Vista - Difference between actual/reported RAM

When I had 2gb of RAM Windows reported 1.86gb. I just doubled it to 4gb and
it shows in the BIOS as 4gb but in Windows only 2.85gb. I realise that it's
probably being eaten alive by my video and TV-FM cards plus other
parerphernalia but isn't that loss a bit much?
Is there anything I can do to improve matters or should I just ignore it?

--
Peter
Toronto, Canada
XP Pro SP2 x 2 + Vista Ultimate fully updated
P4 D865GBFL HT @ 3.0ghz 2.0gb DDR 700gb HD
ATI Radeon 9550 Graphics
Creative Soundblaster Audigy 4 Audio

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291988


"Peter" <ex-brit AT rogers DOT com> wrote in message
news:%232otoF5VHHA.3592@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
| When I had 2gb of RAM Windows reported 1.86gb. I just
doubled it to 4gb and
| it shows in the BIOS as 4gb but in Windows only 2.85gb. I
realise that it's
| probably being eaten alive by my video and TV-FM cards
plus other
| parerphernalia but isn't that loss a bit much?
| Is there anything I can do to improve matters or should I
just ignore it?
|
| --
| Peter
| Toronto, Canada
| XP Pro SP2 x 2 + Vista Ultimate fully updated
| P4 D865GBFL HT @ 3.0ghz 2.0gb DDR 700gb HD
| ATI Radeon 9550 Graphics
| Creative Soundblaster Audigy 4 Audio
|
|

Thanks Jim, but that is as clear as mud to me unfortunately.

--
Peter
XP Pro SP2 x 2 + Vista Ultimate
P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 700gb HDD, 4.0gb DDR
Soundblaster Audigy 4/ATI Radeon 9550 SE/Asus 7135 TV-FM
"Jim Macklin" <p51mustang[threeX12]@xxxhotmail.calm> wrote in message
news:%23Jdqfr5VHHA.4668@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291988
>
>
> "Peter" <ex-brit AT rogers DOT com> wrote in message
> news:%232otoF5VHHA.3592@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> | When I had 2gb of RAM Windows reported 1.86gb. I just
> doubled it to 4gb and
> | it shows in the BIOS as 4gb but in Windows only 2.85gb. I
> realise that it's
> | probably being eaten alive by my video and TV-FM cards
> plus other
> | parerphernalia but isn't that loss a bit much?
> | Is there anything I can do to improve matters or should I
> just ignore it?
> |
> | --
> | Peter
> | Toronto, Canada
> | XP Pro SP2 x 2 + Vista Ultimate fully updated
> | P4 D865GBFL HT @ 3.0ghz 2.0gb DDR 700gb HD
> | ATI Radeon 9550 Graphics
> | Creative Soundblaster Audigy 4 Audio
> |
> |
>
>

windows will not recognize 4 gigs of ram and it is also a limit of the
chipset on the board. It is just a limitation. If you want to run and see 4
gig of ram you need a 64 bit OS. I never did find out if it is being used
even if you can't see it. Even with Vista, 2 megs of ram is plenty.


"Peter" <ex-brit AT rogers DOT com> wrote in message
news:%232otoF5VHHA.3592@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> When I had 2gb of RAM Windows reported 1.86gb. I just doubled it to 4gb
> and it shows in the BIOS as 4gb but in Windows only 2.85gb. I realise
> that it's probably being eaten alive by my video and TV-FM cards plus
> other parerphernalia but isn't that loss a bit much?
> Is there anything I can do to improve matters or should I just ignore it?
>
> --
> Peter
> Toronto, Canada
> XP Pro SP2 x 2 + Vista Ultimate fully updated
> P4 D865GBFL HT @ 3.0ghz 2.0gb DDR 700gb HD
> ATI Radeon 9550 Graphics
> Creative Soundblaster Audigy 4 Audio
>
>

When I removed the extra 2gb the system took forever to boot for some
reason, so now it's back in. A waste I guess but hopefully wont damage
anything.

--
Peter
XP Pro SP2 x 2 + Vista Ultimate
P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 700gb HDD, 4.0gb DDR
Soundblaster Audigy 4/ATI Radeon 9550 SE/Asus 7135 TV-FM
"BigJim" <woody10277@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:8tqdnR3Y6o78T0LYnZ2dnUVZ_ragnZ2d@comcast.com...
> windows will not recognize 4 gigs of ram and it is also a limit of the
> chipset on the board. It is just a limitation. If you want to run and see
> 4 gig of ram you need a 64 bit OS. I never did find out if it is being
> used even if you can't see it. Even with Vista, 2 megs of ram is plenty.
>
>
> "Peter" <ex-brit AT rogers DOT com> wrote in message
> news:%232otoF5VHHA.3592@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> When I had 2gb of RAM Windows reported 1.86gb. I just doubled it to 4gb
>> and it shows in the BIOS as 4gb but in Windows only 2.85gb. I realise
>> that it's probably being eaten alive by my video and TV-FM cards plus
>> other parerphernalia but isn't that loss a bit much?
>> Is there anything I can do to improve matters or should I just ignore it?
>>
>> --
>> Peter
>> Toronto, Canada
>> XP Pro SP2 x 2 + Vista Ultimate fully updated
>> P4 D865GBFL HT @ 3.0ghz 2.0gb DDR 700gb HD
>> ATI Radeon 9550 Graphics
>> Creative Soundblaster Audigy 4 Audio
>>
>>
>
>

A 32 bit system will only addrss 3 gig of RAM. You won't see all 32 in Vista because some addresses are used by the video card and for other things (think available unique addresses rather than RAM). The mother board will also limit you based on the chipset.

If you are using dual channel memory you have to make sure that you left the remaining memory boards in the proper slots for dual channel to work (Probably every other slot). I have four gigs installed just for symmetry so that the memory will run dual channel. You don't want an odd number of slots occupied. I still only get to use 2.85 gigs

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

On Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:07:22 -0800, Gene wrote:

>A 32 bit system will only addrss 3 gig of RAM. You won't see all 32 in Vista because some addresses are used by the video card and for other things (think available unique addresses rather than RAM). The mother board will also limit you based on the chipset.
>
>If you are using dual channel memory you have to make sure that you left the remaining memory boards in the proper slots for dual channel to work (Probably every other slot). I have four gigs installed just for symmetry so that the memory will run dual channel. You don't want an odd number of slots occupied. I still only get to use 2.85 gigs
>
>EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
>http://www.eggheadcafe.com

x64 Vista will allow you to see all your RAM without issue.

--
Cheers,
Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP
http://vpc.essjae.com/