Time to upgrade to 64bit!

[Robert]

Actually, my old core-duo ran XP 32-bit, and it had 4 1gig sticks. The bios could see the 4gb, however XP could not see the last stick at all, having it in there or not made no difference whatsoever. I suspect this problem could be specific to certain motherboard brands. In the end, 3GB was fine, but after a few years the motherboard died due to the usual problem of failed electrolytic capacitors.

 

So now for my dev work I have a i7-2600 with 16GB ram (windows 7 64-bit).

[Cominus]

 

 

4GB is the maximum for a 32bit system (you can put more in, but the OS won't see it).

 

I would regard 4GB is the minimum usable for a 64bit system.

 

Actually its 3GB, ask me how i know.

 

No it's 4GB, minus address space for hardware. Could be ~3.6GB, could be below 3GB.

Any hardware sitting on the system bus uses up address space in the 4GB range, from sound to video(Onboard or off) or anything else for that matter. The more expansion hardware you have installed, the more address space is reserved.

 

4GB is shit these days, I regard 8GB as minimum and I run 16GB in my main desktop. DDR3 is so cheap compared to everything before it, 8GB doesn't set you back much.

I was running 32GB in it, until I upgraded my server and opted to steal 16GB out of it for the server rather than buy more. 32GB WAS overkill...

 

I mean though you may install 4GBs only 3GBs will show up, it's limited by the 32bit bios.

[ken_cinder]

 

 

 

4GB is the maximum for a 32bit system (you can put more in, but the OS won't see it).

 

I would regard 4GB is the minimum usable for a 64bit system.

 

Actually its 3GB, ask me how i know.

 

No it's 4GB, minus address space for hardware. Could be ~3.6GB, could be below 3GB.

Any hardware sitting on the system bus uses up address space in the 4GB range, from sound to video(Onboard or off) or anything else for that matter. The more expansion hardware you have installed, the more address space is reserved.

 

4GB is shit these days, I regard 8GB as minimum and I run 16GB in my main desktop. DDR3 is so cheap compared to everything before it, 8GB doesn't set you back much.

I was running 32GB in it, until I upgraded my server and opted to steal 16GB out of it for the server rather than buy more. 32GB WAS overkill...

 

I mean though you may install 4GBs only 3GBs will show up, it's limited by the 32bit bios.

 

Hate to tell you, you're still wrong...now, some Bios' have limits that make this true, it's not true of all 32bit systems. I have a laptop that is even 64bit capable, but is limited to 3GB for RAM...sound stupid? Sounds very stupid to me, but it is what it is.

It all has to do with the Bios working in Real Mode/Protected Mode/Long Mode..."when" they are in those modes, and if they are even capable of anything beyond Real Mode. (ie; any system capable of utilizing ECC RAM, the Bios must run in Protected Mode)

64bit systems can still be initialized via even a 16bit Bios, in what is known as Long Mode, Compatibility Mode. The Bios is only in control until the OS takes over, but will limit the visibility of hardware in those modes...such as address space for RAM.