Thanks. So 8gb is designated for the graphics but if it's not being used for graphics it can be used for other processes - is that right? It just seems odd to only say 7.2gb available.
Windows 11 has some enhancements in how it handles shared graphics memory compared to Windows 10. Shared GPU memory is used when your GPU runs out of its dedicated video memory, and it typically amounts to 50% of the available RAM. The Intel Iris Plus G7 integrated graphics
does not have dedicated graphics memory, though. Instead,
it only uses shared memory from the system's RAM. By default, the Intel graphics driver reports 128 MB of fictitious dedicated video memory for compatibility with applications that don't fully understand a unified memory architecture. The
actual amount of memory used by the GPU can vary depending on the system's RAM and the workload.
In Windows 11, the system continues to reserve half of your RAM for the video card, similar to Windows 10. However, compared to Windows 10, Windows 11 has some improvements in how the system manages this memory to provide better performance and stability. For example, Windows 11 has better memory management techniques that can help reduce the performance bottlenecks caused by shared GPU memory. The Intel Iris Plus G7 is compatible with Windows 11, and you can expect it to benefit from these enhancements in memory management. However, it's important to note that tweaking shared GPU memory settings should be avoided, as it can cause system instability.
The improved management of shared graphics memory in Windows 11 is related to the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) version of the graphics driver. Starting with Windows 11 version 22H2, WDDM 3.1 introduced enhancements that allow better access to a graphics allocation backing store from the kernel-mode driver (KMD). This backing store is a committed memory buffer that holds the contents of a graphics allocation when it's not resident in video memory.
These improvements in WDDM 3.1 contribute to more efficient memory management and better performance when handling shared graphics memory. This means that integrated GPUs, like the Intel Iris Plus G7, can benefit from these enhancements, leading to a smoother and more stable experience.
So, yes. The graphics memory allocation is dynamic and enhanced in such a specific way that, by design, Windows 11 and the [WDDM driver of the] iGPU will work in tandem to quasi-continuously strike some kind of near-optimal balance. I.e., between the iGPU and other processes in terms of memory management and the performance that results as the system constantly tries to adapt to changes that can continuously occur in the magnitude and in various other characteristics of the workload.
