4GB installed - windows xp doesnt recognise more than 2.93GB!

[Oobie-]

Ok so,
I know about the whole mem addressing limit in 32bit OS's and I know I would only get 3.5 max minus some system allocations.

Upon boot - post screen reports 3gb - in windows I only get 2.93GB reported when you go to system in CP (what annoys me is a friend gets 3.5gb listed there, granted hes on a gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R/S3R but I dont get the reasons for the discrepancies) and in msinfo32:

Total Physical Memory 4,096.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 2.41 GB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
Page File Space 4.78 GB

I googled about and 2 things were pointed out.
1) Memory Remap feature needs to enabled for the BIOS to report 4gb.
2) You can add /PAE to your boot.ini to allow addressing for systems with more than 4gb but the MS website says its only applicable to the server OS's.

Upon doing 1) when I came back into windows the system in CP now reports only 2gb! but msinfo32 still says 4gb.
I then followed with 2) and that doesnt do anything apart from add a "Physical Address Extension" label under the listed computer in system.

So I tried with all different combos, no remap & PAE in boot.ini - remap & PAE in boot.ini etc.
In anycase msinfo32 reports 4gb, but with remap on, the Available Physical Memory stays at 2.00GB.

I wanted to know what Im missing, and what my setup should be to actually be using as much RAM as I can...

Thanks

[LuckyNV]

what are the full specs of your machine?

actual usable will depend on the components in your machine, for e.g. I had one setup that allowed 3.5GB usable, but I changed motherboard (everything else the same) and now only 3GB is usable.

[Oobie-]

Right.

Soundcard = SoundBlaster Audigy 5.1
What else do you want me to list that isnt in my "system"

[GoNz0]

you only got a 256mb viddy card ?

[Splash]

Interestingly my BIOS only registers the full 8Gib if I turn memory remap off. Might be worth toying with that for a start.

[Oobie-]

well I have. PAE on, remap off, PAE on, remap on etc. Ive got remap off atm - BIOS only finds 3gb, msinfo32 in windows reports 4gb.

[Oobie-]

ANyone got any clues on this, Ive put mem remap on - and it just doesnt seem right that windows isnt using more than 2gb when thers more available. Anyway of checking?

[aidanjt]

Windows can 'use' the upper 1GB boundary, but it's reserved by the BIOS, so only the lower 3GB address space is usable by the kernel for software. If you want all of your 4GB directly addressable by your Operating System, then buy, or download, a x86_64 OS. But it's all superficial really.

[Oobie-]

ahhh. I see - that clears things up. Well I guess going from 2gb to 4gb really isnt necessary lol. Wish I googled more for - oh well - I'll make my £30 back XD

[aidanjt]

The extra memory is still useful, but no single 32bit programme can allocate more than 2GB of memory. Since it's so cheap anyway, 4GB of memory is a good value upgrade.

[vmong]

i have vista 32bit and it recognises 4GB, its actually really fast, it will be a noticeable upgrade

[dangel]

i have vista 32bit and it recognises 4GB, its actually really fast, it will be a noticeable upgrade

No, it doesn't.

Sorry - and i'm not having a go at you - but the 32bit limit is just that - 4GB of address space for all the devices on your system. Unless the only device on your PC is RAM, then some of it must be reserved for anything else.

[vmong]

well whats this then?!
have a 256mg gpu

[Haiku32]

It cannot physically use 4GB of RAM. No matter what it says, it's just impossible.

[aidanjt]

It's just Vista reporting the amount of RAM the system has, which it does correctly. It doesn't mean Vista has 4GB addressable to it and software that runs on it. Again, it's all superficial.

[vmong]

well, maybe psycological then lol but i have a 2gb on my other comp and this one feels faster!