From: hades@coos.dartmouth.edu (Brian V. Hughes)
Subject: Re: Quadras VRAM Question
Reply-To: hades@Dartmouth.Edu
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 39
Disclaimer: Personally, I really don't care who you think I speak for.
Moderator: Rec.Arts.Comics.Info

Daniel Salber <salber@imag.fr> writes:

>I have a question regarding Quadras VRAM. I have tried to find info on this
>but I could not get precise answers.

>On one hand, we have a Quadra 950 with a 16" monitor, which is capable of
>32-bit color. How much VRAM does it have?

    To display Millions of colors on a 16" monitor you need 2MB of VRAM
in the Q950.

>On the other hand, we have a Quadra 800 with a 16" monitor, which is capable
>of 8-bit color only, so it must have 512 Ko of VRAM.

    Correct. This is the amount of on-board VRAM that the Q800 comes
with.

>I would like to take VRAM SIMMs for the 950 and put them in the 800 so that
>both machines have 16-bit color capability.
>Is it possible, and if yes, how many VRAM SIMMs should I take from the 950?

    Yes this is possible. Technically, you only need to take out 2 of
the VRAM SIMMs but leaving in the other two will not get you anything
because the 950 cannot really do anything with 1.5MB of VRAM. It only
knows 1MB and 2MB.

>From the documentation I have, the Quadra 800 must get 1 Mo VRAM to have
>16-bit color, is that correct?

    Yes, this is correct. You get to 1MB by putting 2 256k VRAM SIMMs
into the VRAM SIMM slots on the Q800's motherboard.

>Bonus question: where do VRAM SIMMs hide? From the 950 documentation, they
>seem to be *behind* the power supply. Do I really have to take off the power
>supply to access the VRAM SIMMs?

    Yup. You have to take off the power supply. It's only a couple of
screws so you should be ok. Just make sure that everything is
disconnected from it and watch out for static discharges.