XP Home and 4Gb memory

JEB · 22 Sep 2007 at 14:19

I've got a AM2 mobo that supports up to 8Gb of memory. I have 4 x 1Gb DDR2 installed, but Windows and Sisoft only seems to see 3.5Gb. I'm runing XP Home with SP2 and all the updates. Have I a faulty Mobo\stick or is this normal?

If this is normal and there is no way around it is it worth having anything more than 3Gb installed?

stickroad · 22 Sep 2007 at 14:20

32bit operating systems can see 4GB of Memory but this includes the Graphics Memory etc... So you will only see around 3-3.5GB of Memory, give or take.

JEB · 22 Sep 2007 at 14:25

Thanks - so is it a waste of time having 4Gb in the rig? Just wondering if I'd be as well just having 2Gb and using the other 2Gb for another build?

stickroad · 22 Sep 2007 at 14:30

JEB said:
Thanks - so is it a waste of time having 4Gb in the rig? Just wondering if I'd be as well just having 2Gb and using the other 2Gb for another build?

I would say so yes especially if you can use the other 2GB of Memory in another system.

Cob · 22 Sep 2007 at 14:35

Well 3gb is always going to be better than 2gb.

But two 2gb systems will always be better than one 3gb system

Aod · 24 Sep 2007 at 17:43

and you can always upgrade to a x64 OS.