To test the changes and see if the factors involved would actually improve performance
and not increase heat or add unreliability into the mix, may be something to consider...
A few ideas on stress testing, measuring throttle and temperatures on Macs, CPU and GPU
without attempting to measure the actual performance, is one angle to look into. See first link;
the second link appears to be a more polished concept with better options.
• Automated Stress Tests on Mac QNXOR/MacOh:
https://github.com/qnxor/macoh
• GpuTest - Cross-platform GPU Stress Test and Open GL Benchmark: for Windows, Linux, & OS X:
http://www.geeks3d.com/gputest/
Older tests include XBench Macintosh benchmark testing - freeware
http://xbench.com/
You may be able to find the specs for the Intel HD3000 graphic unit to verify the total RAM usage
it can support; it was pointed out to me the number could be as high as 1.7GB RAM (from system
shared with graphics) though the mathematical limit may have been rounded-down. In the older
implementation of GMA shared memory graphics, the computer's total allotment of RAM may not
have supported such a generous portion given over to the graphics processor, when applications
and the OS X CPU may have suffered in the process. (Intel sources may validate max GMA RAM.)
Anyway, I was curious about this since some limits in older hardware can be overcome by use of
an SSD to supplement a general lack of RAM, so a higher proportion of standard RAM could be
used for the GPU without a loss to the overall performance of the CPU and application processes.
The topic is likely a distance from this thread 'general basic user questions' where few would
attempt to go into the command-line or singleuser to modify the specs and tweak performance.
That said, you could use some tools to test and verify; as it probably would work OK if the unit does
not overheat; if other performance/durability factors don't compromise the computer unit in question.
Older hardware may already be under some stress limits with a later OS X version.
Glad that you posted an interesting aside, a technical modification that may help, if it holds up OK;
though it was in an old 'solved' topic thread that often don't get revisited all that much going forward.
Thank you. 🙂