Using more than 2 GB RAM

Sharky Forums


Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Using more than 2 GB RAM

  1. 03-10-2009, 08:01 PM #1
    NC
    NC is offline
    Tiger Shark NC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    625

    Using more than 2 GB RAM

    What lines do you add to the Boot.ini fire in XP so that the system will use more than 2 GB of RAM. Will this actually work? Will I benefit from 3 Gb instead of only 2?

    Update: How high can I set the switch? The example I saw was: /NoExecute=AlwaysOff /3g
    Last edited by NC; 03-10-2009 at 08:51 PM.
    Dell 8300, XP Home, GeForce FX5200, HR MicroDAC audio and Swans M200 MKII
    IBM T60 Thinkpad
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  2. 03-11-2009, 06:21 AM #2
    Steve R Jones
    Steve R Jones is offline
    Administrator Steve R Jones's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2000
    Location
    Largo, FL.
    Posts
    5,460
    32 bit Operating Systems will use anywhere from 3 to 3.5 gigs of ram without doing anything..(provided the mobo is designed to use it)
    "Vegetarians live up to nine years longer than the rest of us...Nine horrible, worthless, baconless years."
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  3. 03-11-2009, 07:11 AM #3
    ua549
    ua549 is offline
    Great White Shark
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Posts
    21,595
    You are thinking of the switch that causes a program's 4GB virtual address space to be divided into blocks of 3GB for the code and 1GB for the OS instead of the default 2/2. Only programs that are coded to take advantage of the 3GB address space can use it. The most common program I can think of that uses the 3GB block is SQL Server.

    That switch is of no practical use for a desktop machine.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  4. 03-11-2009, 02:37 PM #4
    wh666-666
    wh666-666 is offline
    Mako Shark wh666-666's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    In a red kennel
    Posts
    4,577
    ^^
    What ua said.





    Quote Originally Posted by Steve R Jones View Post
    32 bit Operating Systems will use anywhere from 3 to 3.5 gigs of ram without doing anything..(provided the mobo is designed to use it)
    Yes. To the OP, xp and vista 32bit are limited to 4GB memory, not 2GB.

    However this 4GB includes video card memory. So if you have a graphics card with 512MB inbuilt memory, then windows can address 3.5GB of RAM. If you have a 128MB card, then windows can address 3.75GB RAM. (etc, etc, etc)
    Last edited by wh666-666; 03-11-2009 at 02:38 PM.
    Compaq A910em: T2330 dual core 1.6Ghz, X3100 384MB GPU, 160GB sata HDD, 2GB RAM
    Gaming rig: Asus Striker II, Coolermaster GX 750w, E4600 @ 2.4Ghz, 2.5GB RAM, Zerotherm FZ 120, 9500GT 1GB
    Server: Mac mini running W23k Server - 1.8Ghz dual-core, 1GB RAM, 1x80GB, 2x500GB externals + LTO1 tape backup

    An important petition, regarding your human rights:
    https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitio...r-both-genders
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  6. 03-12-2009, 01:28 PM #5
    dimmy32
    dimmy32 is offline
    Nerdy.......AND sexy dimmy32's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Somewhere in Canada, eh ?
    Posts
    4,366
    I upgraded my rig from 2 to 4 gigs...Vista 32-bit ( windows 7 ). I didnt see any diff in boot up time, programs ran the same , games do load up a big faster, but not alot.
    Not really worth it.
    i5 2500K
    Gigabyte H67A-UD3H-B3
    8 GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3
    Evga GTX470
    Thermaltake Tsunami VA3000 aluminum case
    Silverstone Zeus 750W
    X-fi Gamer
    Altec Lansing MX 5021s
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  7. 03-12-2009, 01:51 PM #6
    Steve R Jones
    Steve R Jones is offline
    Administrator Steve R Jones's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2000
    Location
    Largo, FL.
    Posts
    5,460
    Quote Originally Posted by dimmy32 View Post
    I upgraded my rig from 2 to 4 gigs...Vista 32-bit ( windows 7 ). I didnt see any diff in boot up time, programs ran the same , games do load up a big faster, but not alot.
    Not really worth it.
    It depends on the apps and how many of em you have open at one time
    "Vegetarians live up to nine years longer than the rest of us...Nine horrible, worthless, baconless years."
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  8. 03-12-2009, 02:38 PM #7
    ua549
    ua549 is offline
    Great White Shark
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Posts
    21,595
    My Windows 7 test system uses about 10GB out of 16GB. Stats
    With only half the memory, I imagine it would run at paging file disk speed.
    With 4GB of memory, it wouldn't run.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  9. 03-13-2009, 10:29 AM #8
    Squirrel Meat
    Squirrel Meat is offline
    Raaawwwrrrrr Squirrel Meat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Wa State
    Posts
    3,213
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve R Jones View Post
    It depends on the apps and how many of em you have open at one time
    agreed. even just running a dual monitor makes the extra 2 gigs worth it and even more so when games are running.
    Steam- DerSchniffles
    Gigabyte z77-UD3H
    Intel Core i7 3770k @ 4.5
    8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR 3 1600
    Sony AVR with 5.1/Asus Xonar DG
    EVGA GTX760 @ 1241/7000
    60 gig OS and 240 gig Game SSD's
    55" Vizio Tv/32" Vizio
    Logitech G700s Mouse and K520 Keyboard
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Forum Rules