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Windows XP: What is XP's maximum addressable memory?
What is XP's maximum addressable memory?
by MuleHeadJoe - 7/13/05 1:48 PMLooking at new computers with Win XP Pro, they all seem to top out at 2 Gigs of RAM ... even those with 4 DIMM slots. Since 1GB ram sticks are relatively affordable nowadays, I'd like to maximize the capabilities of my next system as much as possible.
Is the amount of addressable memory a limitation of the hardware or the OS ?
tia, MHJ.
hardware
by slim___shady - 7/13/05 2:03 PM In reply to: What is XP's maximum addressable memory? by MuleHeadJoeit depends on how many address lines the CPU has. A 32-bit CPU can have 2^32 = 4294967296 addresses. I think.
Hardware limits, not O/S
by Dick White - 7/13/05 2:08 PM In reply to: What is XP's maximum addressable memory? by MuleHeadJoeThough I haven't searched the Microsoft documentation for theoretic limits, I haven't ever heard anyone say the operating system imposes any practical limits. Usually the practical limit is hardware - number of memory slots times memory stick capacity. The number of slots is easy enough to count just by looking, but the addressable capacity per slot may have some inherent limitations in the bit length of the memory addressing scheme, which you won't find readily in the end-user documentation. That means you have to assume it is implicit in the manufacturer's guidance of maximum memory. I've seen a number of 3-slot boards state a 3G max, but perhaps the ones you are looking at have a real 2G max (and were built with 4 slots based on the memory market being mostly 512M modules), or perhaps it is just old marketing information from back when the earth was still flat and 1G modules hadn't been invented. You might check the mobo manufacturer's website to see if they have changed the technical specs despite what you see on the retail sales page.
dw
Memory Limits
by islandporgy - 7/15/05 1:19 PM In reply to: Hardware limits, not O/S by Dick WhiteThis topic could not have come up at a better time.
I have on my system Atholon XP 3200 with Gigabyte GA 7NNXP motherboard, And 2 gigs off double sided memory & 1 gig off single sided memory at PC 3200, And a XFX 256 Ultra Video card. When I only had 2gigs off double sided memory not running at Dual channel my computer was runnig find. When I added 1 gig of single sided memory now running Dual Channel, My computer now shuts off with out any warning. I called up Gigabyte to ask them if there was any settings inside Bios that needs to be set and they blamed it on the memory. The specs on the motherboard say max is 3 gigs. I tried all diffrent kinds off combonation with the slots but still same results. I do believe there might be limatations on hardware.
memory...
by Dick White - 7/15/05 1:40 PM In reply to: Memory Limits by islandporgyif your computer justs shuts off without warning, it could be any of several hardware failures - power supply, video card, etc. But let's say it is absolutely memory related because, let's just say for the purposes of argument (and please do test this for real on your own later...) you took the new stick out and the computer hasn't shut down randomly ever since, but then you put it back in and now it does again, which proves that the memory is causing it...
You could have a faulty stick of memory. It happens. You could possibly beg or borrow a similar stick and try it. If it too fails, then the stick itself is probably ok.
You could have some issues with the dual channel attempt. Typically dual channel likes balanced channels. Three is an odd number, unbalanced. What happens when you turn off the dual channel setting and let it have a 3G single channel?
Have you tried swapping the sticks around in the slots? I don't think the double vs. single sidedness of the chips should matter, but what happens if you use one old and one new stick (for 2G total) which used to work with both sticks old?
dw
Memory Dual Channel
by islandporgy - 7/15/05 9:12 PM In reply to: memory... by Dick WhiteWith this Gigabyte motherboard GA7NNXP to activate dual channel You have to have what the manuel say 1 double sided & 1 single sided module, and have them in the proper slots. Not in the correct slots know dual channel and it does not register as not having any memory at all.
I could have a bad moduel and that could be my single channel moduel. I will try it with one single and one double for a while to see what happens all the rest of my hardware is in good shape. And about Balance channels I heard off a lot of complaints about some Gigabyte motherboards with Dual channel.
Channel A: is Dim 1 & 2
Channel B: is Dim 3 & 4
They have a lot of differen Sequences on set up the moduels to get dual channel. You can get it with 2 moduels and get it with 3 moduels. I am going to try one of each. And then I am going to try it in my other computer which also has a gigabyte mobo and dual channel technology.
Thank You
Not completely sure of this but,
by mustangj36 - 7/15/05 7:30 PM In reply to: Memory Limits by islandporgyI believe that if you run memory in dual channel mode, it must be installed in matched pairs, otherwise it won't work.
Matched Pairs
by islandporgy - 7/15/05 9:36 PM In reply to: Not completely sure of this but, by mustangj36I have on my mother board GA7NNXP 1 single & 2 double When you reboot it tells you each time that you are in dual channel mode Gigabyte Mobos are different. I had 2 double sided in the begining and I was running in dual channel mode then I got one single sided just to max out my memory and I am still in duel channel mode. On this Mobo you do not have to have it in pairs. The Motherboard has 4 dims I am using 3. My mobo specs says it can handle 3 gigs of memory Two sticks to four sticks
Dual Channel
by Michael Postell - 7/23/05 6:50 AM In reply to: Matched Pairs by islandporgyIt might tell you it is in Dual Mode but there is a problem otherwise it wouldn't shut down. I suspect you ahve to have matched pairs, as with everyone I have heard about and seen you did, as far as 3 gig limit you were supposed to use matched set of 512 meg to get the other gig. try first taking out the 1 gig module and see if it doesn't clear it up.
Gigabyte
by tinyworld09 - 1/17/09 4:36 PM In reply to: Memory Limits by islandporgyI used to have Gigabyte ram it gave me BSOD every time so I bought corsair ram and it works for 2 years without BSOD.
4GB variable...
by John.Wilkinson
- 7/13/05 3:31 PM
In reply to: What is XP's maximum addressable memory? by MuleHeadJoe
Windows XP 32-bit edition can only address up to 4GB of RAM. However, hardware limitations often prevent this much from being used. In addition, the average consumer doesn't need, and won't receive much, if any, of a boost from this much RAM. For most, 512MB is fine, 1GB ideal, and 2GB a little excessive.
Windows XP Professional 64-bit edition, on the other hand, supports up to 128GB of physical RAM and 16TB (terabytes) of virtual memory. Currently, I'm unaware of any consumer-focused motherboards that can handle more than 4GB, but they should become available in the near future, most likely after Longhorn is released.
Hope this helps,
John
What is XP's maximum addressable memory?
by gary hall - 7/15/05 6:49 AM In reply to: What is XP's maximum addressable memory? by MuleHeadJoeI run a P4 3.4 MHz, Intel mother board, 2 gigs 512 DDR2 RAM, 800 FSB and 2 Western Digital 10,000 RPM drives in a RAID 1 configuration.
I have regularly looked at Windows Task Manager and have never seen any of the “normal” programs EVER come close to 1 gig usage. In order to exceed 1 gig I have to load up just about everything I have on the machine.
IMHO, the Microsoft Programs have been designed NOT to use more than 50,000 K. As I type this in Word 2003 I am using 37,524 K. Mozilla uses the most at 77,424 K. The total for everything I am running is 394 MB. Only rarely do I exceed 1 gig.
Currently I am running several real-time processes (setiathome_4.18_windows . . . . ) and the most they use (both CPU’s) 50,000 K and even those that I allow to use 98% CPU usage does not make a difference.
Save your money and don’t go over a gig.
Warm regards,
Gary
What is XP's maximum addressable memory?
by lawillia - 7/15/05 9:03 AM In reply to: What is XP's maximum addressable memory? by gary hallThis is a Harware and Software limit for 32 bit processors and 32 OS/applications. You can use more than 1 gig but you have to tell the OS to do so. There is a registry setting to let you tweak this. I would recommend using another type of OS if you are going to use more than 2 gig of RAM. Windows even 64 bit XP or 2003 has issues when addressing or being about to use more than 2 gigs of ram properly. More ram is better but it depends on what you are doing. You might look at Linux or Mac OS if you would like to utilize > 2 Gig of ram.
using more RAM
by MuleHeadJoe - 7/15/05 11:56 AM In reply to: What is XP's maximum addressable memory? by lawilliaI have to admit I don't have any 'graven-in-stone' requirements for over 1 GB of RAM, I just like the idea of having as much memory as possible available.
The most memory intensive stuff I do is gaming and web browsing. I do generally qualify as a "power user" based on my habits ... I usually keep several applications loaded up even if I'm not using them all. And with regards to web browsing ... I like to have multiple windows open, and have had up to 30 ro 40 browsers in play at one time (currently on an AMD 2700+ with 1GB ram). When I had only 512 MB of ram, on an older AMD cpu, I could not get more than 30 IE windows to display before I started losing content and encountering strange behavior leading to the app crashing. Based on what the symptoms were, it looked to me to be a memory issue, but I don't know if these windows are stored in central storage or in the dedicated video ram. My old machine had 32meg video ram, and the current one has 64. I imagine my next machine will have a 128 meg card.
RAM RAM!
by ackmondual - 7/15/05 4:24 PM In reply to: using more RAM by MuleHeadJoeFor my Dell Dimension 8300, it's got 4 DIMM slots and maxes out at 4GB. Using winXP Pro as well.
Well, if you're spending more $$ on stuff that u don't need (like RAM), then it is a waste of $$. Of course for some ppl myself included, being that it's nice to know it's there does give that warm fuzzy feeling.
256 - good for winXP and small simultaneous # of basic tasks like small Word files, email, internet.
512 - even better for basic, but more files and larger of them. Also better for PC gaming
1024 - Most ideal for PC gaming. Can have many many tasks open simult.
1.5 to 2GB - good and great for ppl who do heavy video editting or do multiple high resource apps at the same time (e.g. you're playing Doom3, downloading stuff on a p2p program, burning a DVD, while compressing a video file using VirtualDub)
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