Post #2890668
2026-04-10 20:24 UTC
@atpfm@mastodon.social @siracusa@mastodon.social
I'm not sure if your comparison is sufficient.
"Unified Memory" is mostly marketing.
I feel there are 3 models (2 & 3 blur together):
1) dGPU: CPU and GPU have separate pools of separate physical memory. [all dGPU]
2) iGPU (not unified): CPU and GPU have driver-dependant partially separate (sometimes configurable) pools of memory on the same physical memory [x86 iGPU]
3) iGPU (unified): CPU and GPU have a shared pool of memory on the same physical memory. [Apple Silicon]
Replies (1)
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@dschaub@mstdn.social 2026-04-10 20:34
@atpfm@mastodon.social @siracusa@mastodon.social In theory, Apple's iGPU memory use could be more efficient than x86 iGPU memory use... but I have no idea how real that might be, or how dependent on any specific driver versions. All it really means is: Apple controlling the OS and the hardware lets them make a cleaner implementation of what x86 & Windows also do.