Usable RAM < Installed RAM

[licio]

I was unable to find this answer on previously posted topics.

I have a 32-bit Win 7 (home premium) pc with 4gb of ram installed, however only 2.75gb are "usable". How do I determine what is causing this limitation?

Thanks!

MoBo: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01386897

 

[herrwizo]

Most likely your integrated graphics card. The amount of memory it reserves can usually be set in BIOS.

However, one limiting factor here is also your Windows, it is 32-bit, which can only in THEORY use all 4GB of your RAM - in practice, due to system hardware reserved addresses, and depending on your motherboard and components, you will have a maximum of 3.5GB usable, in some cases even 3.2 and below. The remaining 256MB are likely your onboard graphics, I'd say.

Upgrade your windows to 64 bit and you will have at least 3.5GB available, more likely 3.75 (even without lowering the amount of your graphics reserved memory).

 

[i7Baby]

So 1.25gb unaccounted for.

Look in Task Manager, Performance and look in Resource Manager.

See https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa366525%28v=vs.85%29.aspx

If you have a CPU with integrated graphics, you could have most of that 1.25 allocated to graphics. Look in bios.

 

[licio]

The Mobo does have a integrated graphics card, but I have disabled it in the bios a long time ago. I am using a 2gb video card.

In order for me to upgrade to a 64 bit, I'll need a new OS, MoBo and proc. That is not part of my plans.

1.28gb is hardware reserved under resource monitor. If it is not the integrated graphics what else could it be?

 

[i7Baby]

It'll be you still have some allocated to the integrated graphics. It stays allocated even if you aren't using integrated graphics. I think you can reduce it to about 1/4 GB and that's it.

Look at the link - for page filing etc.

 

[herrwizo]

In order for me to upgrade to a 64 bit, I'll need a new OS, MoBo and proc.

Not quite. Only the OS. Your motherboard has G31 chipset, which implies your CPU (which you forgot to mention) is either Core 2 Duo, Pentium/Celeron E series or Celeron 4xx series. And they ALL have 64-bit instruction set.

 

[V1ctor89]

You don't need to upgrade just to run a 64 bit OS. Your hardware will do just fine if it supports 64bit. It is actually necessary for you to install a 64 bit OS, if you don't want to be left with wasted ram. A 32bit OS can only allocate 3,25GB, so the rest of it is not used.

 

[i7Baby]

Yes - get a 64bit OS. But you also need to get more than 4gb ram. eg 2 x 4gb kit.

 

[licio]

cpu: intel core 2 duo e7500 @ 2.93 ghz

I checked the bios and the only entry related to video is to choose between the pci or the onboard. There is no option to adjust the amount of memory allocated to the onboard. Either way, if the video is set to pci, I doubt that any ram would be allocated to the onboard.

What else could be taking up the ram?

 

[herrwizo]

That simply means that you are out of luck - most "branded" computers (pre-built) have very limited BIOS options in my experience. In your case, you don't even have the option to turn off the onboard graphics, let alone adjust the amount of memory it uses.

What this means is that your onboard graphics is actually always ON and always using a predefined amount of memory. I would say at least 256MB, possibly even 512MB.

You cannot do much here except upgrading your OS to 64bit and getting 4GB more for 8GB total.

 

[licio]

I just checked the prices for windows 8 and 8gb ram, total ~200$, which is much less than I was expecting to pay.

Will my current mobo be able to utilize the full 8gb on a 64 OS?

 

[i7Baby]

Yes