32 Bit 3GB ram limit question

[chenw]

Hey all,

Before I ask this question, the reason I am not using a 64 bit system because I specifically need a 32bit OS, so please don't suggest using a 64 bit OS, I well aware of the limitations of the RAM on 32 bit systems, I have a rather specific question about the 3gb limitation.

My windows is installed on an APU and is currently using 1GB of my system RAM as its VRAM, and my OS is showing that it has 2 GB of system memory available. My questions are:

1. Is this because my APU is using the system memory that I am limited to 2GB of system memory rather than 3GB?

2. If I used a GPU with its own dedicated memory, would that 'free' up the system memory?

3. If the answer to 2 is no, any idea what would happen if my GPU and my system memory both exceed 3GB?

Thanks!

 

[das_stig]

APUs share system memory so it is allocated dynamically, if you exceed the 3GB of system memory, it will start using the pagefile.

BIOS normally has an option to limit the video memory that can be allocated and some vidoe drivers also have options to reduce foot prints.

 

[atljsf]

if you disable apu and put a gpu the ram will be freed

the apu uses shared ram, form the pc, it only uses whatever ram system handles, so if the machine has 8 gbs of ram but you are on 32 bits, the apu will use from the 3.2gbs system can handle(32 bit os wil see or handle form 3.2 to 3.5 gbs of ram) a portion of that, leaving almost 5 gbs unused completely

certain apus an use dynamically the ram, others under bios you will find how much ram you can let it take borrowed

in my old athlon i can set up to 2 gbs and as low as 128 megabytes

if you add the gpu, be sure to enter in bios and disable the apu, so it doesn't take more resources and also will not confuse some apps that will find 2 gpus to use

remember to run the tool ddu to remove the apu drivers, then put the new gpu and install the drivers for the gpu, download them, don't use the cd provided with the gpu, the cd is old with old drivers that are delivered only for those users without internet to download the driver

 

[geofelt]

A 32 bit os needs to dedicate some of the 4gb max to fixed buffers.

Installing a discrete graphics card will allow you to disable the apu graphics and free up some of that fixed area.

The vram on a graphics card does not have a 1 to 1 relation with the size of the reserved I/o area.
But, how that is figured out, I do not know.

 

[chenw]

Great, thanks all.

Just making sure there wasn't something I missed.

 

[atljsf]

if you don't use much graphical intensive tools, go into bios and see if you can tell the apu to borrow only 128 or less ram for vram, that does help when you need basic office or not much youtube and stuff like that

if the task you are doing with the pc does need a bit more ram, then the cheap discrete gpu like a gt710 should free some ram, but bios will tell you alot more about ram usage