XP Pro RAM
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From: Kernel on 31 May 2010 16:28 If XP can only use 3 GB of RAM, could I install two 2 GB sticks and just let it choose? The reason being is I'm going to build a new PC and it appears that 4 GB may be cheaper/easier to find that one 2 GB and one 1 GB. TIA.
From: John John - MVP on 31 May 2010 16:34 Kernel wrote: > If XP can only use 3 GB of RAM, could I install two 2 GB sticks and just let > it choose? The reason being is I'm going to build a new PC and it appears > that 4 GB may be cheaper/easier to find that one 2 GB and one 1 GB. Sure, no problem at all. Install 4GB and the OS will use what it can, the rest will just go unused but it won't cause any problems. John
From: Kernel on 31 May 2010 16:39 Thanks for the speedy answer. Now I'm off shopping for some parts... "John John - MVP" <audetweld(a)nbnot.nb.ca> wrote in message news:O5DUpCQALHA.5808(a)TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > Kernel wrote: >> If XP can only use 3 GB of RAM, could I install two 2 GB sticks and just >> let it choose? The reason being is I'm going to build a new PC and it >> appears that 4 GB may be cheaper/easier to find that one 2 GB and one 1 >> GB. > > Sure, no problem at all. Install 4GB and the OS will use what it can, the > rest will just go unused but it won't cause any problems. > > John
From: John John - MVP on 31 May 2010 17:21 You're welcome, have fun shopping. John Kernel wrote: > Thanks for the speedy answer. Now I'm off shopping for some parts... > > > "John John - MVP" <audetweld(a)nbnot.nb.ca> wrote in message > news:O5DUpCQALHA.5808(a)TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> Kernel wrote: >>> If XP can only use 3 GB of RAM, could I install two 2 GB sticks and just >>> let it choose? The reason being is I'm going to build a new PC and it >>> appears that 4 GB may be cheaper/easier to find that one 2 GB and one 1 >>> GB. >> Sure, no problem at all. Install 4GB and the OS will use what it can, the >> rest will just go unused but it won't cause any problems. >> >> John > >
From: Ken Blake, MVP on 31 May 2010 17:37
On Mon, 31 May 2010 13:28:18 -0700, "Kernel" <kernel64(a)bosworth33net> wrote: > If XP can only use 3 GB of RAM, could I install two 2 GB sticks and just let > it choose? The reason being is I'm going to build a new PC and it appears > that 4 GB may be cheaper/easier to find that one 2 GB and one 1 GB. Yes, that's no problem. But bear in mind that "XP can only use 3 GB of RAM" is not completely accurate. Here's the correct info: All 32-bit client versions of Windows (not just Vista/XP/7) have a 4GB address space (64-bit versions can use much more). That's the theoretical upper limit beyond which you can not go. But you can't use the entire 4GB of address space. Even though you have a 4GB address space, you can only use *around* 3.1GB of RAM. That's because some of that space is used by hardware and is not available to the operating system and applications. The amount you can use varies, depending on what hardware you have installed, but can range from as little as 2GB to as much as 3.5GB. It's usually around 3.1GB. Note that the hardware is using the address *space*, not the actual RAM itself. If you have a greater amount of RAM, the rest of the RAM goes unused because there is no address space to map it to. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003 Please Reply to the Newsgroup |