Upgraded Memory - not seeing all my RAM!

C

CoppMAN

New Member
first post here, need some help if possible.

I have an HP DV9000 w/ centrino core duo and windows xp media center

i HAD 1 gig of RAM, i had recently read on the net that HP updated their bios to support 4 gigs of RAM rather than 2, which is what it was at when i bought the computer. Anyway, I updated my bios about a year or so ago, so I figured I would be okay with 4 gigs. To be sure I went to HP's website and they only had bios for dv9000s with AMD processors.

So I bought 2 2gig cards and installed them. booted up nice and fast, and everything seems good, but i went into my system properties and it stated i was running with 3 gigs of RAM currently.

now i read online also that with 32-bit versions of windows it limits the RAM capacity from reaching the maximum 4 gigs. BUT, is 3 gigs where I should be at? Do I need to try and update the bios? If I return one of these 2 gigs and get a cheaper 1 gig card, will I still be at 3 gigs (in the interest of saving money)?

any help anyone can provide is much appreciated
 
The 32bit kernel limits any system down from 4gb to 3-3.12gb available. Vista's SP1 simply allows Windows to report all 4gb installed while still seeing that limitation on available ram. The memory still works and the bios update is for the board in that model to allow the use of the larger dimms.

For seeing all 4gb as available ram the common trend now is seeing people rush for the 64bit editions of Vista rather then 32bit. Each edition will see a different maximum on the amount supported there however.
 
so basically the drop in RAM that i'm seeing is the result of the 32-bit processor and OS that i read about?
 
It's actually the 32bit kernel Windows is based on that can't address and ends up mapping memory addresses out to hardwares instead of usable ram for programs. The 64bit editions however are gaining in popularity due to many thinking they will see better gaming performance with all 4gb being seen. To the contrary a general tweak of hardwares as well as Windows itself is what works.

You can still install 4gb on an XP system and use the 3gb or so available out of the 4gb total. The additional memory after a certain point however generally goes to waste unless you are running something memory hungry like CAD, graphics/animation design, or some engineering software where calculations are launched into orbit. The games out are taking current hardware specifications seen on prebuilt system into account.
 
PC eye said:
The 64bit editions however are gaining in popularity due to many thinking they will see better gaming performance with all 4gb being seen
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How confident are you that any of the 64bit Vista editions will enable him to use all 4GB on his computer?
 
He did not answer anything. I asked: if you install, lets say Vista Ultimate 64bit (128 GB), will that make all 4GB become addressable in the specific computer that the OP has?

Please, read what I write also.
 
I am asking about the hardware in that particularly computer. You can install whatever OS you like, if the hardware doesn't support what you claim, it is a big fat no go.
 
tyttebøvs said:
He did not answer anything. I asked: if you install, lets say Vista Ultimate 64bit (128 GB), will that make all 4GB become addressable in the specific computer that the OP has?

Please, read what I write also.
Click to expand...

Best not to get rude to the pros aka Vizy93 and PC eye
 
CoppMAN which dv9000 model are you running? Plus ignore some unneeded comments by some people with obvious nothing else better to do.
 
Best not to get rude to the pros aka Vizy93
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i did the same thing that stranglehold did. 'Cept i broke my desk :(

Not really, but I am by no means a pro. PCeye however is a lot more knowledgeable and i would go to him for advice any day ( a lot of people don't feel the same way.)
 
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The reason for the question on which model is simply due to seeing a dv9000 CTO showing 512mb installed expandable to 2gb of DDR2 667 while the dv9000t CTO specs show upto 4gb but with a Core 2 Duo. There are another two models inbetween those.
 
Vizy93 said:
i did the same thing that stranglehold did. 'Cept i broke my desk :(
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Feel better about yourself. Actually it wasnt your name I was laughing about.

The model number should have been asked about to start with before someone started claiming how much Memory it could support.
 
Best not to get rude to the pros aka Vizy93 and PC eye
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I would rank tyttebøvs quite high on the pro list and he is right.
I am asking about the hardware in that particularly computer. You can install whatever OS you like, if the hardware doesn't support what you claim, it is a big fat no go.
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I can install Vista x64 on my old P3 (I think it will run :P) and I know it will not support more than 4GB of RAM. I'm pretty sure it wont even support 2GB :P
 
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The main problems still seen with any 64bit version of Windows or particular OS is simply drivers! That's the key word even with Vista along with still not seeing hardly any 64bit applications.

As far as minimum system requirements for the 32bit editions of Vista alone a 1ghz cpu and 512mb for Basic. The rest still see a 1ghz cpu but 1gb of memory. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/get/system-requirements.aspx

I think that old P3 ran a little faster then that when you the olc system going. :P
 
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