weird ram amount in XP

P_A_N_I_C

P_A_N_I_C

P_A_N_I_C

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so i ahve 4x1gb sticks of ram in my xp system.

normally it registers at ~3.2GB iirc (with my old x1900xt 512mb)
however since yesterday when i installed my 3780x2, xp shows 2.62GB :confused:

plz explain :o

something to do with total ram =4gb or so max in xp or something?
 
It is most likely due to you running a 32-bit Operating System. It is all dependent on your hardware configuration and that's why it varies from one machine to another.

If you wish to utilize 4GB of RAM then you will have to be using a 64-bit Operating System weather that is Windows XP or Windows Vista. A 64-bit Operating System is fantastic; it is securer, more stable, faster and just generally a much better platform to be using. :)
 
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hehe nice guys thanks :D

how come the same amount of memory shows up while POSTing? surely the BIOS doesn't know what OS is installed?
 
It's because of the 3870X2 and it's 1GB RAM. The BIOS is remapping the 1GB video RAM into the top end of the system RAM space. Voila - 512Mb less system RAM than you had before.

Two options :
1) Pull out the 3870X2 and get something with less video RAM.
2) Use a 64-bit OS
 
P_A_N_I_C said:
hehe nice guys thanks :D

how come the same amount of memory shows up while POSTing? surely the BIOS doesn't know what OS is installed?
Click to expand...

32-bit Windows uses the BIOS to sort this sorta stuff out. 64-bit Windows is different from the ground up.
 
if the BIOS counts up and displays the memory amount before it even detects the hard drives, surely the operating system doesn't even come into play during POST?
 
However, a 64-bit OS may experience some compatibility issues with certain software and drivers may be difficult to obtain or just plain missing for some devices. I've been using XP x64 edition for a while now and have had minimal problems though, I think the only game I couldn't get to work was Halo 2 (with the play-on-XP hack).
 
P_A_N_I_C said:
if the BIOS counts up and displays the memory amount before it even detects the hard drives, surely the operating system doesn't even come into play during POST?
Click to expand...

Exactly.

BIOS (Basic Input Output System) : An essential set of routines that sets up the hardware in a PC and boots the operating system. Prior to loading the operating system, the BIOS provides basic software drivers for all peripheral technologies that are part of the PC's motherboard, including the keyboard, mouse, monitor and hard disk. The drivers enable the user to edit configuration settings and allow the hardware to access the hard disk, optical disc or floppy disk to obtain the operating system.

After the operating system is loaded, more elaborate drivers are typically loaded, which replace the BIOS routines used to boot the system. The BIOS also supports internal services such as the real time clock (time and date)

Intel/Microsoft have been bodging bad architecture decisions with cludges like this since the 80's (eg EMS memory). Backwards compatibility equals daft quirks like this!

64-bit was designed almost properly from the ground up to finally try and eradicate this kinda crap!
 
ok thanks.
so it's a kind of limitation of the BIOS then?

noones bios ever shows more than 4gb ram?
 
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P_A_N_I_C said:
ok thanks.
so it's a kind of limitation of the BIOS then?

noones bios ever shows more than 4gb ram?
Click to expand...

It does. On mine there is a memory remap setting which enables the system to see > 4Gb IIRC.

32Bit systems can only use 4GB total so if you want to see more then you will have to go 64 bit :)
 
i've got this as well. Quick query - can u install 32 bit apps on 64bit xp/vista? or is it not backwards compatible...
 
You can install them, most will probably work but some probably won't (Vista 64 is largely compatible from what I can tell, as MS aren't quite stupid enough to assume the whole industry, and all users will jump straight to 64bit software;)).

I've had a few bugs with some stuff, but it's mainly minor or tehre are workarounds.
 
Yes. You can. The only things that dont work are 16-bit legacy apps. You would be hard pressed to find any though. Pretty much everything is still 32-bit. Some programs are both, such as crysis and cod4 (They have 64 and 32bit versions installed at the same time).
 
am i right in thinking 64bit Vista is a ground up 64 based build, whereas 64bit XP is more of a patch over 32bit and isnt a true 64bit OS?
 
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