Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit - RAM installed 6 GB but usable only 2.58 GB

[whiskynine]

I have problem about RAM

Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit - RAM installed 6 GB but usable only 2.58 GB



my laptop first has 2 GB of RAM and I add 4 GB after install Windows7. Do I have to Reinstall Windows to get 4 GB usable RAM as limit in 32 bit Windows

[whiskynine]

Task manager show like this

[patio]

You will need a 64 bit ver. of Windows to utilise 6G of RAM...
It should still be reporting approx. 3.5G of RAM though...not 2.5G.

Where did you purchase the RAM ?

[whiskynine]

1. You will need a 64 bit ver. of Windows to utilise 6G of RAM...
It should still be reporting approx. 3.5G of RAM though...not 2.5G.

2. Where did you purchase the RAM ?

1. I will try to install 64 bit later. But still wonder why 32 bit report only 2.5 GB
2. I bought from computer shop in Thailand

thank you

Ps. Bios also see 6 GB

[BC_Programmer]

the 32-bit Windows kernel is limited to 4GB of Physical Memory, not for any technical reason- just because MS set it that way. (well there are some technical reasons related to drivers, but that's not important here).

Anyway, that limit means the total physical, addressable memory is 4GB. This has to include the Mapped I/O addresses for installed hardware. For Most systems, this results in 3.5GB of usable memory.

If you have an integrated graphics card, they use System Memory as their VRAM, so if your integrated Graphics adapter is set to 1GB of VRAM, you will only see 2.5 with a 32-bit OS.

[whiskynine]

the 32-bit Windows kernel is limited to 4GB of Physical Memory, not for any technical reason- just because MS set it that way. (well there are some technical reasons related to drivers, but that's not important here).

Anyway, that limit means the total physical, addressable memory is 4GB. This has to include the Mapped I/O addresses for installed hardware. For Most systems, this results in 3.5GB of usable memory.

If you have an integrated graphics card, they use System Memory as their VRAM, so if your integrated Graphics adapter is set to 1GB of VRAM, you will only see 2.5 with a 32-bit OS.

it means that if I didn't add this 4 GB, the usable RAM will be only 1 GB from 2GB installed. (I didn't recognize the amount of RAM before adding more).

[BC_Programmer]

it means that if I didn't add this 4 GB, the usable RAM will be only 1 GB from 2GB installed. (I didn't recognize the amount of RAM before adding more).

The limit is a limit on Physical memory. If you have less than the physical limit installed, than the hardware guff is simply mapped into memory beyond your physical memory. The reason having 4GB approaches this problem is that there is no other place for that hardware mapping to go except by replacing existing Memory space.