Memory usage or leak with Intel HD Graphics 3000

idata · ‎12-07-2011

I am a game platform architect working on Windows and Linux. We have developed a number of games that use OpenGL. I just got a new laptop. It is a Lenovo W520 with a Quadro 1000m and an Intel HD Graphics 3000 family chipset. The current game we are developing leaks or grows (hard to say after getting 1.5 GBs in size and the display no longer updating) in memory far beyond what is expected on this new laptop. On a similar machine the game maximum memory usage is 175 MB. I then tried to reduce the problem by running a very simple OpenGL program. The very simple program can be retrieved from http://www.nullterminator.net/glsample.zip http://www.nullterminator.net/glsample.zip and will eventually grow to 400 MB in the course of an hour or so. The program is a rotating triangle. The program when run on other computers (that do not have an Intel HD Graphics chip) only takes a couple of MBs. I realize this must have something to do with DVMT. Unfortunately the it totally messes with my abillity to profile the game for memory leaks. I am running Windows 7 64bit. The version of the driver is 8.17.12.8562. I am compiling with Visual Studio 2008 SP1. Is there any way to disable the intel chip or limit the amount of memory it uses?

DArce · ‎12-08-2011

Hello,

These computers that feature switchable graphics use a special driver to be able to switch between the Intel(R) video controller and a third party one. That driver is completely customized and only reported by the system manufacturer.

In this particular case, you should contact your Original Equipment Manufacturer in order to either find a way to disable a specific video controller (possibly through the system BIOS) or to troubleshoot this customized drivers that they provide for this system.

idata · ‎12-08-2011

> I am running Windows 7 64bit. The version of the driver is 8.17.12.8562.

This sounds like an Nvidia driver to me. The latest Intel HD3000 ones are 8.15.10.2559. Google "Driver 8.17.12.8562" and you'll find lots of references to some Forceware stuff which is, I believe, Nvidia related.