RAM Memory Modules Incorrectly Detected ?

[Hugo Colome]

I just installed on my Sony Vaio VGN-FZ250FE (using Windows Vista), 2 x 2gb
RAM memory modules equivalent to a total of 4 gb of RAM. My BIOS is detecting
the whole 4gb, but under Windows's System App there are only 3gb detected.

Why is this happening? Is a service pack needed maybe? Please help..

Hugo

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

I just installed on my Sony Vaio VGN-FZ250FE (using Windows Vista), 2 x 2gb
RAM memory modules equivalent to a total of 4 gb of RAM. My BIOS is
detecting
the whole 4gb, but under Windows's System App there are only 3gb detected.

Why is this happening? Is a service pack needed maybe? Please help..

Hugo

SP1 installed sees all 4gb reported in Windows as well as BIOS..

BUT 32bit is limited to 4gb total which includes motherboard resources.
Depending upon motherboard design/manufacturer, m/b resources can be as high
as 1.2gb, but more often 500/750mb.

Take this amount off of 4gb, and that is what Windows can actually use..

--
Mike Hall - MVP
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[Hugo Colome]

Thanks Mike. How do I install SP1 in order to see the whole 4gigs within
Windows??

Thanks again!!

 

[Richard G. Harper]

You can install SP1 via Windows Update or Microsoft Download but all it will
do is alter the displayed memory amount - it will SHOW the entire 4gb off
memory but your system will still only be able to USE about 3gb of it.

 

[Richard Urban]

You can't with 32 bit Vista as was just explained.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

SP1 will be up on Windows Update as an Automatic Download in a few days.
Just wait.

SP1 will not give you any more memory for user programs anyway. The only
change is the amount of ram as reported on the system properties page. It
now shows installed ram. If you run winver you will still see the amount
you do now, which is the amount available to the user.

 

[Hugo Colome]

Ok thanks to all!! I have two more questions please,

1. Before I installed these 2 x 2gb modules, I installed 1 x 2 gb module + 1
x 1 gb module (total real 3gb). In that case Windows -did- show the total
3gb. So why weren't the Mother Board resources diminished there? Why If I
then installed 1 gb more (for a total of 4 gb), it kept showing the same 3gb
in Windows ?

2. Is it possible (or recommended) to assign less resources to that Mother
Board resources? I think 1gb is a lot of memory for that sole purpose!

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Why do you want to change the amount of memory for user programs?

Essentially this is the price we pay for our modern hardware, like high
memory video cards. The BIOS determines what to reserve for memory-mapped
IO (so we can benefit from our fancy cards and such) and it varies by system
according to what is installed.

If you have a program that requires a massive amount of ram then you should
run a 64bit OS. You would never be able to tweak enough more user memory in
a 32bit OS to make much of a difference.

Remember, there are two of you using the computer; you and the computer.
Let the computer have some too.

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

Ok thanks to all!! I have two more questions please,

1. Before I installed these 2 x 2gb modules, I installed 1 x 2 gb module + 1
x 1 gb module (total real 3gb). In that case Windows -did- show the total
3gb. So why weren't the Mother Board resources diminished there? Why If I
then installed 1 gb more (for a total of 4 gb), it kept showing the same 3gb
in Windows ?

2. Is it possible (or recommended) to assign less resources to that Mother
Board resources? I think 1gb is a lot of memory for that sole purpose!

Let's try this one more time:

While Windows will RECOGNIZE the FULL amount of RAM showing in the
BIOS, only about 3GB of that memory will be AVAILABLE for USERs to
use. The REST will be used by the OS for INTERNAL purposes, such as
displaying what is in VRAM, serving as OS buffers, etc.

This OS-only portion will NOT be available for the USER himself,
UNLESS he has a 64bit OS installed.

HOME PREMIUM x32 is a 32-bit-ONLY OS. It will NEVER have the full
installed amount of RAM available to the user.

It is STILL a good idea to have 4GB installed on a Vista x32 machine,
since VRAM, Buffers, etc, will be SUBTRACTED for INTERNAL use by the
OS from the total amount of RAM installed in the Machine, whether it
is 8GB, 4GB, 3GB, 2GB, or 1GB.

This is because a 32-bit OS only has a 4GB memory-space. The OS
itself is limited to no more than 4GB. This total memory space MUST
be divided (but not "50-50") between the USER area, and the OS area.

This is because of the fact that the highest memory address a 32-bit
CPU can access is approximately "4,096,000,000 (decimal)".

Under a 32-bit OS like Vista x32, the FULL INSTALLED amount will
NEVER be available to the user.

Donald L McDaniel
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