New build already having a problem

[Gig-O-Ram]

Originally Posted by yellowhello

If you have XP 32-bit on that system, that is why it can't recognize all 4GB. 32-bit OS's can only recognize 4GB MAX, and that includes the GPU memory, CPU cache, etc.

At first, before I had the video card drivers installed, I thought that some of the memory was being used for video by the CPU - but that's only 256MB, not nearly enough to account for the missing memory. After I installed the mobo software and the video drivers, it still only read it at 3.25GB.

The version of XP I'm using is only the 32-bit version, and with your explanation, the loss of memory now makes sense to me. Thanks for that. Now I know what to tell my sister when she asks about it.

[Elysium]

No problem man. You don't have to have the drivers installed for the OS to recognize that some of the memory is being used for the video. The 4GB also includes the HDD cache, the BIOS, and some other stuff. It adds up pretty quick.

[Gig-O-Ram]

Originally Posted by yellowhello

No problem man. You don't have to have the drivers installed for the OS to recognize that some of the memory is being used for the video. The 4GB also includes the HDD cache, the BIOS, and some other stuff. It adds up pretty quick.

Here's the old learning from the young (Yeah, I've read the Who's-The-Oldest thread), LOL!

I always thought that HDD cache or CPU cache was an independent thing, unto the specific piece of hardware. I didn't know the RAM had anything to do with it.

[fstroupe]

3.2 or so of memory is all that a 32-bit O/S will recognize. As far as memory usage, regardless of what the memory is being used for, Windows still sees all of it as system memory.