Why is Windows XP only reading 2 GB RAM?

S

smoothjk

New Member
My computer's BIOS reads 4 GB...so do programs like CPUID (cpuz?). But why do dxdiag, Windows system properties, and 3dmark06 only read 2 GB? I know XP can't utilize all 4 GB I have in there, but I thought it would read at least 3 or 3.2.

And I know it's not the RAM that is faulty. I've tried with my slower PC2-4200 sticks as well, same deal.

Performance-wise, I'm sure it doesn't make much of a difference, but I'm just wondering why it won't read. I'd rather have at least 3 GB of usable memory than 2.
 
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What should I be checking in BIOS? Is there some setting I need to change?

I think I remember it saying that I had 4 gigs.
 
Some add-on cards use some of your RAM. For instance, I had a TV Tuner that used half a gig of RAM so it read 2.5GB everywhere I looked instead of saying 3GB
 
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