What exactly fills/clears NVRAM?

[millionaire2k]

I was wondering what things fill the NVRAM and what lowers it?

I know adding a game package fills NVRAM.  I also know that removing a game package frees up NVRAM.

I was wondering if other things fill NVRAM.

For example:
Adding more denominations?
Adding different payback % for a game at different denom?
Playing the machine?

Also short of removing game packages, is there anything else to do to free up NVRAM?

And finally, If I clear NVRAM via diag, will I just have to go thought setup and enable my games again?  Or would things have to be installed?

Thanks for all your help!!

[rickhunter]

gameplay history adds to nvram as well as any other accounting related log that needs to be reported to a gaming commission.  Having multiple denoms also adds to nvram as it has to store the configuration for the additional paytable.  Progressives also add to nvram.  Clearing NVRAM through the diagnostic key does not erase the games, but you will have to enable them all, and depending on how long your machine has been played, the NVRAM recovery will vary and most often is negligible, unless you also erase games from the drive while clearing the nvram   In either case gameplay does not seem to significantly add to NVRAM, but I suppose if you have constant play for a few years it would pile up.

[ChrisColumbus]

The graphics for each game is also stored there. If you load all your games in and enable them without playing you will be low. After you load each game you will notice that the % goes up. The graphic are compressed prior to playing. When you load a game they uncompress and take a chunk of NVRAM. If you just start playing a game and you see that blue "loading" bar come on your screen, the machine is uncompressing graphics. I see it a lot in a game like Western Stars. The first time you get a bonus game that blue loading bar comes up. NVRAM increases. It will do it for each bonus game you get. After you get the same bonus game again, it loads without having to "think" about it. That's because the graphics have been uncompressed and is ready for play.

I also believe if you do not play a game for a little while the graphics will recompress to save space. I have noticed that NVRAM will decrease here and there. QNX operating system was know to do that in blackberry devices, I am assuming that is what is going on when the NVRAM decreases here and there. Graphics are getting recompressed because they have not been used recently.

Please correct if wrong, but that's what I have noticed

[rickhunter]

It wouldn't make sense to put graphics data on NVRAM, why not just regular RAM?  NVRAM is really just storage for data that needs to be preserved in case of loss of power, like current game play, accounting stats, etc, but game assets are not necessary to be stored there, plus NVRAM is really SLOW for access so it wouldn't make sense to put anything that requires real-time high I/O stuff.

[ChrisColumbus]

That makes since. I found the patient for IGT NVRAM if anyone would like to look at it. If the information is not in use (you switch games)  the NVRAM manager compresses it and sends it back to the bottom of the heap. That would explain why the NVRAM fluctuates.


https://patents.google.com/patent/US20070266220A1/en

[sixcardmark]

Great info!  Thanks for the link Chris.