Can I get Win 7 Home 64 bit to use 32gb of RAM?

[i6pwr]

Is 16 GB the absolute max or can I tweak it to utilize the 32GB?

I'm running a 4790K, ASRock Extreme 4, and would like to max out my RAM but also not sure if 2333 is worth it?

Either looking for 2x8 or 2x16gb sticks or possibly 4x8 if I can use 32.


I hear 16 is the max but are there workarounds?

 

[SBMfromLA]

Your best option would be to receive your free upgrade to Windows 10, which supports more RAM.

 

[barto]

No.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/max-memory-limits-for-64-bit-windows-7/

Home Basic is 8GB.
Home Premium is 16GB.

Why do you need 32 GB?

 

[SBMfromLA]

It doesn't make any difference why he wants more than 16GB and it's wrong to chastise his desire. Before I upgraded to Windows 10 even I wanted to increase my RAM past 16GB which wasn't enough for me.

But anyway... to the person who asked this question... There isn't anything you can do. If you don't want to receive the FREE Windows 10 upgrade which would immediately solve your problem... your best and probably cheapest option would be to BUY a copy of Windows 7 Pro for your computer...

Here is a company Selling Windows 7 Pro for only $20. That's is the cheapest I can find:
<link removed by moderator>
<links to non-legit sources of Windows are not permitted>


I see my link was removed... What exactly is a Non-Legit Source? Believe it or not.. I got that link from a previous posting HERE on this site... and people here said it was OK and safe to use.

 

[i6pwr]

The only reason I am thinking about 32gb is for video editing....2K dashcam footage, HD rendering and picture editing of RAW files.

I don't know for sure if I could even use more than 16gb but if I can I will and I surely don't see going higher than 32....I just don't want any bottlenecks in regards to RAM and 32 would surely remove that.

As far as windows 10....I'm very happy with win 7, and hear mixed reviews of win 10. If I were to upgrade to win 10, would it be worth it if the only reason is for more RAM support or is it really much improved?

Also, could I go back to win 7 if I wanted to without reloading my entire OS?

I appreciate all the feedback.

 

[Sangeet Khatri]

Officially, Windows 7 Home version maxes out at 16GB. It is a limit that is added by Microsoft even though Windows 7 is capable of supporting much more.

The higher versions of Windows support more, but you'll have to buy the full version of the next better option, which is Ultimate or Professional to suit your needs.

Possible Solutions :

1. Upgrade to Windows 10, but I assume that if you haven't updated yet then you don't plan to update to Windows 10, which is totally understandable, which brings me to the next possible solution.

2. There is an unofficial patch that was available to download back in the time which enabled all the Ultimate Windows 7 features in any version of Windows 7. Not sure if doing so is ethical or not, I'll let you decide that for yourself, but those Windows 7 various versions limitations were kind of stupid anyway.

Note : This patch was meant mostly for personalization options. It might or might not do the job completely. Also, since it is unofficial, hence try at your own risk. Solution 1 is still the better way to go.

Anyway, the link to the patch is at : <link removed by moderator>

 

[MrHat1]

What are you planning to use it for? Gaming often doesn't require more than 4 GB, although many games would run smoother on 8-16 GB, but if you go higher, you won't feel a lot of difference anymore. Graphic designing as well as video editing also won't be significantly faster with 32 GB compared to 16 GB. Looking at the price, speed etc. I'd go with a maximum of 16 GB (2 x 8 GB), so you will be able to upgrade to 32 GB in the future.

 

[MrHat1]

The only reason I am thinking about 32gb is for video editing....2K dashcam footage, HD rendering and picture editing of RAW files.

I don't know for sure if I could even use more than 16gb but if I can I will and I surely don't see going higher than 32....I just don't want any bottlenecks in regards to RAM and 32 would surely remove that.

As far as windows 10....I'm very happy with win 7, and hear mixed reviews of win 10. If I were to upgrade to win 10, would it be worth it if the only reason is for more RAM support or is it really much improved?

Also, could I go back to win 7 if I wanted to without reloading my entire OS?

I appreciate all the feedback.

Yes, you have 30 days to downgrade back to Windows 7 with all of the files you had and no changes at all. Just go to the settings, back-up and downgrade to Windows 7 as you had it previously. Windows 10 has been improved significantly in speed, features etc. All programs that I use (games, Adobe Photoshop CC 2015, Sony Vegas Pro 13.0, Microsoft Office etc.) are compatible with Windows 10 and I've had no problems since August 2015.

Windows 10 looks a lot better than Windows 7 (also my previous OS), in my opinion. It doesn't look like Windows 8 or 8.1, although you can choose for the tiles layout if you want to in the settings. Everything works about the same, only the settings have been categorized differently. You can always search for all the settings and features by clicking the magnifying glass in the bottom left, next to the Windows icon.

Go for Windows 10!

 

[Tradesman1]

Yes, with what you have 2x8GB is the max it will run (and the Z97 doesn't take 2x16GB sticks) - if you want 32GB will need to upgrade the OS to a better version of 7 or can go 10, (could go Win 8 but doesn't make much sense)

 

[barto]

It doesn't make any difference why he wants more than 16GB and it's wrong to chastise his desire. Before I upgraded to Windows 10 even I wanted to increase my RAM past 16GB which wasn't enough for me.

But anyway... to the person who asked this question... There isn't anything you can do. If you don't want to receive the FREE Windows 10 upgrade which would immediately solve your problem... your best and probably cheapest option would be to BUY a copy of Windows 7 Pro for your computer...

Here is a company Selling Windows 7 Pro for only $20. That's is the cheapest I can find:
<link removed by moderator>
<links to non-legit sources of Windows are not permitted>


I see my link was removed... What exactly is a Non-Legit Source? Believe it or not.. I got that link from a previous posting HERE on this site... and people here said it was OK and safe to use.

The question of "Why?" does make a difference. Many people aren't technically inclined and don't understand that RAM is dynamic storage that fills only when needed. Those people don't understand that if you're running only Microsoft Word that an amount of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and so on won't make a difference. It's not chastising. It's educating. Making sure people aren't blowing money for zero benefit.

While I'm not a Mod, I have been here a little while and technically posting links for organizations outside of reputable retailers that sell software is a no no here. The reason being is many of those outside organizations commit illegal activity (IE cracking, pirating, etc).

 

[i6pwr]

1. Upgrade to Windows 10, but I assume that if you haven't updated yet then you don't plan to update to Windows 10, which is totally understandable

I haven't decided to not upgrade yet...jut never thought about it until I realize it supported more RAM.

What are you planning to use it for? Gaming often doesn't require more than 4 GB, although many games would run smoother on 8-16 GB, but if you go higher, you won't feel a lot of difference anymore. Graphic designing as well as video editing also won't be significantly faster with 32 GB compared to 16 GB. Looking at the price, speed etc. I'd go with a maximum of 16 GB (2 x 8 GB), so you will be able to upgrade to 32 GB in the future.

Mainly for video rendering with Sony Vegas, Nikon Capture NX2 with NEF files, occasional gaming..so I really don't want any bottlenecks or slow downs related to a lack of memory. I don't know what the difference will be with 16gb over 8gb but DDR3 RAM is cheaper now I may as well give it a try. I was sticking with my 4x2 Dominator 1600 because I haven't had any issues but that doesn't mean I won't benefit from more.

 

[Tradesman1]

You'll be happier with 16GB