file is just an ASCII text file.

tiersten

Unless the game is really old (in which case, run it in DOSBox instead) your CEO isn't going to be that happy with the performance inside VMware.

RTmarc

Well, it turns out he's screwed either way. I was successfully able to increase the memory allocation for video, but GameTap won't allow the VMware video card. The other part of it is, GameTap refuses to support 64bit OS (Vista, in this case). He's not thrilled about it but he is fine going out and buying games to install on the machine.

Thanks for the information on the VMX file. I edited it and it worked perfectly, but the end result was the same.

astorrs

Why is it your CEO wants to play games in the office anyway? He should have a PO done up and have you go buy him a second "gaming" PC if he's that keen.

RTmarc

Well, he's odd like that. His excuse was it was a place for him to get away from all of the chaos in his life. He'll come up to the office on Saturdays and play.

His machine is more than capable of handling any game on the market. It's a Dell Precision T7400, 3.XGHz Quad Core, 8.0GB of 800MHz RAM, 3 15k RPM SAS (2 mirrored - 1 spinning hot spare), Creative X-FI, nVidia FX3700. It'll do the job I think.

Odd, that the CEO has the third most powerful machine in the company.

Mine > *

astorrs

Dear god, tell me you guys work in design or something... Those specs are ridiculous for most business desktops.

RTmarc

We don't. The upper management in this company holds the belief that overkilling hardware is the way to go. It negates the "my computer won't work" complaint when someone is being questioned for not doing their job. I was given the directive to order the best and I made sure to do just that.

My machine is even more ridiculous. I also have a T7400 but with twin 3.2GHz Quads, 12.0GB (800MHz), 3-300GB 15k SAS drives (2 mirrored + 1 shs) but I use a quad-head video card and internal sound. My machine is ridiculous but I run my entire testing and research domains off this machine via VMware Workstation. I've had six virtual machines running at once and this machine just acts like nothing is happening.

dynamik

What motherboard and video card(s) are you using for that?

Sie

RTmarc wrote:

My machine is even more ridiculous. I also have a T7400 but with twin 3.2GHz Quads, 12.0GB (800MHz), 3-300GB 15k SAS drives (2 mirrored + 1 shs) but I use a quad-head video card and internal sound. My machine is ridiculous but I run my entire testing and research domains off this machine via VMware Workstation. I've had six virtual machines running at once and this machine just acts like nothing is happening.

Do all the lights in the other offices nearby all dim and flicker on and off while you guys are at work?

astorrs

Sie wrote:

Do all the lights in the other offices nearby all dim and flicker on and off while you guys are at work?

That reminds me of this one site I worked at (a really large industrial plant) and when they started up a particular piece of equipment all the lights in the main building used to drop about 25% for a little under a minute. Now that was some serious energy drain.

dynamik

astorrs wrote:

Sie wrote:

Do all the lights in the other offices nearby all dim and flicker on and off while you guys are at work?

That reminds me of this one site I worked at (a really large industrial plant) and when they started up a particular piece of equipment all the lights in the main building used to drop about 25% for a little under a minute. Now that was some serious energy drain.

And that reminds me of my apartment when I start the vacuum.

On a somewhat related on, if I ever just disappear, I probably burned alive because of the crappy wiring in my apartment. Just FYI.

RTmarc

dynamik wrote:

What motherboard and video card(s) are you using for that?

Not sure of the brand of motherboard. Whatever they come from Dell with is what's in there.

The video card is a nVidia Quadro NVS440.

RTmarc

Sie wrote:

RTmarc wrote:

My machine is even more ridiculous. I also have a T7400 but with twin 3.2GHz Quads, 12.0GB (800MHz), 3-300GB 15k SAS drives (2 mirrored + 1 shs) but I use a quad-head video card and internal sound. My machine is ridiculous but I run my entire testing and research domains off this machine via VMware Workstation. I've had six virtual machines running at once and this machine just acts like nothing is happening.

Do all the lights in the other offices nearby all dim and flicker on and off while you guys are at work?

What's really impressive about this machine is that it is nearly silent. Dell has done a really good job at keeping the machines cool but not at the expense of sound.

brendan22

RTmarc wrote: »

My machine is even more ridiculous. I also have a T7400 but with twin 3.2GHz Quads, 12.0GB (800MHz), 3-300GB 15k SAS drives (2 mirrored + 1 shs) but I use a quad-head video card and internal sound. My machine is ridiculous but I run my entire testing and research domains off this machine via VMware Workstation. I've had six virtual machines running at once and this machine just acts like nothing is happening.

I don't mean to seem patronising, but why do people always turn things into a **** contest when discussing IT hardware? Unless you're trying to resolve an issue or get some tech guidance, who cares whats sitting under your desk?

Our bank of Z series mainframes are reasonably well spec'd, like your desktop. Each has approximately 1.5TB or memory, depending on which boards are out for service. Our online storage averages 600-800 TB depending on which arrays are online and our underground nearline storage is measured in Petabytes. The main monitor on our ops centre wall is a Barco Hydra so tall you couldn't touch the top standing on a 12 foot ladder. Yet our CEO runs a standard desktop PC, just like everyone else in the company and has never complained.

Most of our staff would rather play soccer or go for a walk in the park than play computer games during downtime.

dynamik

Who turned it into a **** contest? I thought it was interesting...

tiersten

brendan22 wrote: »

I don't mean to seem patronising, but why do people always turn things into a **** contest when discussing IT hardware? Unless you're trying to resolve an issue or get some tech guidance, who cares whats sitting under your desk?

You registered on the forum just to post a rant in an ancient thread?

snadam

tiersten wrote: »

You registered on the forum just to post a rant in an ancient thread?

Welcome to the boards!

JDMurray

I'm baffled by brendan22's posting as well.