2 or 4 gig with vista 32 bit +gtx280

urban_reaper

urban_reaper

urban_reaper

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is it better to have 4 gb of memory with vista 32 bit os when used with a gtx 280 with 1024 mb of memory or will the 4 gb total limit mean it will be no better than 2 gb ?

cheers
 
I was looking into getting more memory for my machine the other day and was chatting to a mate who told me that my XP 32bit os was only capable of using a maximum of 3gb for all ram and other device memory and only after you change something in the registry/boot file (or something like that) to enable windows to use it. Could vista 32bit be similar in this respect?
Apparently 64 bit os' do not suffer this drawback with being able to address memory. :confused:

In my case I currently have 2gb ram and 512mb gfx card, plust whatever minuscule amount of memory is on my ancient soundcard. XP pro 32 bit can use 2gb of memory by default. For arguments sake lets say I have 2.5gb total memory; looking at it, it would be better for me to change the amount of memory windows can use to 3gb to account for everything efficiently. If I had 4gb of ram (as I was considering after seeing the prices of it these days) I'd have at least a gigabyte of memory lazing about doing nothing all the time because 32bit windows cant use it.
At least that's how I understand it. I may just get some anyway but I'm not sure it will make much difference to my pc, beyond a certain point anyway.

EDIT:
Having said that, a look here shows XP as 4gb and vista as 4gb in 32 bit and 8, 18 and 128gb as the limits on physical memory for Windows Vista.
 
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i believe vista patched to sp1 now reports the memory different so you now see the full 4 gb

as you say memory is quite cheap at the mo so perhaps i will just take a chance and just get 4 gb
 
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urban_reaper said:
i believe vista patched to sp1 now reports the memory different so you now see the full 4 gb
Click to expand...

no.

a 32 bit OS cannot utilise over a certain amount of memory, this is in the nature of it being 32 bit. That includes memory on your mobo, RAM, and graphics RAM.

If you have a 1gb graphics card, then there won't be a large gain in the amount of memory that your computer can actually use, as you're already nearly at your limit.

If i were you, i'd get vista 64bit home premium to be honest.
 
Ben M said:
no.

a 32 bit OS cannot utilise over a certain amount of memory, this is in the nature of it being 32 bit. That includes memory on your mobo, RAM, and graphics RAM.

If i were you, i'd get vista 64bit home premium to be honest.
Click to expand...

Yup . I would second that .
 
i thought about getting the 64 bit vista but my system will be used mainly for gaming and wondered if there is still problems with games and software, drivers etc not really working as well as the 32 bit vista or not working at all in some cases
 
there never really was iirc, it was xp64 that was a nightmare.

I've been on vista 64 for months now without a single issue.

Actually i lie, I couldn't install IE6 the other day lol.. not exactly the end of the world, if the thing i was trying to use was written properly it would have worked in IE7, firefox, opera or safari!
 
I don't think there is a way to install IE6 into Vista as it comes with IE7.

There probably is away..but you shouldn't do it :D
 
It was one of those times that having an XP Pro laptop was handy :)

Still, it wouldn't be an issue if I wasn't trying to hack my sky router ;) hardly an everyday activity.
 
urban_reaper said:
i thought about getting the 64 bit vista but my system will be used mainly for gaming and wondered if there is still problems with games and software, drivers etc not really working as well as the 32 bit vista or not working at all in some cases
Click to expand...

No problems at all mate, I have the following games installed at the moment, all running fine under Vista 64. Not using compatability mode for any of them either.

Dyson said:
Assassins Creed
Audiosurf
Battlefield 2 (+ Special Forces)
Bejeweled
Call of Duty 4
Call of Juarez
Command & Conquer 3
Command & Conquer Red Alert 2
Command & Conquer Generals
Command & Conquer Zero Hour
Counterstrike Source
Crysis
Dawn of War
Dawn of War Winter Assault
Dawn of War Dark Crusade
Day of Defeat Source
Enemy Territory Quake Wars
GRID
GTA San Andreas
GTI Racing
Half Life
Half Life 2
Half Life 2 Deathmatch
Half Life 2 Episode One
Half Life 2 Episode two
Juiced 2
Oblivion
Outrun 2006
Peggle Deluxe
Prey
Sin Episodes Emergence
Soldier of Fortune 2
STALKER
Team Fortress Classic
Test Drive Unlimited
Thief Deadly Shadows
Trackmania United Forever
Trials 2
Universe at War - Earth Assault
Unreal Tournament 3
Click to expand...
 
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