memory allocation on multiprocessor machines

[mr optimistic]

At work I have a dual processor dual core machine running XP. It has 4GB of memory but I think it is limiting itself to using just 1GB per core. Is this right and is there any way of allowing any core to have full access to all memory

 

[NathanE]

Unless it is a NUMA machine (unlikely) then all cores/CPUs have the same level of access to memory in the system.

 

[mr optimistic]

Thanks. Computer support here now reckon the DEll machine has a separate 'channel' per core and that it's the physical installation of the RAM which is limiting it.......all greek to me...thanks again for the quick answer.

 

[Corasik]

What version of windows are you running, 32bit windows XP is limited to 2gig of user space memory. This is 'hackable' to increase it to 3gb, however it only works with software applications programed to make use of the hack.

64bit windows can access pretty much as much memory as you can fit onto a motherboard.