Solved Difficulties Accessing BIOS to Alter Dedicated VRam

[Mercutio]

Hello all,

I've read a lot of similar threads, all of which either failed to work for me, took me to the incorrect screen(s), or were way over my head in computer terminology. I am trying to find a way to alter my BIOS and increase the Dedicated VRam for my Graphics Card so that I can meet the Recommended requirements to run The Elder Scrolls Online MMO. Here's where my problem starts:

I am unable to find the correct key or key combination to access my BIOS files. I am able to access the Boot Menu via pressing the DELETE key, and the CMOS menu by repeatedly pressing the Space Bar. The former menu is blatantly incorrect, and the latter menu does not give me the ability to change what it is I'm looking for (or anything to do with the memory, for that matter, save voltage and frequency). What's more, there is NO "Press this key for Setup" or any variation of that during my boot-up. And, yes, I've checked it frame-by-frame using a fast-paced select/deselect sequence of the Pause-Break button. It simply isn't there.

Is this a fool's quest? Is CMOS the best I can manage with my current computer? My current desktop specs are listed in my profile section - I added them immediately to ease this process. My computer is barely a 2 year old, and it set me back over $1100 when I had it made; I would hate to have to start over so soon!

If anyone can help me with this, please, do so. I'm no programmer, by far, but I am capable of following detailed instructions, so feel free to walk me through it. Thank you all for reading this, and thank you in advance for your time and help with this matter.


Sincerely,
Mercutio

 

[GokAy]

I don't think Nvidia GTS 450 is an on-board GPU, and I can't see anything in motherboard support site either. You won't find any way to change dedicated memory in BIOS.

Check your motherboard manual's BIOS section for which key to press to enter BIOS.

You can just get a newer GPU like GTX960 which will be a good upgrade. But I will let others to comment.

Edit: By the way, these are the minimum requirement for Elder Scrolls Online

Minimum System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows XP 32-bit
• Processor: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor
• Memory: 2GB System RAM
• Hard Disk Space: 60GB free HDD space
• Video Card: DirectX 9.0 compliant video card with 512MB of RAM (NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800 / ATI Radeon™ 2600 or better)
• Sound: DirectX compatible sound card

Your GPU should be able to run it. Try reducing the graphical options.

 

[Boozad]

You can't add dedicated RAM to your GPU. That 450 is low end and isn't really geared up for gaming, the best option would be to upgrade the GPU.

 

[Mercutio]

GoKay, Boozad,

Thank you both for your time. I was concerned an upgrade would be my only option. I wasn't aware that my graphics card was so low-end. :/ And, yes, I meet the minimum required, but I was hoping to meet the recommended settings, as well.

Would you help me with one further (related) issue? I know next to nothing about compatibility between parts (I had someone else build my PC for that very reason). Is the GTX960 my best option, or is there a line/type of graphics cards I should look at before deciding what to upgrade to? Also, after looking at my specs, would you have any other recommended upgrades to keep my PC relevant to the upcoming storm of releases? With games like XCOM 2 and Fallout 4 coming out in the next year or so, I would not wish to be left out in the cold, so to speak.

Again, thank you both for your quick and helpful responses. I'm glad I stumbled upon this community!


Sincerely,
Mercutio

 

[Total]

GoKay, Boozad,

Thank you both for your time. I was concerned an upgrade would be my only option. I wasn't aware that my graphics card was so low-end. :/ And, yes, I meet the minimum required, but I was hoping to meet the recommended settings, as well.

Would you help me with one further (related) issue? I know next to nothing about compatibility between parts (I had someone else build my PC for that very reason). Is the GTX960 my best option, or is there a line/type of graphics cards I should look at before deciding what to upgrade to? Also, after looking at my specs, would you have any other recommended upgrades to keep my PC relevant to the upcoming storm of releases? With games like XCOM 2 and Fallout 4 coming out in the next year or so, I would not wish to be left out in the cold, so to speak.

Again, thank you both for your quick and helpful responses. I'm glad I stumbled upon this community!


Sincerely,
Mercutio

HI : What size of power supply do you have ? I was looking at your specs and I know for sure that you do not have ddr5 memory , must be ddr3 . Make sure before buying and card that your power supply is able to give sufficient power to your card..

 

[GokAy]

GTX 960 is the budget card for the last series of NVidia cards. All depends on your budget really.
Next year is a long time in PC tech time.

 

[Mercutio]

Total,

I have an Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-400 400W power supply, and 8 GB of DDR3 Ram with 16 GB of Total Virtual Memory borrowed from my 250GB hard drive. My comp was designed to run 4X strategy games like Total War, so it was more about the CPU than the GPU at the time. Trying to branch out into more visually pleasing games, now..


GokAy,

A year in PC terms is a long time, you're right. My budget tops out at $300 right now, but I'd like to keep it in the $100-$200 range if possible. I'm willing to wiggle a bit, but I've never been comfortable shelling out $800-$1k for a single component, even if it is some super-snazzy thing. When they start selling trans-dimensional warp pads, I'll consider opening my bank account further.

 

[GokAy]

Someone else will have to comment on the PSU. It seems a bit low to me, 550-650 would be better?

See nvidia gtx 960 - Newegg.com for GTX960 prices, they are within your budget $220-$240.

 

[Mercutio]

Thank you, GokAy!

I did a little more research, and it does seem that my power supply is low for what I'm looking to do, too. Blah.. I'll have to save up a bit, but I'm thinking a stronger PSU and a GTX 970 would be nice. It's $100 more expensive, but from the comparisons, it's almost double the performance. Not shelling out for a 980 (or a Titan, haha), but I think the $350 isn't a total killer. We'll see.

Thank you, again! I appreciate your time, everybody. I'm going to mark this as solved, and I'll contact the motherboard's support staff to figure out my BIOS issue.

Take care!


Sincerely,
Mercutio

 

[GokAy]

I use a GTX970 (450+ USD here due to added customs tax ) though I couldn't test much with games. Been in the forums since then .

 

[Indianatone]

Power supply is fine for the current card. If you get a GTX 960 (I Have an: GTX 960 SuperSC ACX 2.0+ 4GB ) it would probably be OK as the newer card uses the Maxwell core which uses less power than the older generation. The only think wrong with the G450(I have a 4 year old Gigabyte one) is it won't play the latest games but it is a very powerful card for general use and light casual gaming.