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4GB of RAM

Discussion in 'Techno-Magic' started by TrueBlueAussie, Jul 27, 2008.

  1. TrueBlueAussie Gems: 17/31
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    Remove all ads!
    Just upgraded to 4GB of ram from 2 cause I could :p

    Slight issue though. Vista is only picking up 3 of the 4 (and it is 2x2GB)
    Ive heard that XP can only utilise 3GB but have been told that Vista can utilise 4GB. Or was that only the 64 bit version?

    Any help on the matter would be much appreciated.

    PS: Running the 32 bit version of Vista Ultimate.

    Cheers :)
     
    TrueBlueAussie, Jul 27, 2008
    #1
  2. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    [​IMG] The “4GB” maximum memory limit of 32-bit Windows is purely theoretical. In practice, the max memory is something significantly less, equal to 4GB minus your video card memory and the address space allocated to a couple other hardware resourcse. Typically, the realistic maximum memory is somewhere betwee 2.5GB and 3.5GB.

    Unfortunately, a lot of people are discovering this AFTER they pay for 4GB of RAM. For the record, this limitation has always been there, including in Windows XP and earlier versions of Windows. However, nowadays, more computer hardware is designed to support 4GB or more of RAM, and memory is getting cheap enough that more people can afford the full 4GB.

    From here: http://www.vistaclues.com/reader-question-32-bit-vista-memory-limits/

    Ooops... :smash:
     
    Taluntain, Jul 27, 2008
    #2

  3. TrueBlueAussie Gems: 17/31
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    That odd though Tal, cause when I had the 2GB, it was showing that I had a maximum of 2GB everywhere I looked (sidebar, welcome centre, system configuration).

    Ah well, win some lose some.
     
    TrueBlueAussie, Jul 27, 2008
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  4. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    Doesn't Vista upgrade to 64bit with the Service Pack? Heard it upped the memory max at the least. From what I know, it seems 64 bit systems use some workaround with memory allocation. If you switch it off in BIOS, you get 3.5 GB.
     
    chevalier, Jul 27, 2008
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  5. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    TrueBlueAussie, how is it odd? With 2GB you're still well below the actual ~4GB limit when you add all the other RAM. It won't add it all up and show the figure with the RAM from the other devices added; this is just something you have to keep in mind.
     
    Taluntain, Jul 27, 2008
    #5

  6. Erod Gems: 14/31
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    A 32-bit register (32-bit OSs) has up to 2^32 addresses, or basically 4 GB of RAM, that it can reference to. As Taluntain said, this includes the video card memory and other hardware and software resources. 64-bit means that you have 2^64 addresses. Although most 64-bit microprocessors have artificial limits on how much memory they can address.

    So in short, to take full advantage of the 4 GB RAM you need a 64-bit OS as well as the necessary hardware. You can get 64-bit versions of most if not all modern OSs. For example, if you buy Windows Vista Ultimate, you get installation DVDs for both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
     
    Erod, Jul 27, 2008
    #6
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