Using 4GB RAM on a 32-bit system

[Sage]

Any way I can use all my RAM?

[Serge]

Isn't 1GB reserved by Windows or something? 32 bits should give you all the address space (0xFFFFFFFF bytes = 4GB - 1 byte).

[FOTEPX]

Dang, you're allready better than me, I only got a 4.1, on a good day.

[Jack Daniels]

Also bear in mind that if you have an onboard graphics processor... that will mooch some RAM from the pot by itself.  If you have a dedicated graphics card... then 32bit will only recognize the total amount of RAM minus the amount recognized on the card.  (sounds lame but apparently it is common).

[inplabth]

Since you're running a Core 2 Duo, it would be advisable to get a 64-bit OS, and barring that, you're hosed. 32-bit OSes will only recognise 4GB of memory, which includes your RAM and video card memory, dedicated or not.

[DuckRA2]

if you thinkyou cant run something because of your ram, think not, try set the priority to high or realtime! it works so well

[Sage]

Since you're running a Core 2 Duo, it would be advisable to get a 64-bit OS, and barring that, you're hosed. 32-bit OSes will only recognize 4GB of memory, which includes your RAM and video card memory, dedicated or not.

Ahhhh but it takes so long to redownload all my programs >.> plus torrenting OS is tricky business. It's probably not worth the effort for like half a gig of RAM difference.

On a side note, even with 32bit operating system could I use ReadyBoost?

[Sol Vector]

Actually, if you have a c2d you have access to PAE in your boot config...

The /PAE parameter enables Physical Address Extension (PAE). This   parameter directs the system to load the PAE version of the Windows   kernel. PAE is an addressing strategy that uses a page-translation   hierarchy to enable systems that have 32-bit addressing to address more   than 4 GB of physical memory.

And who runs out of memory with 3gb anyway? when idle my system only uses ~40mb and I've only found one program (creating a 2400 frame 1680x1050 animated texture and then rendering it...) that even pushes it close to 3gb, unless of course you think its cool to run all kinds of stupid stuff in the background you'll be fine anyway...

Readyboost is pretty useless honestly, all it does it redesignate your prefetch to another drive. I'd recommend looking into something better such as this: http://www.intel.com/design/flash/nand/turbomemory/index.htm if your really worried about it.

[Serge]

The /PAE parameter enables Physical Address Extension (PAE). This   parameter directs the system to load the PAE version of the Windows   kernel. PAE is an addressing strategy that uses a page-translation   hierarchy to enable systems that have 32-bit addressing to address more   than 4 GB of physical memory.

Every OS uses paging. PAE just changes around the structure of the page directory and page tables to allow a higher amount of memory to be addressed.

Anyway, PAE is enable automatically.

[Sol Vector]

  Anyway, PAE is enable automatically.
 

  Depends on your OS, and if it were he should have more than 2.98 usable. Besides, isn't addressing the memory he currently has exactly what he was asking for?  Perhaps use XP seeing as it's more efficient anyway, and if you manually install stuff instead of letting Microsoft tell you what to do...
 
  All the stuff that supposedly won't run on it, runs just fine...

[Serge]

Depends on your OS, and if it were he should have more than 2.98 usable.

IMVHO it's Windows' way to tell you "hey, I allocated this-and-that memory for the kernel and I also preallocated that much for processes (Windows Vista and up do that IIRC) so that they spawn faster, so hey, malloc(), new, and all those silly user-space processes will only be able to use 3GB unless we get tight on memory (Vista and 7 do that IIRC)". I'll check for this behavior on my 7 box tonight.