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3 GB memory sticks

K

kmmatney

Diamond Member
If 32-bit operating systems can only use 3 GB of memory, why don't they sell 3 GB memory sticks? or a kit of 1.5 GB X 2? That way, I don't have to either go low (2 GB) or waste memory when going to 4 GB. I guess I can install three 1 GB memory sticks, but I would lose dual-channel performance. hmmmm......
 
Cause no one makes a 192MB or 384MB memory IC capable running of low latencies?

/Best guess answer.

Also 4GB wouldn't be a waste of money. You just won't see all of it. You will see about 3.2GB and still get to use dual channel, also considering how cheap DDR2 in now; why complain?
 
Originally posted by: NXIL
Believe it or not, OCZ did this:

http://www.provantage.com/ocz-...2mv6673gk~7OCZT094.htm

http://www.teckwave.com/?prodId=402701&twid=0

They had a desktop memory version too, but, as was mentioned, DDR2 got so cheap, it probably wasn't worth running it out of the factory instead of just 2 x 2GB....

NXIL

Edit: here it is:

http://www.theinquirer.net/inq...83/3gb-memory-kits-ocz
Click to expand...

Wow - that is pretty hilarious. Here is a quote from your link:

OCZ 3GB memory kit The next one is something that made me scratch my head enough for it to bleed, a 3GB memory kit. OCZ has them in DIMMs and SO-DIMMs for the 32-bit OS upgrade market. Windows has a broken memory model, and can't see more than 3GB (technically a hair more), so OCZ is filling that niche. No more RMAs with "1GB doesn't work" on it, now you simply don't get that 1GB. It will be interesting to see how it works in the market, but we want to see a bundle with a three-core Phenom and three ATI GPUs just to play with people's heads.
Click to expand...

I guess it could make more sense with more expensive DDR3 (or more expensive, high speed DDR2 RAM).


 
This is the worst idea ever. With ram being so cheap how much would you save if 3gb kits were mainstream? Like $5?

Why would we want to promote a 32-bit OS? That would be moving backwards and we are already seeing the limitations of 4gb, let alone 2gb.
 
what would be the point? with a common GPU nowadays with 1GB vram you still end up with less than 3GB in a 32 bit OS, regardless if you are using a 4GB kit or a 3GB kit.

sure with a 3GB kit "most" people wont notice the loss because "most" people use very low end VGA solutions, but those are also the same people that like the sound of 4GB better than 3GB and would not even know their OS isn't using all the ram, nor how to check...
 
[/quote]
Your system may only "see" 3GB because of other memory being addressed.
[/quote]
hrm? gpu memory takes up your address space? what else? I had no idea about that.
 
hrm? gpu memory takes up your address space? what else? I had no idea about that.
Click to expand...

http://www.dansdata.com/askdan00015.htm

Basic summary: 32 bit operating systems can address or see a maximum of 2 ^ 32 bits, or 4,294,967,296 bits i.e. about 4 gigs. But, the operating system needs to keep track of video memory, BIOS memory, etc, and has to subtract that memory from the 4GB; for example, if you run two 1GB video cards in SLI, even if you put in 4GB of DDR2 memory, your OS can only "see" 2 GB: you have to substract 2GB from the 4GB to account for mapping out all that video memory.

HTH

NXIL
 
Basic summary: 32 bit operating systems can address or see a maximum of 2 ^ 32 bits, or 4,294,967,296 bits i.e. about 4 gigs.
Click to expand...

Unless they support PAE and then their addressing goes up to 36-bit and you can indeed use all of your memory. Sadly for most people MS decided not to support that in their desktop OSes.

But, the operating system needs to keep track of video memory, BIOS memory, etc, and has to subtract that memory from the 4GB;
Click to expand...

The OS doesn't have a say in it, the hardware decides where it's MMIO ranges are and the OS just gets told what the amount physical memory left is.

from the 4GB; for example, if you run two 1GB video cards in SLI, even if you put in 4GB of DDR2 memory, your OS can only "see" 2 GB: you have to substract 2GB from the 4GB to account for mapping out all that video memory.
Click to expand...

I don't believe the full amount of every video card is mapped into the MMIO ranges so the numbers don't always line up with how much memory your card has in it.
 
Originally posted by: NXIL
Believe it or not, OCZ did this:
Click to expand...
This is a 3GB "kit" that consists of 2GB module + 1GB module, not a 3GB memory module. Kingston and a couple others offer the same thing. The OP asked:

why don't they sell 3 GB memory sticks? or a kit of 1.5 GB X 2?
Click to expand...
Because JEDEC doesn't allow for betweeners or halfsies.



 
Originally posted by: kmmatney
Originally posted by: NXIL
Believe it or not, OCZ did this:

http://www.provantage.com/ocz-...2mv6673gk~7OCZT094.htm

http://www.teckwave.com/?prodId=402701&twid=0

They had a desktop memory version too, but, as was mentioned, DDR2 got so cheap, it probably wasn't worth running it out of the factory instead of just 2 x 2GB....

NXIL

Edit: here it is:

http://www.theinquirer.net/inq...83/3gb-memory-kits-ocz
Click to expand...

Wow - that is pretty hilarious. Here is a quote from your link:

OCZ 3GB memory kit The next one is something that made me scratch my head enough for it to bleed, a 3GB memory kit. OCZ has them in DIMMs and SO-DIMMs for the 32-bit OS upgrade market. Windows has a broken memory model, and can't see more than 3GB (technically a hair more), so OCZ is filling that niche. No more RMAs with "1GB doesn't work" on it, now you simply don't get that 1GB. It will be interesting to see how it works in the market, but we want to see a bundle with a three-core Phenom and three ATI GPUs just to play with people's heads.
Click to expand...

I guess it could make more sense with more expensive DDR3 (or more expensive, high speed DDR2 RAM).
Click to expand...

the amazon description for that item is that its a 2gb and a 1gb chip. so unmatched.

http://www.amazon.com/OCZ-OCZ2...z-SODIMM/dp/B001CNR354




also the reason you can't make a 3gb chip, or a 1.5gb one is, that ram needs to be in 64-bit banks.


since ram chips are always made in swaths of 8 (they make chips in megabits, and you have 8 on each side, for megabytes) you can't do a 1.5 gb because it would be uneven. everything has to be a power of 2 with computers ....

so it would be hard to address memory if its not in some power of 2 .
 
Originally posted by: hans007
since ram chips are always made in swaths of 8 (they make chips in megabits, and you have 8 on each side, for megabytes) you can't do a 1.5 gb because it would be uneven.
Click to expand...
Standard chips are produced with 4-bit and 16-bit bus widths as well.

 
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