4GB memory only showing up as 3.25GB

[Bluecure]

Got a
GA-880GMA-UD2H AMD AM3 DDR3 mATX

with this memory
Corsair memory 4GB XMS3 Kit (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz 240 pin DIMM Unbuffered
in slots 1 and 2

Win XP 32 bit  SP3 is only showing up 3.25GB

anyone know why?

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

You are only showing 3.25 GB of memory because you are using a 32 bit operating system. It is a function of the OS that it has a 4 GB limit and then by the time certain amounts are used it reports what you are seeing now.

[sharris]

I have 8 GB and all I get is 7520MB on a 64bit system.  I think Windows-7 only use under 500MB.  In your case only 300MB or under is used by XP.  I been totally ripped off of nearly 400MB used by simple wiring I guest.  That's use to be $500.00 to $1000.00 just yesterday, back in the 90's

To add to what Dark Mantis said, there is something that is called legacy I think.  If you had 6.0 DSL you only get .55 mbps up-load speed or less.  If you had a 1-TB HDD you only get around 938mb to use, the OS and the HDD itself use the the rest in order to work.  If cable promise you 2000 mbps, you only get 600mbps orless because the rest is shared else where.  Anything computer-wise you loss 10 - 30 percent or more to the OS and even the wiring itself.  That broke my heart for a long time.  I still can't get over how they sell bits instead of bytes or minutes that use to be hours for only a dime.  Not 100 years ago, just yesterday, back in the 80's.

[Dark Mantis]

Hey you sound like you are nearly as old as me sharris 

[sharris]

Old shoes got to kick it

[Bluecure]

Thank you all.

Will upgrade to Win 7 soon

[polishpaul]

The reason you don't see the full 4GB on a 32 bit system is because 4GB is all it can 'address' and that address space is shared with other peripherals including your video card.

I have 8 GB and all I get is 7520MB on a 64bit system.  I think Windows-7 only use under 500MB.  In your case only 300MB or under is used by XP.  I been totally ripped off of nearly 400MB used by simple wiring I guest.  That's use to be $500.00 to $1000.00 just yesterday, back in the 90's

To add to what Dark Mantis said, there is something that is called legacy I think.  If you had 6.0 DSL you only get .55 mbps up-load speed or less.  If you had a 1-TB HDD you only get around 938mb to use, the OS and the HDD itself use the the rest in order to work.  If cable promise you 2000 mbps, you only get 600mbps orless because the rest is shared else where.  Anything computer-wise you loss 10 - 30 percent or more to the OS and even the wiring itself.  That broke my heart for a long time.  I still can't get over how they sell bits instead of bytes or minutes that use to be hours for only a dime.  Not 100 years ago, just yesterday, back in the 80's.

The offset is due to the difference in decimal and binary math (http://blog.ericlamb.net/2011/02/truth-in-hard-drive-space-marketing/) This link says a lot.

[emboss]

Reply to "sharris"

You have to remember the  GM-880GMA-UD2H has an IGP (integrated memory control), therefore, Windows 7 64 Bit has to allocation Video RAM for the onboard radeon 4250 GPU, which is designed to approx 512MB as sideport memory.

Windows XP 32-BIT to the other user... that's the OS operating and a portion IGP allocation limitations.