What GPU Shared Memory Is and Why It Slows You Down
Disabling GPU shared memory in BIOS is the process of turning off or shrinking the chunk of system RAM that an integrated GPU reserves as video memory, so that this RAM becomes fully available again to your operating system, games, and applications instead of sitting idle. Integrated graphics (iGPU) do not have their own VRAM, so they borrow from your main RAM. Even if you use a dedicated graphics card, many systems still reserve gigabytes of RAM for the iGPU that never gets used. That lost memory can make Windows feel heavy, limit how many browser tabs you can keep open, and cause stutter in modern games that already push RAM limits. On 16GB systems, seeing only about 13GB usable is common, which means you are losing almost a quarter of your memory to an inactive feature.
Check How Much RAM Your iGPU Is Hoarding
Before you disable GPU shared memory, confirm that RAM is actually being reserved. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Performance tab, and click Memory. Look for the “Hardware reserved” value and compare “In use” plus “Available” to your installed RAM. If you installed 16GB but see only around 12–13GB usable, your iGPU is likely taking a large slice for its memory pool. This hurts gaming and multitasking, because less RAM is left for high‑load scenes and background apps. High RAM usage is a common cause of stutters and slow loading when games pull new assets. According to Technology.org, high RAM usage can lead to “stutters when loading new areas,” especially in demanding titles. Knowing your current hardware reservation gives you a clear baseline to judge the effect of any BIOS RAM optimization.
Enter BIOS and Find the iGPU Memory Settings
To disable GPU shared memory, restart your PC and press the key shown on the first boot screen (commonly Delete, F2, or F10) to enter BIOS or UEFI. Each motherboard brand lays out menus differently, but you are looking for settings related to integrated graphics, often under Advanced, Chipset, North Bridge, or System Agent. There you may see options like “Integrated Graphics,” “iGPU,” “Internal Graphics,” “UMA Frame Buffer Size,” or “DVMT Pre‑Allocated.” These control how much system memory is reserved for the iGPU. If your monitor is connected to your dedicated GPU and you never use the iGPU, your goal is either to turn integrated graphics off or to set its memory allocation to the smallest possible value, so you can free up system memory for applications and games.
Disable or Minimize GPU Shared Memory in BIOS
Once you find the right menu, change the setting that controls iGPU memory. If there is an option to disable the iGPU entirely, select it; this often removes the dedicated memory pool as long as your display cable is on the dedicated GPU. If you cannot disable the iGPU, lower the memory value (for example, from 2GB to the minimum offered). Save and exit BIOS, then let Windows boot. Open Task Manager again and check Memory: the “Hardware reserved” value should be much smaller, and your “Available” memory higher. Users commonly report that “after turning off GPU shared memory in BIOS, the PC finally felt like 16GB again” because the system can now use the full RAM capacity. This is a free way to increase PC performance on gaming rigs with limited RAM or older hardware.
Test Your Gains and Combine With Other Tweaks
With GPU shared memory reduced, test your real‑world gains. Launch a game that previously stuttered or dipped in FPS and watch system usage with an overlay or Task Manager on a second screen. You should see less pressure on RAM, fewer hitches when new areas load, and smoother multitasking with chat, browser, or music running alongside the game. To push BIOS RAM optimization further, pair this tweak with basic software clean‑up: close browsers, launchers, recording tools, and updaters before gaming so your freed RAM is not eaten by background apps. Technology.org notes that background apps can raise CPU, RAM, and disk usage, causing FPS drops and stutter even on capable systems. Keep your graphics drivers updated as well, since modern games and GPUs depend on fresh drivers for stability and frame rate improvements.