Why can’t 32-bit Windows access 4GB of RAM? - stewartfortalwyneho
32-bit processors and operating systems, in theory, can access up to 4GB of memory. So how come Qasim Zaib's PC, with 4GB installed, only sees 3GB?
[Email your tech questions to answer@pcworld.com or post them on the PCW Answer Demarcation forum .]
Every byte of RAM requires its own address, and the mainframe limits the length of those addresses. A 32-bit processor uses addresses that are 32 bits long. There are single 4,294,967,296, operating theater 4GB, possible 32-bit addresses.
There are workarounds to these limitations, but they don't really apply to most PCs. I discuss them briefly under.
Okeh, so if the processor, and the operating system designed for that processor, can only handle 4GB, why lav't Qasim's PC (and yours if IT's 32-bit) see that much?
Because not each of those addresses are addressable for RAM. Thither are other pieces of ironware inside your computer that need addresses, such Eastern Samoa the PCI bus and the USB host adapter.
Your graphics card is probably the biggest address hog. Today's art adapters often contain a gigabyte or many of RAM, and every unmatchable of those bytes needs an address. To be fair, I question that many of those multi-gigabyte graphics cards are in 32-second PCs, just even a 512mb video card volition take a sizeable snack out of 4GB.
Alas, there's not much you hindquarters do about IT except upgrade to a 64-bit computer and operating system. You'll serve that eventually, but you may not need to, or can afford to, right straightaway.
I promised above that I would tell you about a workaround to the 4GB determine, even if it won't genuinely help you. A technology called Natural science Address Extension (PAE) allows a 32-number processor to access up to 64GB.
The good news show is that your processor almost certainly supports PAE. The bad news: Unless you're running a server version, your copy of Windows does not.
Much for that idea.
Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/455603/why-cant-32-bit-windows-access-4gb-of-ram.html
Posted by: stewartfortalwyneho.blogspot.com
0 Response to "Why can’t 32-bit Windows access 4GB of RAM? - stewartfortalwyneho"
Post a Comment