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RAM and windows
i am thinking of building my own PC and was wandering what is the most
ammount of RAM any virsion of Windows can read |
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#2
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RAM and windows
paul3200 wrote:
i am thinking of building my own PC and was wandering what is the most ammount of RAM any virsion of Windows can read A 64 bit OS is likely to handle whatever desktop motherboard you build. Even a Core i7 full of RAM (24GB). http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx For something like 32 bit WinXP, you have 4GB of address space (since PAE isn't available), minus the space used by the video card or cards. For example, on some older systems (A8N-SLI Deluxe with two 512MB video cards), you might see 2.75GB of RAM reported in Windows, even though 4GB of RAM was physically present. At the time, memory was expensive enough, that people would be tempted to buy 2x1GB + 2x512MB and populate 3GB total, so not much of it would be wasted. But at least in the case of DDR2, the memory is so cheap now, you just buy 2x2GB and don't worry about it. The purpose of the matched pair, is to run in dual channel mode. Buying 2GB + 1GB sticks, while more economical, would not give as high a bandwidth. While some motherboards can run a mixed set like that in dual channel mode for part of the address space, it really isn't that desirable to have memory that has different performance levels as you move through the memory space. (Intel calls that capability "flex memory" in the chipset datasheets. Nvidia may have been the first to support a mode like that.) I bought a nice 2x2GB DDR2 kit for about $60, and I'm not going to guess what the price is now. Memory prices have gone up 50% in the last few months, but since memory was dirt cheap then, it is still a bargain. Paul |
#3
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RAM and windows
paul3200 wrote:
i am thinking of building my own PC and was wandering what is the most ammount of RAM any virsion of Windows can read A 64 bit OS is likely to handle whatever desktop motherboard you build. Even a Core i7 full of RAM (24GB). http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx For something like 32 bit WinXP, you have 4GB of address space (since PAE isn't available), minus the space used by the video card or cards. For example, on some older systems (A8N-SLI Deluxe with two 512MB video cards), you might see 2.75GB of RAM reported in Windows, even though 4GB of RAM was physically present. At the time, memory was expensive enough, that people would be tempted to buy 2x1GB + 2x512MB and populate 3GB total, so not much of it would be wasted. But at least in the case of DDR2, the memory is so cheap now, you just buy 2x2GB and don't worry about it. The purpose of the matched pair, is to run in dual channel mode. Buying 2GB + 1GB sticks, while more economical, would not give as high a bandwidth. While some motherboards can run a mixed set like that in dual channel mode for part of the address space, it really isn't that desirable to have memory that has different performance levels as you move through the memory space. (Intel calls that capability "flex memory" in the chipset datasheets. Nvidia may have been the first to support a mode like that.) I bought a nice 2x2GB DDR2 kit for about $60, and I'm not going to guess what the price is now. Memory prices have gone up 50% in the last few months, but since memory was dirt cheap then, it is still a bargain. Paul |
#4
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RAM and windows
32 Bit Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 = 4GB max
64 Bit Vista or Windows 7 may be limited by the version you install: See: http://www.start64.com/index.php?opt...4&Ite mid=128 Pick a motherboard that's relatively new model. Check the manufacture's driver list, you should see at least Vista AND Windows 7 beta drivers, this way you know the vendor is working on drivers for when Windows 7 is released. Note: There is a 64Bit version of XP also but not very popular. -- JS http://www.pagestart.com "paul3200" wrote in message ... i am thinking of building my own PC and was wandering what is the most ammount of RAM any virsion of Windows can read |
#5
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RAM and windows
32 Bit Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 = 4GB max
64 Bit Vista or Windows 7 may be limited by the version you install: See: http://www.start64.com/index.php?opt...4&Ite mid=128 Pick a motherboard that's relatively new model. Check the manufacture's driver list, you should see at least Vista AND Windows 7 beta drivers, this way you know the vendor is working on drivers for when Windows 7 is released. Note: There is a 64Bit version of XP also but not very popular. -- JS http://www.pagestart.com "paul3200" wrote in message ... i am thinking of building my own PC and was wandering what is the most ammount of RAM any virsion of Windows can read |
#6
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RAM and windows
unless you have a
specific requirement or need, I wouldn't spend too much money in building a pc or more power than you really need. the reason being is that your investment doesn't outlast technology. in fact, if you build a pc now, it will be outdated by October when windows 7 comes out. so you can buy/spend for the costs of components today built for vista "or" wait when win7 comes out then buy vista ready components at a discount. but to answer your question, get 2 gigs of ram, unless you are a high end graphics designer or nasa engineer. -- db·´¯`·...¸)))º DatabaseBen, Retired Professional - Systems Analyst - Database Developer - Accountancy - Veteran of the Armed Forces - Microsoft Partner - @hotmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen "paul3200" wrote in message ... i am thinking of building my own PC and was wandering what is the most ammount of RAM any virsion of Windows can read |
#7
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RAM and windows
unless you have a
specific requirement or need, I wouldn't spend too much money in building a pc or more power than you really need. the reason being is that your investment doesn't outlast technology. in fact, if you build a pc now, it will be outdated by October when windows 7 comes out. so you can buy/spend for the costs of components today built for vista "or" wait when win7 comes out then buy vista ready components at a discount. but to answer your question, get 2 gigs of ram, unless you are a high end graphics designer or nasa engineer. -- db·´¯`·...¸)))º DatabaseBen, Retired Professional - Systems Analyst - Database Developer - Accountancy - Veteran of the Armed Forces - Microsoft Partner - @hotmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen "paul3200" wrote in message ... i am thinking of building my own PC and was wandering what is the most ammount of RAM any virsion of Windows can read |
#8
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RAM and windows
Answer based on the way the question is phrased.
More than what you can install on any currently available motherboard. paul3200 wrote: i am thinking of building my own PC and was wandering what is the most ammount of RAM any virsion of Windows can read |
#9
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RAM and windows
Answer based on the way the question is phrased.
More than what you can install on any currently available motherboard. paul3200 wrote: i am thinking of building my own PC and was wandering what is the most ammount of RAM any virsion of Windows can read |
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