6GB DDR3 Ram Installed BUT only 2.75 USABLE?!

Lordbob75 said:

As everyone else has said, you are using a 32 bit operating system, which means that you will NEVER see more than 3.5 gigs.

~Lordbob

actualy no, that majorly depends on amount of memory your graphic card is having :) this "myth" started when more people started to get 4gb of ram in days when graphic cards had 384-512MB of ram.

32bit system can address maximium 4gb of memory, before you can figure out how much memory you have maximum usable, you need to take in to account all graphic card memory, soundcard memory(xram for example) and everything else that system needs to have access to. So in 32bit system:

phsyical memory usable = 4GB - graphic card memory - all the other things

since he have gtx280 that means graphic card already is having 1GB of memory system needs to address, so 4gb - 1gb = 3gb, other 0.25GB is probably used on random stuff he also have in his computer and as far as i know windows is rounding this in computer screen down in steps of 0.25GB.

but ye only real solution for you is go to 64bit system.

Installing a x64 bit version of Windows 7 is the only way I'm afraid. Other ways of getting 6GB of RAM to work on a 32bit OS will solve on problem and create two more.

I am noob at this tech stuff but i can see at least several totally out-off-mind posts here :)

My advice, don't use nay kind of hack/non MS patch.
Backup > fresh install x64 > everybody happy

DeaconFrost said:

Enabling PAE can and likely will cause far greater issues with your system's drivers and stability. It really isn't a hard concept for people to understand, but there's no software trick to break the memory limit that exists in 32 bit OSes. This topic has literally been beaten to death on several other forum boards, and it is sad that there are still some who won't accept the findings. If you want to use 4 GB or more memory, you run an x64 OS. That's the only way.

PAE is meant for server OSes to enable 36 bit usage in some cases. It is not meant for a desktop, client PC, and likely will cause serious issues. if you want to use all your memory, do it the right way.

Can you point me to that discussion or sum it in really simple - noob words, what problems comes after enabling PAE?
I am curious :)

Why PAE don't cause problems on servers and it does on desktop PC? One more question...if Microsoft wants, can they enable 32-bit W7 to use +4GB memory (without PAE) ?

Mbbest said:

Can you point me to that discussion or sum it in really simple - noob words, what problems comes after enabling PAE?
I am curious :)

most likely none, however PAE is just sort of "emulation", system can access all memory but applications cant, except if system does it for application.

if Microsoft wants, can they enable 32-bit W7 to use +4GB memory (without PAE) ?

no they cant, this is limited by CPU arhitecture and not OS it self.

if anyone wants any technical stuff, check wikipedia or something.

Mbbest said:

Can you point me to that discussion or sum it in really simple - noob words, what problems comes after enabling PAE?
I am curious :)

The main thing that's always mentioned, is that many drivers can or will have compability issues with it. I've also seen quite a few people mention that some of their major apps have issues running stable as well. As SoLoR mentioned, a quick trip to google will turn up more info than any one person would have have time to read through. If it was me, I wouldn't bother, because it isn't a supported option, so if I knew enough not to use it, I'd leave it at that.

Windows has to map memory spaces for all installed hardware - graphics included. WIth x64, the limit on Windows processes is removed, although your graphics hardware is still mapped.

Hi all
I have almost the same problem.
I used Windows 7 64bit
No memory remap in bios