AMD’s new Variable Graphics Memory lets laptop users reassign their RAM to gaming

Many laptops and gaming handhelds stock a azygous excavation of representation betwixt the CPU and GPU — and sometimes, you mightiness privation that RAM boosting your graphics instead. Now, AMD won’t marque you dive into a BIOS to reroute that power. The company’s caller Variable Graphics Memory lets you crook up to 75 percent of your strategy representation into dedicated video RAM, conscionable by tapping a fastener successful AMD’s desktop Adrenalin app.

It’s lone presently disposable for AMD AI 300 “Strix Point” laptops, and however overmuch RAM you’ll beryllium capable to divert depends connected your system’s full — AMD explains that the “medium” mounting volition crook a 32GB laptop which came with 512MB of video representation into a 24GB 1 with 8GB of dedicated VRAM.

You mightiness beryllium wondering: does that other video representation really marque a difference? Well, it depends connected the game. Some games, similar Alan Wake II, require arsenic galore arsenic 6GB of VRAM and volition propulsion errors astatine motorboat if you’re abbreviated — Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go buyers person been tweaking their VRAM settings for immoderate clip to instrumentality games to the threshold of playability.

But successful aboriginal investigating with the Asus Zenbook S 16, a Strix Point laptop that’s already shipped with this feature, my workfellow Joanna Nelius saw that turning it connected isn’t a metallic slug for each game. With 8GB of VRAM, the laptop played Control notably faster (65fps vs. 54fps), but immoderate titles had smaller boosts, nary boost, oregon adjacent flimsy framerate decreases.

Your mileage volition alteration — but I’m anxious to find retired if it’s a large boost successful peculiar games!

There, AMD says you tin get important boosts combined with VGM, assuming you’ve got astatine slightest 50 fps to enactment with earlier you use the framework generating method — though AMD doesn’t accidental whether you’re getting immoderate much frames with AFMF 2 than you did with the archetypal mentation of the tech.

The institution does claim, though, that if your laptop tin already negociate 39 fps in, say, Horizon Zero Dawn, you tin present play it astatine a (theoretically) creaseless 66 fps connected a 2880 x 1800 laptop surface if you harvester AFMF2, VGM, and AMD’s FSR upscaling tech.

In different AMD laptop gaming news, the company’s conscionable announced the RX 7800M, a caller up-to-180W spot that comes with 12GB of dedicated video memory. Tom’s Hardware calls it “essentially a stripped-down RX 7800 XT,” comparing it to the desktop GPU, but it’s besides filling a immense spread successful AMD’s lineup betwixt the flagship RX 7900M and the RX 7600M XT, arsenic you tin spot below.