How come my 2x2gb memory is only shown as 2.99gb in Windows XP.

[panozer]

This is interesting..
Bios detects them correctly as 2048Mb each and 4096Mb total memory.. but right clicking my computer gives me 2.99Gb, which one is it?

 

[ghmage]

An oft asked question. Hardware is taking up some memory. http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000811.html

 

[panozer]

Thanks for helping me out here too =P
My first build, trying to figure stuff out, but i did not know my hardware can eat 1GB of memory, thats a ton, i had no clue.

 

[ghmage]

No worries, you are most welcome.

 

[panozer]

However, I just realized that it only takes that chunk off the 2nd stick because when I put 1 stick in it shows it as 1.99Gb.

 

[JDocs]

Thats because the motherboard reserves a small bit for itself. Normally 640K(base) + 320K(high memory) meaning your total will always be 1 meg less than the amount installed.

 

[panozer]

Ya but i have 2 stick with 2gb each, i get 1.99 from the first stick and 0.99 from 2nd, 2.99 instead of 4.. I lost 1gb not 1mb!!!

 

[apache_lives]

This is interesting..
Bios detects them correctly as 2048Mb each and 4096Mb total memory.. but right clicking my computer gives me 2.99Gb, which one is it?

Its XP, its s#!T, upgrade to Vista 64 Bit and use that extra memory! you will never go back

 

[JDocs]

Panozer. Yes you lost a gig from Windows XP being 32bit. That limits the amount of memory it can see (from 3gb to 3.75gb depending the motherboard and amount of PCI-E ports) and your losing an additional 1mb to run the computer's motherboard.

 

[eklipz330]

err, i wudnt know about that... 32ibit OS registers 4gb of mem as 3.25gb

it might be both actually, do you have vista or xp 32-bit? that could be taking away most of it

 

[JDocs]

eklipz330, I'm not surprised. My Intel X38 has 2 ports and caps at 3gb.

 

[gamerk316]

err, i wudnt know about that... 32ibit OS registers 4gb of mem as 3.25gb

Wrong. XP sees only 4GB total, so it can be more or less than this amount. My XP sees only 2.75GB RAM for example. Typically, GFX cards eat around 512MB by themselves, sound cards can take 64MB, the motherboard takes 1MB. Throw in other parts (network card, SLI/CF, etc) and you can actually run out of system RAM (try it yourself, its a fun way to break windows ).

In theory, if you were to CF 2x 4870x2's, you could actually prevent Windows from booting, as all 4GB RAM would be allocated to the GFX cards...(has anyone tried this yet???)

 

[leo2kp]

A 32bit OS can only address max 4GB. Nearly every piece of hardware in the computer has memory of some sort. So when you install 4GB of system memory, take every piece of hardware and subtract whatever amount of memory it has (most parts will not tell you obviously) and take that from the amount of system RAM you have. If you have 4GB RAM, and a 512mb video card, then you will register 3.5GB of system RAM. Add HDD cache (if that counts), processor cache, sound card memory, base system memory, and you'll effectively remove about 1GB from your system RAM because a 32bit OS can't address more than 4GB. It has to take away from system RAM. You may be using a GTX 260 or 280 with more than 512mb RAM because most people with 512mb cards have just over 3GB of usable RAM.

The solution: upgrade to a 64bit OS. Vista 32 uses another way to address more than 4GB RAM but it's not the same as a 64bit OS. Less efficient I think.

 

[jitpublisher]

^ Right on leokp, best and just about the only correct answer here. The rest of you, I don't know what in the hell you are all talking about.
I wish I had a dollar for everytime this question has been asked the last year.

 

[apache_lives]

A 32bit OS can only address max 4GB. Nearly every piece of hardware in the computer has memory of some sort. So when you install 4GB of system memory, take every piece of hardware and subtract whatever amount of memory it has (most parts will not tell you obviously) and take that from the amount of system RAM you have. If you have 4GB RAM, and a 512mb video card, then you will register 3.5GB of system RAM. Add HDD cache (if that counts), processor cache, sound card memory, base system memory, and you'll effectively remove about 1GB from your system RAM because a 32bit OS can't address more than 4GB. It has to take away from system RAM. You may be using a GTX 260 or 280 with more than 512mb RAM because most people with 512mb cards have just over 3GB of usable RAM.

The solution: upgrade to a 64bit OS. Vista 32 uses another way to address more than 4GB RAM but it's not the same as a 64bit OS. Less efficient I think.

Vista 32 bit actually recieved a microsoft patch i believe to "show" the total system memory eg 4gb (one day it detected 3.25gb next day 4gb) but in reality is the same as xp - if you check task manager under physical memory it still says 3.25gb total.

 

[one-shot]

Wrong. XP sees only 4GB total, so it can be more or less than this amount. My XP sees only 2.75GB RAM for example. Typically, GFX cards eat around 512MB by themselves, sound cards can take 64MB, the motherboard takes 1MB. Throw in other parts (network card, SLI/CF, etc) and you can actually run out of system RAM (try it yourself, its a fun way to break windows ).

In theory, if you were to CF 2x 4870x2's, you could actually prevent Windows from booting, as all 4GB RAM would be allocated to the GFX cards...(has anyone tried this yet???)

WHAT?? The GPU memory and RAM on the motherboard are totally independent in this situation. Unless his GPU is onboard and uses partial system memory this will have nothing to do with it. You pay over $500 for 4870X2's because of the technology and the 2GB or GDDR5 Memory. Not the DDR2 that is probably in his motherboard. a 32bit OS usually can see 3gb of 4gb installed on the board in the RAM slots. I had 32bit XP before I got Vista x64 so I have actually seen it personally. In now way does a 4870X2 use 2GB of system memory. It has onboard memory.

 

[apache_lives]

WHAT?? The GPU memory and RAM on the motherboard are totally independent in this situation. Unless his GPU is onboard and uses partial system memory this will have nothing to do with it. You pay over $500 for 4870X2's because of the technology and the 2GB or GDDR5 Memory. Not the DDR2 that is probably in his motherboard. a 32bit OS usually can see 3gb of 4gb installed on the board in the RAM slots. I had 32bit XP before I got Vista x64 so I have actually seen it personally. In now way does a 4870X2 use 2GB of system memory. It has onboard memory.

lol ignorants

windows can address 4gb total, hows it supposed to address a 512mb video card AND 4gb of memory?

GO LOOK IN DEVICE MANAGER AT YOUR VIDEO CARDS "RESOURCES" TAB - EVERYTHING HAS TO BE ADDRESSED, and within a 32 bit limit for 32 bit OS's etc, i suggest you go learn about it before posting crud

 

[gamerk316]

WHAT?? The GPU memory and RAM on the motherboard are totally independent in this situation. Unless his GPU is onboard and uses partial system memory this will have nothing to do with it. You pay over $500 for 4870X2's because of the technology and the 2GB or GDDR5 Memory. Not the DDR2 that is probably in his motherboard. a 32bit OS usually can see 3gb of 4gb installed on the board in the RAM slots. I had 32bit XP before I got Vista x64 so I have actually seen it personally. In now way does a 4870X2 use 2GB of system memory. It has onboard memory.

Wrong. XP itself can only use 4GB. GFX RAM is nothing but RAM placed near the GFX card for storing textures, it behaves the same exact way otherwise.

As for the 4870x2, no answer for that one, although I can confirm 2x 9800GX2's start to eat into my system RAM under Vista (you can't run both on XP). In fact, it's possible ATI disabled one of the memory cores under XP, like NVIDIA did with 2x9800GX2's.

EDIT

The BIOS should always show the correct amount, and windows can be patched to "see" the proper amount, but 32-bit windows can only USE 4GB TOTAL RAM at any one point.

 

[panozer]

I fixed this by installing windows xp pro x64

 

[apache_lives]

I fixed this by installing windows xp pro x64

why do people bother with such an obsolete OS these days?

 

[mikrev007]

lol ignorants

windows can address 4gb total, hows it supposed to address a 512mb video card AND 4gb of memory?

GO LOOK IN DEVICE MANAGER AT YOUR VIDEO CARDS "RESOURCES" TAB - EVERYTHING HAS TO BE ADDRESSED, and within a 32 bit limit for 32 bit OS's etc, i suggest you go learn about it before posting crud

 

[mikrev007]

Wow, this forum just works perfectly. Continued:

Maybe it puts some of it into the I/O address space instead of the memory address space?

 

[Guest]

Thanks Guys....

i got the info ... i was fighting with my delar about 1GB.. even that guy didn't know that...

Thanks a Lot


-Srini