Missing 512 system ram in DXdiag?

Duvan

Duvan

Duvan

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17 Nov 2010
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My PSU went up in smoke and I got a new one...
I'm supposed to have 4096mb RAM, but now DXdiag says I have 3584 mb. I can't say for sure what it said before the PSU broke.
The BIOS still says I've got 4096 mb working ram.

My GPU is an old HD3850 with 256 mb ram and it's not been able to share RAM before at least :P

Could the ram have gotten broken when the PSU gave up its contract? Or is DXdiag just confused.
Any way to check this?
 
32 bit...
Hehe I guess that answered the question :) -> 32 bit can only recognize 3 gigs of ram right?
But can it still use all the 4 gigs hmm?
 
32 bit can use 4 gigs of memory. It needs to give it all addresses, so it gives them to chips on your motherboard, in your CPU, video card, and of course RAM. Once it gets over 4 gigs it runs out of address to hand out. Anything not addressed can't be used. So the RAM it is reporting to use is the RAM it can use. It will not cause an problems unless you really need the extra 512mb.
 
Okay hmm, so for 4096 mb... it can still not use the 4000 minus 96...:P but it's normal that it leaves out one whole 512 mb segment hmm?
 
256 is being used by your graphics card, the rest will be system mapping. It includes ALL memory not just your RAM. This is confusing to a lot of people so you see people just saying things like 32 bit windows can only address 3.5 gigish so people don't ask about how it works.

Say you upgraded your graphics card to a 1 gb one. Your usable RAM would drop down too just under 3 GB roughly. The only option you have if you want that 512 mb back is to go 64 bit.
 
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Hmm but I thought the graphics cards had their own memory? Like only some integrated ones actually "stole" system memory (shared memory)?

Thanks for your answers:)
 
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