GA-P43-ES3G - Showing less RAM then actually installed

[JoeMaster]

Hi!

This is not necessary a motherboard problem, but I think it might be. I have installed another 1GB of RAM on my desktop machine, but now it shows me (both in Linux Ubuntu 11.04 and Windows XP SP3) that I have 2.5GB or RAM, rather than 3GB. It is 32-bits system (Intel Pentium 5400 2.70GHz which is 64-bit compatible) , but should be able to show at least 3GB. Before installing this RAM system showed me exactly as I had - 2GB (not 1.5GB). I suppose this might be problem cause it's dual-channel RAM and I have 3x1GB RAM, if that's of any importance at all. All memory chips are the same Kingston dual-channel PC2-6400 (400 MHz).

Interesting thing is that Speccy and SPU-Z (and also in BIOS, ver. F8) see that there is 3072MB of RAM, but system doesn't. I also have ASUS NVidia GeForce EN9400 GT 512MB 64bits and internal graphics disabled. That would be total of 3584MB of addressed memory space (probably a bit more with sound card and other devices, but it is minor, max ~100MB more), but system should be able to see up to 3GB. In BIOS not all settings are default, but if system was able to see 2GB with same BIOS settings, why wouldn't it be able to see 3GB? All I was able to find in various forums are threads about 32-bits system not being able to see more than 3GB of RAM, but I haven't found anyone with system showing less than it is capable of.

Hope someone can help me with this... (maybe I am doing something very wrong, I don't know).

[Aussie Allan]

 Depending on hardware and brand, running 32 bit OS systems has a limitation of how much memory it can access/address  . windows 32 can only utilize between 3.2 and 3.6 Gig of memory....... to utilize more ... 64 bit operating systems must be used.

 Aussie Allan

[JoeMaster]

OK, I understand that. 32-bit system can address 4GB of memory space, but it is split in 2GB of physical memory and 2GB of virtual memory (I see that through System Information, which show me that I have 3072 of physical memory, but only 2.04 GB of it is available, and also 2.00 GB of virtual  memory available. So, I do have 3GB, it says only 2GB are available, but system "see" 2.5GB? I do not understand that logic at all...   I mean that if 32-bit system is capable of showing 3GB, what have taken those 512MB of memory space so it shows me only 2558MB? Does it mean that if system utilized 3.2GB of memory-512MB for video card, another 256MB for other devices=2.5GB? If thats the case, ok, I will close this topic.

edit: this 2GB limit for physic and virtual memory is actually limit per application, and should not affect ability of system seeing full 3GB as it should.

[JoeMaster]

OK, i figured it out. Thanks to this this article http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91260 What actually is problem is:

...However there is something else most people are NOT aware of:
 Under DirectX 9.0C (and lower) video card ram must be duplicated into system ram. That means if you're running on the highest settings with your new shiny 1GB video card - that 1GB of video memory must be duplicated leaving you with only 2GB left for your game...

So, that's where my RAM disappeared.   I just don't understand why would it duplicate it into system RAM by default unless needed so (like in high-level graphic settings in games). Probably because it can't duplicate it into system RAM withour restart, I guess.

I will leave this topic open for little more time in case I manage to put DirectX 10 on XP, as I heard is possible. It might clean vieo from suystem RAM, I will post results of it here.

[Aussie Allan]

Your making a mistake I see often, My crystal ball is only good for about 600 miles, I don't know your system inside out, you do! and quoting things only you can see.

 I'm also working from Past memory with XP, .... go, control panel, system, ...under memory it should state "memory installed" and next , in brackets "usable"    (see pic)   if this is what you see, .... your system appears to be normal.

  You'll need a DirectX 10 card to be in with a hope !

 Aussie Allan

[JoeMaster]

What do you mean by "quoting things only you can see"? There is Insert Quote button I used for that quote from previous post. I don't how only I can see it? As I said for DX10 on XP, I only heard it could be done, though I doubt that. Idea is to fake my DX as it is 10, so system won't automatically duplicate RAM for graphic as with DX9.0c.  I know I can't run anything under DX10 on XP like it is really a DX10 In  quote from previous reply was this:

"...However there is something else most people are NOT aware of:
 Under DirectX 9.0C (and lower) video card ram must be duplicated into system ram. That means if you're running on the highest settings with your new shiny 1GB video card - that 1GB of video memory must be duplicated leaving you with only 2GB left for your game..."

And this thing about Crystal ball, I don't know what do you mean by that, really...

p.s yes, my card is DX10 compatible, and no, I do not see anything like that photo you attached, it is different in XP, no such thing, unfortunately.

[Aussie Allan]

  What do I mean?..... your sitting in-front of the screen , ! I'm not!.......look at it from my perspective! ,... in half a dozen paragraphs I see.........

  " It is 32-bits system"

  "I also have ASUS NVidia GeForce EN9400 GT 512MB 64bits"

 "32-bit system can address 4GB of memory space, but it is split in 2GB of physical memory and 2GB of virtual memory"....Huh! ?

  "this 2GB limit for physic and virtual memory is actually limit per application".....Huh!

  As you can see ... Your chopping and changing,  looking in windows and tabs I have trouble following!..........One last thing, ... Virtual memory is hard disc, used when you can no longer access memory because it's full ... it's also configurable under "Performance Tab".....if it is set to only 2 GB,...increase it by a good margin, ... especially with only 3 Gig of memory installed.....I hope this answers all your questions.

 Aussie Allan

[JoeMaster]

That's right, it is confusing a bit!

But as I said I figured it out, video RAM is "duplicated" into system RAM.... so that couldn't be fixed on XP so far.

"32-bit system can address 4GB of memory space, but it is split in 2GB of physical memory and 2GB of virtual memory"....Huh! ?

As I said maximum memory addresses that 32bits system could utilise is 4GB, and on System Information only 2GB of physical memory is shown as available, so as the virtual memory. Wether it is normal or not, I don't (want to) know.

"this 2GB limit for physic and virtual memory is actually limit per application".....Huh!

I don't know what is wrong with this, it is a 32bits system, so single app is limited to maximum of 2GB memory usage, unless it is written to be able to access more memory (like some games that could "eat" more than 2GB), either virtual or physical. And I know what virtual memory is, but that memory must be addressed, so not all of it could be used/read at same time.

END

Thanks a lot!