3+GB of memory not needed for gaming?

[Yellowbeard]

I have a related question... if you are playing a game that recommends 2GB of RAM for best results and you clearly have enough at 4GB of RAM using 64-bit Win7, will 4GB of DDR3 RAM in the same setup provide any noticeable improvements over 4GB of DDR2 RAM?

On the same system, no there will be no difference discernable by the naked eye.

 

[arredondo]

I thought so, thanks. This article seems to back it up.

 

[kalniel]

Nearly all games are 32bit native, so can only address around 2GB RAM anyway. Games like SC2 are large address aware, so can get up to about 3GB, but not beyond. It's only ever gone up to around 2GB for me (win7 x64).

If you have a 64bit system then you can use extra ram for background stuff and you ensure you don't run out of address space if you have a graphics card with a large buffer running dx9.

 

[hanspeter]

Nearly all games are 32bit native, so can only address around 2GB RAM anyway. Games like SC2 are large address aware, so can get up to about 3GB, but not beyond. It's only ever gone up to around 2GB for me (win7 x64).

Not beyond? With that config it is not impossible to leave the 3GB behind and go for the entire 4GB

 

[kalniel]

Not beyond? With that config it is not impossible to leave the 3GB behind and go for the entire 4GB

AFAIK 3GB is the max for a 32-bit process even with the right flags. Blizzard tech support confirmed 'up to 3GB' RAM usage was possible.

google cached result:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:jwvG8bz505IJ:forums.battle.net/thread.html%3FtopicId%3D23329325266%26sid%3D5000+starcraft+2+32+bit+RAM

Because the process is 32bit it can't address any more even if you have a 64bit system, however with a 64bit system you have room to run other stuff as well as the 32bit process.

 

[hanspeter]

3GB is valid for 32bit Windows. For 64bit it is 4GB (because you don't need space for a kernel).

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx

 

[tweakboy]

But at the end it matters what OS hes using.

Windows XP ,, your fine with 3GB and it will never stutter.
Vista 3GB you can get away with it but there will be stuttering
W7, dont even bother cuz youll have like 800mb for the game and maybe it needs more.

 

[kalniel]

3GB is valid for 32bit Windows. For 64bit it is 4GB (because you don't need space for a kernel).

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx

Yeah, that would seem to contradict the Blizzard guy :/

 

[epidemis]

I was getting out of memory messages in SC2 with 4 gig of ram. (Although upping the pagefile from 600MB to 2000MB seemed to fix it)

No point keeping 32bit unless you have things which won't work in 64bit os. I think we getting close to the point where 4GB is going to be the absolute min for gaming system just like 2GB is now.

I have 2 GB ram/windows XP (the OS uses slightly less RAM than windows 7) and starcraft 2 have been the first game that plays sluggish - alt-tab - any kind of load - all typically signs that I have too little memory

 

[arredondo]

Will games come out soon with two flavors? A 64-bit option to use more RAM, or is that too far off?

 

[kalniel]

Will games come out soon with two flavors? A 64-bit option to use more RAM, or is that too far off?

I think Far Cry had a 64-bit exe at one point.. but in general it's a lot of extra QA work for little return. We struggle enough to get AMD-compiled exes as well as Intel ones (NWN2 I think was the last game I saw with one of those).

 

[NoSoup4You]

I was getting out of memory message in Metro 2033 with 4GB's of RAM. Or rather, messages stating the pc was running very slowly and that Windows Aero would be disabled as a result...etc. When exiting the game the pc would be very sluggish for a short while.

I dropped in another 4GB for 8GB total and those messages are history as well as the pc is very responsive now when closing out of games. With 4GB I would have several seconds of somewhat slowed responses as Windows transitioned from a game in full screen back to the desktop. Now with 8GB's it's instant, the moment I click 'Quit game' I'm back at my desktop with 100% responsiveness and zero hdd thrashing.

Is it a big deal? No. Are framerates improved? Nope. But overall do I want to go back to 4GB anytime soon? No way!