A new question concerning memory.

[George Ross]

A new question concerning memory.
The reason I added more memory in the 1st place was I though I might be short on RAM while rendering my HD video project in Sony Vegas 6.0.
(see - http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=1114779207;start=0#0 )
Let me explain.

I’m a Videographer. In the past whenever I scanned photos for a montage, I always scanned them at 300-500dpi depending on the photo size. I like to pan & zoom when editing my montages; so high dpi reduces pixel effects. My render times are longer, but I've never had Vegas stall until now.
I took an old NTSC video project & tried to render it in HD but Vegas stalled. I say stalled because when viewing Windows Task Manage the CPU usage drops from 98-99% to 0. There are no error warnings. Vegas was up & the render window is still counting the time. The only way to exit Vegas is to End Process in WTM.
When this was first happened I watched Windows Task Manage carefully & noticed that the memory usage was at least double when rendering HD vs. SD. In SD the memory usage during difficult transitions & FX effects would climb to 750,000k. During the same HD render it would climb to 1,350,000k & this is where it would stall.
My system is a new MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI MB with AMD FX64-4000+ with 2gb of Corsair RAM. With the memory reading of 1,350,000k in Windows Task Manage I figured it to be a system memory shortage, so I added 2gb more for a total of 4gb of RAM. All four DIMMs are exactly the same part #, size & brand.
The new results of the test were the same as before. Vegas stalled when I hit in & around 1,350,000k memory usage.
I decided to try a new approach. I reduced the dpi of each photo in half. This time it works without incident even as the memory usage nears the 1,350,000k level.
I’m assuming that sense my computer has 4gb of RAM it shouldn’t be memory starved at the 1-2gb point in WTM.
Is there a BIOS setting I’m overlooking for over 2gb RAM?
Any Ideas?

[pcdoc4christ]

George:

What operating system is installed?

[George Ross]

Windows XP Home.
AMD 64 FX-4000
4gb Corsair RAM
K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI motherboard
MSI 6800GT Videocard w/SLI

http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=1114779207;start=0#0

This is a link to my previous post concerning having 4gb of RAM but only reading 3.25 in Computer\Properties. It turns out that this is normal for this MSI motherboard.
But, my video editing program (Sony Vegas) stalls opon rendering large HD projects between 1-1.5gb.
Is there something is BIOS that limits RAM above 2gb? I'm thinking that the operating system needs so much RAM in reserve to keep things running & limits my editing to the 1-1.5gb level.
Thanks

[gussery]

George,

May I ask why you seem to be looking at a system or OS limitation and not a problem with the software itself?
Does your software support your hardware/OS configurations?  Is your temporary swap file of the appropriate size?  Does your software also use it's own swap file (many memory intensive applications manage their own swap file).

Last I checked XP supports up to 4 GB of RAM.  Now there could be some conflict because your system has 4 but only reports 3.25, but that is probably a stretch.

XP doesn't need to consume significantly more memory just because an application is consuming it too.  

I suspect, and note this is only a suspicion I have no direct experience with Sony Vegas, that this software is at least partly responsible for your problems.

[George Ross]

Gary,
One of my many weakness’ is I’m not well versed in how computers work. Too often I’m looking in the wrong place; not knowing where a likely solution can be found. So, please, bare with me as I try to explain my logic.
I know others who are using Vegas that do use at least 4gb of RAM. I have a similar post at the Vegas forum, but as of yet, haven't received a response as to preference settings within Vegas that might be different than mine. But, the face remains; Vegas users are working with 2gb or more RAM without issues.
I'm looking hardest at the OS because RAM seems to be a sensitive issue with motherboards & BIOS settings. See this link as to how MSI stresses careful memory selection. http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=K8N_Neo4_Platinum/SLI&class=mb
One of the system analysis tools I downloaded from MSI refers to physical memory being at 2gb & overall at 4gb or something to that effect. Shouldn't the physical memory be 4gb?
George

[Mac]

Interesting observations there. I have seen it STATED that XP Professional can use 4 Gb of RAM but I have yet to see anywhere where it CLEARLY states that XP Home can do the same.

I refer you to this MS KB Article. RAM Virtual Memory Paging

Also, when Windows starts it is said that it will generate a paging file 1·5 times the amount of installed RAM by default. So I imagine that you need a 6 Gb space for the paging file. (Plus 15%, so say 7 Gb, allowing for a little more to be on the safe side.)

So it might be an idea to check on XP Home's ability to use 4·0 Gb with other users, and to put the paging file in its own partition. leaving a small paging file on the OS drive (Usually drive C: )

Maybe they are all using XP Professional.

[gussery]

Good Job George.  At least you are exploring all possibilities.  

Do you know if Vegas uses it's own temporary files or temporary swap file?  Do you know the size of your Windows temporary swap file?  Is it fixed or system managed? It used to be that Windows would use all of the RAM before going to the swap file but that is no longer the case.

There certainly are some interesting memory caveats related to your motherboard.  Have you actually tested your RAM?  Since the chips were apparently purchased at seperate times then I also assume they have different lot numbers, have you tried changing the order of the sticks? (Put the new where the old was and vice versa).  Have you tried running just the new RAM and see if maybe there may have been an error with the old (causing the original problem that still persists).

Since you mention this system is new.  Did you in fact install the OS new?  

You mention that you know of other people running Vegas with 4GB of RAM.  Do you know their OS?  Is it XP Home? or XP Pro? or some other OS?

Do you have the latest firmware for your BIOS?

Just trying to throw some ideas at the wall, maybe one will stick.

[Mac]

Just something else I pulled off the Internet:

A description of the 4 GB RAM Tuning feature and the Physical Address Extension switch.

[George Ross]

gussery,
"Do you know if Vegas uses it's own temporary files or temporary swap file?"
I'm sorry, I don't know for sure, but I don't think so.
I did get a response at the Vegas forum that said RAM memory was allocated up to 2gb by application. I just assumed if I had 4gb available that my application could use as much of this as needed.
My system is completely new including the OS, which is Windows XP Home Edition. I've also been told that XP Pro allows RAM re-allocation whereas XP Home does not.
I have swapped the memory chips for testing purposes & all are good. The lot #s are different.
Mac,
I'll investigate the Boot.ini setting but I don't think XP Home allows this.
Thanks to all!

[Mac]

Have you thought of using Windows 64-bit operating system? Do you know if Vegas will work with it?

Or have you thought of upgrading to XP Professional?

[George Ross]

I want Windows XP64 Pro but I'm waiting to see if it is stable & also if all the necessary drivers are available. I don't think Vegas will be true 64bit until next year's when they introduce their new version (they just had a new version release 2 weeks ago). It is compatible with the current version of XP64 Pro.

[Mac]

It is probably prudent to wait, as Windows 64 can use up to 16 Gb of RAM.