4 gigs of ram = 3 gigs in reality... should i return? | Thread profile

i had 2 x 1 GIG sticks of ram in my machine when i built it (2 gigs of ram). today i bought another 2 sticks of 1 gig ram to make it 4. i was warned before purchasing that windows might not read the fourth stick, but sometimes it reads half it making 3.5 gigs. but when i put it in, it only says 3 gigs on my OS (2.93). so first off, how retarded is windows xp to limit itself like this? and ...

Unless you're using XP Pro and have the > 3 GB switch enabled (or XPx64), all Windows will see is 3 gigs. Why? There isn't LAA addressing for RAM with 32 bit apps- the most any app can use is < 2 GB. With the > 3 GB switch, Windows will allow apps to use 3 GB for their own use (Windows itself reserves 1 GB). However, without LAA being incorporated in the apps themselves, it's a moot ...

RAM is ridiculously cheap. $90 buys you a 4gb kit. There is no reason to not have 4, unless you really care about saving $30-40. You will still get the benefit of at least that extra gigabyte, and it helps future-proof your computer should you choose to dual-boot Windows XP64. ---- Warning: May disrupt nearby structures and violate universal constants. Do not click! Zebra 2 Presets - ...