Can Win XP utilize more than 2GB of RAM?

[RaistlinZ]

It's been a long time since I tinkered with my computer but it's been slowing down lately under heavy gaming. I currently have 2GB (4x512MB DIMMs). Can I up it to 3GB, or does Win XP only make use of 2GB?

Thanks.

 

[mpilchfamily]

It will make use of up to 4Gb but only about 3.5 of it will be visable.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Sweet, ty. I'll go ahead and pick up some more. Newegg has some nice Kingston 1GB PC3200 DDR CAS 2.0 for $36.99 retail. I'm glad old-school RAM is cheap nowadays.

 

[Slugbait]

It will make use of up to 4Gb but only about 3.5 of it will be visable.

More precisely, all 32-bit operating systems have a 4GB barrier, but they can only make use of up to 3.25 gigs (mine sits at 3.23).

 

[Fayd]

More precisely, all 32-bit operating systems have a 4GB barrier, but they can only make use of up to 3.25 gigs (mine sits at 3.23).

not exactly.

they can use up to 4 gigs of addressable space. that space gets taken up by video card memory, sound card memory, cache, etc. prior to the system memory. the fact you see 3.23 means you have .75 gigs of stuff taking up addressable space.

 

[Slugbait]

Yes, I know about reserved device addressing. Thank you. Please notice the word "but" after the comma.

My point was how much memory Windows can actually make use of in the real world, not the theoretical "up to 4 gigs".

 

[Fayd]

Yes, I know about reserved device addressing. Thank you. Please notice the word "but" after the comma.

My point was how much memory Windows can actually make use of in the real world, not the theoretical "up to 4 gigs".

except you're wrong about how much it will use.

mine allowed for 3.33 gigs when i still used XP. that's why i corrected you. your post said the max RAM that a 32 bit OS can use was 3.25 gigs, and that's simply wrong.

it falls down much more to individual implementation exactly how much RAM a 32 bit OS can use. thus, i spell it out in detail for the OP.

 

[Slugbait]

Never heard of anyone reach that high. Lucky you. But I digress...

You win the pissing match. Congrats.

 

[Fayd]

Never heard of anyone reach that high. Lucky you. But I digress...

You win the pissing match. Congrats.

it's not a pissing match or a contest. you were giving misleading information.

FWIW, you can get much higher than 3.33. use an integrated video card that steals as little as possible of system ram. use onboard sound. use no add-in cards, use a single hdd, and use a motherboard that has as few as possible onboard features. the point is there is an available pool of 4 gigs of addressable space, and all components draw from it before system ram.

dont be a douchebag.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

you were giving misleading information.

Your life is misled.

dont be a douchebag.

Man, it's gems like you that make forums a trashy place to get info and share ideas.

 

[Fayd]

Man, it's gems like you that make forums a trashy place to get info and share ideas.

Your life is misled.

....

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

....

Brilliant.

 

[Fayd]

Brilliant.

adding you to my ignore list now. congratulations, you're the first person to go there.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

Probably because I'm the first person to tell you the truth.