x86 vs x64 RAM Capacity.

[rustedmetal]

As some might know i have a Viao VGN CR220e which has a max RAM cap of 4 GB. Supposedly 4GB RAM or less is meant to work with x84 systems but since i have a x64 bit Vista installed does that mean that i can install more RAM? than the listed 4GB max?

 

[Vistaar]

No, it does not mean that you can install more than 4 GB of RAM in the old Vaio laptop. That is a hardware limitation. The fact that Vista Home Premium x64 could support as much as 16 GB RAM doesn’t mean that your laptop could support it.

If you just want to surf the net with Firefox 52 x86 on vanilla Vista until the Vaio kicks the bucket, then I would suggest Vista x86. On the other hand, advanced users who want to try the extended kernel need to be running Vista x64.

 

[rustedmetal]

No, it does not mean that you can install more than 4 GB of RAM in the old Vaio laptop. That is a hardware limitation. The fact that Vista Home Premium x64 could support as much as 16 GB RAM doesn’t mean that your laptop could support it.

If you just want to surf the net with Firefox 52 x86 on vanilla Vista until the Vaio kicks the bucket, then I would suggest Vista x86. On the other hand, advanced users who want to try the extended kernel need to be running Vista x64.

I see thanks. It needs to be supported by both. So why would it be better to run x86 instead of x64 on my 4GB laptop?

 

[Vistaar]

Why would it be better to run Vista x64 with only 4 GB RAM and x86 browsers? But you can certainly do whatever you wish.

 

[rustedmetal]

Well, i certainly don't know. I was asking so i can be clear.

 

[bree]

would it be better to run x86 instead of x64 on my 4GB laptop?

An x86 OS has a maximum address space of 4GB. This address space will be used not only to access your RAM, but also to access the Video RAM of your graphics hardware. Often this means that 1GB or more of the address space will reserved for addressing the video RAM, leaving 3GB or less of your installed RAM available to be used by the OS or programs.

An x64 OS can map the video RAM to an address space above that of your installed 4GB RAM, allowing virtually all the installed RAM to be used by the OS or programs.

For a machine with 4GB installed RAM the choice is finely balanced. On the one hand x64 will give a little more useable RAM for your programs, on the other hand x86 is less demanding, will need less RAM for its kernel, and may feel more responsive.

 

[rustedmetal]

An x86 OS has a maximum address space of 4GB. This address space will be used not only to access your RAM, but also to access the Video RAM of your graphics hardware. Often this means that 1GB or more of the address space will reserved for addressing the video RAM, leaving 3GB or less of your installed RAM available to be used by the OS or programs.

An x64 OS can map the video RAM to an address space above that of your installed 4GB RAM, allowing virtually all the installed RAM to be used by the OS or programs.

For a machine with 4GB installed RAM the choice is finely balanced. On the one hand x64 will give a little more useable RAM for your programs, on the other hand x86 is less demanding, will need less RAM for its kernel, and may feel more responsive.

thank you very much for that, it makes sense now.

 

[townsbg]

This address space will be used not only to access your RAM, but also to access the Video RAM of your graphics hardware. Often this means that 1GB or more of the address space will reserved for addressing the video RAM, leaving 3GB or less of your installed RAM available to be used by the OS or programs.

Not necessarily. This depends upon if the graphics has dedicated ram.

 

[bree]

Not necessarily. This depends upon if the graphics has dedicated ram.

I'm not talking about shared RAM, if the graphics has its own dedicated RAM then this has to be addressable in the 4GB address space available to x86. This has to steal some of the address space from the installed RAM, which then becomes 'Hardware Reserved' and no longer available for use.

Here it is in action with Windows 10. Two different installs on a machine that has dedicated video RAM, one x86 the other x64. For x86 1.1GB of the installed RAM is unavailable.

x86



X64

The result is that 32 bit W10 can only see and use 2.93GB of the installed 4GB, with 1.82GB physical RAM free for user applications. 64 bit W10 can use virtually all the installed RAM at 3.93GB. There is 2.49GB of physical RAM free.

Windows Reset Not Visible - Windows 10 Help Forums - post #35