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bragdown bragdown
 
December 18, 2008 10:48 PM

What's the max memory (RAM) can Windows Vista 32 actually use?

I have 3GB, and I've heard that 32 can only effectively use 4GB. I'd love to get more than 4GB, but would like to know if it's worth it.
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richardca richardca
 
 December 19, 2008 02:52 AM
You seem to be asking if its worth the upgrade. I would say no because your 32 bit Vista system will not be able to effectively use the 4 gigs. However, I would not stop there. You need to also ask yourself how is your current system is configured, how long are you going to keep it, and how much would it cost to go to 4 gigs. If you have 2 slots that could take a max of 2 gigs each and you have a 2 and 1 combo then you are going to have a stick of memory lying around. If you have four slots then that might not be an issue. If you have a newer system and envision upgrading to Windows 7 and its cost effective the upgrade would not hurt.

You might want to see if Ready Boost would work for you since you are running Vista. See" http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/readyboost.aspx
Source(s):
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/readyboost.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx#physical_memory_limit...

Asker's Rating:
• Thanks for the depth of your answer! Clear reasoning with a practical solution. Ready Boost worked like a charm on my comp. Thanks!


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griff griff
 
December 18, 2008 10:57 PM
In theory, the most a 32 bit operating system can use is 4 GB of RAM.

However, there is a major flaw that pushes the limit down a bit. Most 32 bit systems can only actually use 3 to 3.5 Gb of this actual RAM.

There is a giant hole in memory addressing that was present when computers where first starting to take the scene, but no one predicted we would actually NEED 4 gigs of RAM. In fact, the hole still exists in 64 BIT OS's, but again has been pushed way off into the distance.

In short, the most you can actually use on 32 bit is about 3.5 GB.

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mrnemo mrnemo
 
December 18, 2008 11:19 PM
If I had to add to the answer above, I would say that it can use 4GB, but this cap is related to hardware reservations. For instance, I have 4GB in my box, and due (presumably) to the BIOS, PCI bridge, and especially my PCIe due to my 8800 GTS with 512MB RAM, the box reads 3.25GB. This is unfortunate, because I wanted to add another card for additional video but I hate to see that much more memory inaccessible to the O/S.

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admdrew admdrew
 
December 19, 2008 12:16 AM
The 4 GB memory limit is technically limited by the 32 bit processor; 32 bit CPUs literally cannot handle more addresses than are present in 4 GB of RAM.

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drivel drivel
 
December 19, 2008 02:46 AM
No. 32-bit OS's can use more than 4GB of memory and Intel's PAE was designed to enable 32-bit OS's to use more than 4GB of memory. Microsoft's Windows 2000 advanced server supports 8GB.

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drivel drivel
 
December 19, 2008 02:35 AM
The limit for 32-bit Vista is 4 GB. The amount of memory Vista can used is dependant upon your hardware. Vista can make use of all 4 GB of physical memory provided it is running on a 64-bit CPU and your computer meets a long list of requirements:
Source(s):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605


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williamwac... williamwac...
 
December 19, 2008 04:34 AM
This is not an answer but have you considered:

Do you really need that much ram. Normal users can't tell the difference between two gigs and four gigs in normal every day use. If you are doing something that really needs that much memory, you should upgrade to a 64bit cpu anyway.

Depending on the size memory cards your machine uses, you might have to throw away some of your existing memory to get it up to 4 gigs.

The point I am making is that if you really need 4 gigs, you also need 64 bit and you can probably buy a new machine for little more than it will cost to upgrade the old one.
Source(s):
Personal opinion about upgrading machines.


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brendan09 brendan09
 
December 19, 2008 10:01 PM
32-Bit Windows Vista can only support up to 4gb of memory. You can put more in, but it can't use it. Upgrade to Windows Vista 64-bit to support more memory.

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cfsporn cfsporn
 
December 19, 2008 10:28 PM
3 GB. I put 4 gigs of ram in my computer. it sees all 4 gigs, but can only register 3. However, when I boot it off of a live linux cd, it sees all 4

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mrsbluemoo... mrsbluemoo...
 
December 19, 2008 11:29 PM
Install the 64-bit version of Vista. Then you can go higher . . . . way higher.

Yes, somewhere around 4 GB or less is what Vista can handle. RAM is currently very very cheap. So 4 GB of a good name brand runs less then $40 right now. I noticed a major difference upgrading from 2 GB to 4 GB.

64 bit is the way to go if you are doing more intensive thing like photoshop or 3d programs.
Source(s):
Physical Memory Limits: Windows Vista
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx

And personal experience from years of computer usage.


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