32 bit OS - 3GB ?

ih8modem · 11 Jul 2008 at 12:58

If a 32bit OS can't really address 4GB properly, is it worth maintaining 4GB, or better to switch out to 3GB.

Currently 2 x 2GB OCZ gold , thinking maybe 2 x 1GB corsair matched to 2 x 512mb Corsair ?

Will_3rd · 11 Jul 2008 at 13:03

Just keep what you have will perform better then sticks of uneven sizes.

Fire Wizard · 11 Jul 2008 at 13:08

Hello ih8modem, what's the amount of memory you can address right now using a 32-bit operating system?

Just because you only have 3GB of memory installed, doesn't necessary mean that you will in definite be able to address all of the memory that you have installed in your system, it is dependent on your hardware configuration.

bledd · 11 Jul 2008 at 13:24

stick to 2x2gb

Kalpsn2000 · 11 Jul 2008 at 14:23

bledd. said:
stick to 2x2gb

Yes, Windows should still address about 3.25-3.5GB.

jbloggs · 11 Jul 2008 at 16:05

I went from 4 x 1GB sticks (XP "saw" 3.25GBs) to 2 x 2GB sticks, and now XP "sees" 3.0GBs.....I suppose it has something to do with going from 4 slots to 2 slots being populated...

Corasik · 11 Jul 2008 at 18:40

For the most case even 3gb is fairly meaningless for 32bit windows. Each 32bit application can only use 2GB of ram, its a windows limitation. But if you have two applications that both want 1.5GB of ram then all will be used. So it really depends multitasking yes get ram. Single application.. minimal gain.

Of course windows itself uses some ram, but my old 32bit XP used around 256meg of ram including virus scanner, and firewall, so going from 2gb to 3gb, would only increase the ram for a single application by 256meg.

64bit Windows has far less restrictions, and depending on how the applications are compiled there are far more options. 32bit applications on 64bit windows can be compiled to request 4gb memory space each, 64bit applications have virtually no limits.

Vista64 does still have various limits, depending on which version you have installed. With Vista64 having the highest limit at 128gig.

Vista Home premium allows 16gig, and that should be easily achieveable on a Nehalem system with 6 slots

ih8modem · 11 Jul 2008 at 19:04

TY all, I have decided to go with 2 x 2GB, and then load up Vista 64 to see what difference it makes.

PhoenixUK · 12 Jul 2008 at 05:46

2x2, even with 32bit system it's still fine.
Depending on your hardware you should see 3-3.7gb

I moved from 2x1 to 4x1 ( 3.5 working ) in 32xp and it's a great boost .

Nick1881 · 12 Jul 2008 at 08:41

jbloggs said:
I went from 4 x 1GB sticks (XP "saw" 3.25GBs) to 2 x 2GB sticks, and now XP "sees" 3.0GBs.....I suppose it has something to do with going from 4 slots to 2 slots being populated...

I found that too, made me want to go 64bit even more, after I did I wanted 8Gb, just installed that yesterday.