4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB

Techie19 · 07-04-2008, 08:41 PM

Hey guys,

I just built a PC for a friend. I installed 4GB of RAM (4x1GB), the motherboard supports a total of 8GB

. Well, the problem is that Windows XP Home only shows 3GB in control panel

. I checked and the BIOS sees all 4GB. Why is this? Why does the BIOS see all 4GB but Windows only recognizes or shows that only 3GB are installed.

10pmStalker · 07-04-2008, 09:09 PM

you need 64 bit windows to take advantage of 4 or more GB

Techie19 · 07-04-2008, 09:18 PM

10pmStalker,

is this the only way? does this mean that one of the 1GB RAM sticks are pretty much useless in the mobo?

Xsoftware · 07-04-2008, 09:37 PM

It's not usless if you get a 64-bit edition of windows, but baisically, yeah, its useless.

AlienMenace · 07-05-2008, 02:38 AM

windows xp 32 bit will acually see 3.25gb. that is the limitation of 32 bit OS, 64 bit will see 128gb of ram amd use every bit of it. I have windows xp x64 with 6gb of ram.
And you have to have a 64 bit processor to have 64 OS

**vladimirb** · 07-05-2008, 04:12 AM

Hey mate,
Is your PC compatible with 64-bit OS???
If it is, do not return RAM... Maybe you will soon switch to 64-bit version...
If no, then either you can give it to a friend, sell it, or return it to the store...
But you can not have more then 3,25GB on 32-bit windows XP Home or Professional...

**TheShadowFl** · 07-05-2008, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Techie19

Hey guys,

I just built a PC for a friend. I installed 4GB of RAM (4x1GB), the motherboard supports a total of 8GB

. Well, the problem is that Windows XP Home only shows 3GB in control panel

. I checked and the BIOS sees all 4GB. Why is this? Why does the BIOS see all 4GB but Windows only recognizes or shows that only 3GB are installed.

What is the motherboard? What kind of ram?

If it's DDR2 you MUST install it in matched pairs.
Even though not all of the 4 gigs is seen by Windows XP-Home, you DO NOT want to remove one of the sticks. Your performance would suffer greatly if you do. Leave it!

You did right in the first place, by giving XP all the ram it can use.

Y'all have a great day now, Y'hear?
The Shadow

**bhahar84** · 07-05-2008, 07:00 PM

Yes, I agree with TheShadowFl. You might want to leave the 4th ram you have on the computer, as it will be used by your XP to the max, eventhough it can't make full use of it. By any means, 4GB is the highest memory can be used by the XP, but of course you can't see 4GB on your PC. It will be always less than the real size

Hxrxld · 07-05-2008, 07:42 PM

It only shows less than your real size because some of it goes towards your video card...

**peterhuang913** · 07-05-2008, 09:26 PM

Simple answer: 32-bit OS sees up to 4GB. Total RAM you can see is 4GB - video card ram, that's the total addressing space it has.

Simple solution: Get 64-bit OS or just use it as is.

Techie19 · 07-09-2008, 11:40 PM

Sorry I haven't come back in a few days, been busy with work and family. I guess we'll leave the fourth RAM stick installed for now because it is Dual Channel DDR2 RAM, an as TheShadowFl said, its gotta be installed in pairs. Maybe my friend who I built the computer for will get a 64-bit OS later on. And yes it can support a 64-bit OS. The CPU is an AMD Athlon X2 4850e, socket AM2. 2.5GHz. The mobo is an ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition.

As far as to Hxrxld, the video card is not using any of the physical memory because it has its own memory. Its a XFX, PVT84JYAJG GeForce 8600 GT, PCI Express x16 512MB. but then again, I should have listed this from the beginning.

Thank you guys for all the replys and help.

07-04-2008, 08:41 PM	#1 (permalink)
Techie19 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Elizabeth, NJ Posts: 250 OS: XP Media Center SP3 My System	4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB Hey guys, I just built a PC for a friend. I installed 4GB of RAM (4x1GB), the motherboard supports a total of 8GB . Well, the problem is that Windows XP Home only shows 3GB in control panel . I checked and the BIOS sees all 4GB. Why is this? Why does the BIOS see all 4GB but Windows only recognizes or shows that only 3GB are installed.

07-04-2008, 09:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
10pmStalker Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Edmonton Posts: 302 OS: XP Pro 32 bit My System	Re: 4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB you need 64 bit windows to take advantage of 4 or more GB

07-04-2008, 09:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
Techie19 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Elizabeth, NJ Posts: 250 OS: XP Media Center SP3 My System	Re: 4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB 10pmStalker, is this the only way? does this mean that one of the 1GB RAM sticks are pretty much useless in the mobo?

07-04-2008, 09:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
Xsoftware Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 38 OS: Windows XP Pro SP2 My System	Re: 4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB It's not usless if you get a 64-bit edition of windows, but baisically, yeah, its useless.

07-05-2008, 02:38 AM	#5 (permalink)
AlienMenace Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Omaha, Nebraska Posts: 92 OS: Windows XP Pro x64 sp2 My System	Re: 4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB windows xp 32 bit will acually see 3.25gb. that is the limitation of 32 bit OS, 64 bit will see 128gb of ram amd use every bit of it. I have windows xp x64 with 6gb of ram. And you have to have a 64 bit processor to have 64 OS

07-05-2008, 04:12 AM	#6 (permalink)
vladimirb Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Banja Luka, Serb Republic Posts: 3,681 OS: xp pro sp3, Server 2003, Windows 7 Professional x64bit My System	Re: 4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB Hey mate, Is your PC compatible with 64-bit OS??? If it is, do not return RAM... Maybe you will soon switch to 64-bit version... If no, then either you can give it to a friend, sell it, or return it to the store... But you can not have more then 3,25GB on 32-bit windows XP Home or Professional... __________________ MCP - MCSA Cisco SMB Account Manager

07-05-2008, 07:00 PM	#8 (permalink)
bhahar84 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Malaysia Posts: 1,386 OS: Windows XP SP2, Vista Ultimate My System	Re: 4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB Yes, I agree with TheShadowFl. You might want to leave the 4th ram you have on the computer, as it will be used by your XP to the max, eventhough it can't make full use of it. By any means, 4GB is the highest memory can be used by the XP, but of course you can't see 4GB on your PC. It will be always less than the real size __________________ .:CPU-Z::Power Supply::Recuva::Unlocker::SensorsView::PSU Calculator::Everest:.[/center]

07-05-2008, 07:42 PM	#9 (permalink)
Hxrxld Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Miami, Florida Posts: 7 OS: Win XP SP2	Re: 4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB It only shows less than your real size because some of it goes towards your video card...

07-05-2008, 09:26 PM	#10 (permalink)
peterhuang913 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 946 OS: XP Home SP2	Re: 4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB Simple answer: 32-bit OS sees up to 4GB. Total RAM you can see is 4GB - video card ram, that's the total addressing space it has. Simple solution: Get 64-bit OS or just use it as is.

07-09-2008, 11:40 PM	#11 (permalink)
Techie19 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Elizabeth, NJ Posts: 250 OS: XP Media Center SP3 My System	Re: 4GB of RAM installed, but windows XP only shows 3GB Sorry I haven't come back in a few days, been busy with work and family. I guess we'll leave the fourth RAM stick installed for now because it is Dual Channel DDR2 RAM, an as TheShadowFl said, its gotta be installed in pairs. Maybe my friend who I built the computer for will get a 64-bit OS later on. And yes it can support a 64-bit OS. The CPU is an AMD Athlon X2 4850e, socket AM2. 2.5GHz. The mobo is an ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition. As far as to Hxrxld, the video card is not using any of the physical memory because it has its own memory. Its a XFX, PVT84JYAJG GeForce 8600 GT, PCI Express x16 512MB. but then again, I should have listed this from the beginning. Thank you guys for all the replys and help.