Memory Question

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gnfb

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#174933 11-Jun-2015 10:34

So a dell vostro running windows 7 in 32bit tells me that the machine is only using 3.9 of the available 8 megs of ram

If i installed a 64bit version would that then use more of the ram?

Does this mean that if I leave the 32 bit version I might as well remove 4 meg of ram as its "not being used anyway"?

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#1322702 11-Jun-2015 10:37

pretty much

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-hardware/maximum-ram-for-windows-7-32-bit/4286bbfa-6851-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5

sidefx

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#1322705 11-Jun-2015 10:39

And I think you mean gig not meg :)

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k1wi

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#1322712 11-Jun-2015 11:01

You could always use the unallocated memory as a RAMDrive. I have used RAMdrives but while I never used unallocated/unaddressed memory, there are products out there that suggest it's doable.

timmmay

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#1322714 11-Jun-2015 11:07

Install a 64 bit OS. W10 will be out in a few weeks, I'd wait for that.

gnfb

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#1322735 11-Jun-2015 11:40

timmmay: Install a 64 bit OS. W10 will be out in a few weeks, I'd wait for that.

do we know if 10 will take advantge of the full 8 meg?

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#1322736 11-Jun-2015 11:41

It will because its 64 bit.

32 bit has a 4GB "limit"

Its not a MS limit, its just the way it is without going into detail :)

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sidefx

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#1322742 11-Jun-2015 11:52

Also, if windows 10 is like 7/8 and you're relying on upgrading your current install to Windows 10, you will likely need to select the custom\advanced option when installing Windows 10, otherwise I think it may (can anyone confirm?) just upgrade to the 32 bit version of Windows 10 (why on earth are they even planning to offer a 32 bit version?)

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macuser

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#1322743 11-Jun-2015 11:53

64 Bit system's can handle an almost unlimited amount of memory (millions of Terabytes)

Software wise - Windows 8 supports 128GB in 64bit, Windows 8 Pro supports 512GB RAM in 64bit

This will be the same in Windows 10.

You will not be able to upgrade from 32bit to 64bit, you will need to fresh install the OS.

Windows 10 will be a free upgrade so just wait.

Just to throw a spanner in the works and confuse you, sometimes your chipset will not utilise the entire ram you install after market as some chipsets and cpu's only allow a maximum amount of memory, even though you can buy compatible ram sticks with higher density (say you install 4x8GB dimms but system only allows max 16GB RAM). Inversely many manufacturers also specify maximum amount of ram that the system can handle, but it is actually capable of taking more when higher density dimms are released (they specify 16GB max but later on installing 4x8GB dimms gives the system 32GB).

Bottom line? Fresh install Windows 10 64 bit when it is released, you will be able to download an ISO from Microsoft and use Rufus tool to flash it to a USB.

BTR

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#1322762 11-Jun-2015 12:27

gnfb:
timmmay: Install a 64 bit OS. W10 will be out in a few weeks, I'd wait for that.

do we know if 10 will take advantge of the full 8 meg?

Still hasn't worked out he's saying meg and not gig. It would have to have been around 15 years ago since I saw a 8mb memory stick.

roobarb

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#1322800 11-Jun-2015 13:58

macuser: 64 Bit system's can handle an almost unlimited amount of memory (millions of Terabytes)

You are still limited by the CPU and it's packaging, effectively the number of address bits that physically come out of the chip.

Example below is limited to 32GB of RAM.

http://ark.intel.com/products/75123/Intel-Core-i7-4770K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz

1101

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#1322855 11-Jun-2015 15:40

:

Still hasn't worked out he's saying meg and not gig. It would have to have been around 15 years ago since I saw a 8mb memory stick.

Perhaps he has a 286 ?
ah......the memories

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#1322903 11-Jun-2015 16:23

sidefx: Also, if windows 10 is like 7/8 and you're relying on upgrading your current install to Windows 10, you will likely need to select the custom\advanced option when installing Windows 10, otherwise I think it may (can anyone confirm?) just upgrade to the 32 bit version of Windows 10 (why on earth are they even planning to offer a 32 bit version?)

Oh, can we do that with Windows 10? I have a windows 7 laptop that's 64 bit capable but it came with 32 bit; I'd like to upgrade it to 64 bit Windows 10 so it can use its full 4 gigs of RAM instead of 3.whatever.

Brumfondl

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#1322909 11-Jun-2015 16:27

JayADee:
sidefx: Also, if windows 10 is like 7/8 and you're relying on upgrading your current install to Windows 10, you will likely need to select the custom\advanced option when installing Windows 10, otherwise I think it may (can anyone confirm?) just upgrade to the 32 bit version of Windows 10 (why on earth are they even planning to offer a 32 bit version?)

Oh, can we do that with Windows 10? I have a windows 7 laptop that's 64 bit capable but it came with 32 bit; I'd like to upgrade it to 64 bit Windows 10 so it can use its full 4 gigs of RAM instead of 3.whatever.

AFAIK you would need to clean install to go from 32bit to a 64bit version of windows. Pretty sure you can't do an upgrade and never have been able to.

JayADee

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#1322944 11-Jun-2015 17:55

Is it OK to do that license wise?

Brumfondl

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#1322952 11-Jun-2015 18:10

JayADee: Is it OK to do that license wise?

If you mean switch between 32 and 64bit on a computer then yes it is, though you might have to call MS to get activated. I have done this once, though it was in the Vista days. Pretty sure nothing has changed about this though :)

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