4 GB on 32-bit machine: how much is lost?

[VJ]

Ok, just added 2 GB, and now my bios (and Windows) report that I have...
3070 MB

Shouldn't this read 3072 MB?
(it read 1024 MB when there was only 1 GB present)

Are there tools to calculate how much addressing space is used by devices and the like?


Jörg

[rylan]

It depend son your graphics board and any add in boards also... If your video card has 512MB, then you take that out of the 3-4GB area, and then any other address space used by other boards or chips in your system.

You should be able to see all of the address space used in device manager if you change the view to "Resources by connection"

[VJ]

It depend son your graphics board and any add in boards also... If your video card has 512MB, then you take that out of the 3-4GB area, and then any other address space used by other boards or chips in your system.

I know, but is there no easy way of finding out how much that is?

Other suggestions I had for the loss of the 2 MB is: video frame buffer (card is a Matrox Parhelia 4x with 128 MB) and bios bootblock.

(just to clarify: it is not about the 2 MB loss, I'm just curious)

Jörg

[Jammrock]

Mark Russinovich to the rescue!!! Granted this is a fairly large and detailed blog, but it will give you all the details you need:

http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/

Second or third blog down, the site is running slow at the moment.

[VJ]

Ok, this I don't get...

I put in 2x 512 MB (first two slots), bios reports 1024 MB (ok)
I add 2x 1024 MB (second two slots), bios reports 3070 MB (2MB short)

I remove all memory, then
I put in 2x 1024 MB (first two slots), bios reports 2047 MB (1 MB short)
I add 2x 512 MB (second two slots), bios reports 3071 MB (1 MB short)

I'll run memtest next week, but is there any way this can be explained...?


Jörg

[Jammrock]

Bad rounding.

[Evildead666]

Yup, bad rounding, thats all.
You're not really losing it...

Also, the graphics card does NOT just take a load of memory.
A 1Gb card will NOT take 1Gb of system memory.

If you enable TurboCache (Nv) or ATi's equivalent, then your low end card (16Mb-512Mb) will be able to 'borrow' system memory, up to a complete total of 1Gb for the card.
A 1Gb card has no need, and will not address more than 1Gb...

DX11 calls for up to 2Gb vRAM, DX10 up to 1Gb.

[VJ]

Bad rounding? Hehe, funny... didn't know this was possible...


Jörg

[Marshmallowman]

Just upgraded to 16G (2Gx8)

I got some registered pc3200 ddr1 cheaply on ebay, so I now I have 4 gigs spare 4x512 and 2x1G.

If you want to buy any of my old stuff cheap let me know, or if you want to know were to get cheap 2G's from.

[VJ]

I'm currently sticking with the 3 GB...
It is running Vista (32 bit, 64 is not an option), so the only way it could benefit from more memory is if I were to put a server OS on it. I tried it, but ran into issues with some softwares that refuses to run on servers (main reason to revert back to Vista).

In time, I might put a server OS on it again, but given the uses I would have for that machine, I think 3 GB could suffice.

But thanks, nice of you to think of me!!


Jörg

[Gurm]

I'm currently sticking with the 3 GB...
It is running Vista (32 bit, 64 is not an option), so the only way it could benefit from more memory is if I were to put a server OS on it. I tried it, but ran into issues with some softwares that refuses to run on servers (main reason to revert back to Vista).

In time, I might put a server OS on it again, but given the uses I would have for that machine, I think 3 GB could suffice.

But thanks, nice of you to think of me!!


Jörg

Why is 64-bit "not an option"? Is there a specific program giving you trouble? 64-bit is a dream, a wonderful wonderful dream that never ever crashes and runs smoothly and fast.

[VJ]

CPUs are 32 bit.
(oddly enough, it lists them as not supporting hyperthreading, even though this is the case)

This is the exact model. Note the 32-bit datawidth spec...

Jörg

[Nicram]

Remember ppl to add /3GB swith in boot.ini file (the files is hidden n boot partition). This helps sometimes when u got 4GB RAM

[The PIT]

Why is 64-bit "not an option"? Is there a specific program giving you trouble? 64-bit is a dream, a wonderful wonderful dream that never ever crashes and runs smoothly and fast.

Until you put an ATI card into it. Or Nvidea as they bsod as well.

[Nowhere]

What about Matrox?