RAM Upgrade

[Phalconphixer]

Hi
Running 32 bit Vista Home Premium SP2 on an Acer M1600 desktop. I am in the process of upgrading the RAM from 1Gb to 4Gb, the maximum the computer can handle. I am awaiting the delivery of the new RAM pcbs.
Quick question then, what immediate changes in performance should I expect to see from this upgrade?
Thanks

[mixture]

I am in the process of upgrading the RAM from 1Gb to 4Gb, the maximum the computer can handle.

Even if your computer could handle more, you would have wasted your money buying more and using it (or rather, attempting to use it ... which you can't) on a 32-bit operating system.

Quick question then, what immediate changes in performance should I expect to see from this upgrade?

Depends what you do on your computer ? What drove you to upgrade in the first place ? Boot up might be slightly quicker, menus and stuff might be a little snappier ? All depends how much your computer was paging to disk before.

Vista was never very efficient on memory usage, so you'll probably notice more of a difference with Vista than you would have on Windows 7 or 8.

Obligatory disclaimer..... you might not notice any difference if other factors hit you (e.g. if your drive is full of stuff slowing it down, or if you have a slow processor)

[MG23]

Originally Posted by mixture

Even if your computer could handle more, you would have wasted your money buying more and using it (or rather, attempting to use it ... which you can't) on a 32-bit operating system.

To be pedantic, you mean 'on a 32-bit desktop version of Windows', since plenty of 32-bit operating systems support more than 4GB of RAM. I believe even the server version of Windows does.

[mixture]

since plenty of 32-bit operating systems support more than 4GB of RAM. I believe even the server version of Windows does.

No, no and no.

32-bit is 32-bit whichever OS.

What you can do on 32-bit Windows Server and 32-bit Linux is use a hack called PAE. But its a nasty hack, and runs the risk of incompatibilities and bugs rearing their ugly heads. Even with PAE, the maximum memory a single process can use is 4GB. PAE is not equivalent to a 64-bit system - infact, to be pedantic, turning on PAE just bumps 32-bit up to 36-bit !

The only answer to more than 4GB is to use a 64bit OS.

[MG23]

Originally Posted by mixture

PAE is not equivalent to a 64-bit system - infact, to be pedantic, turning on PAE just bumps 32-bit up to 36-bit !

I never said it was. But it allows you to use more than 4GB of RAM on a 32-bit operating system; you're just limited to 4GB of RAM for each individual program running on the system, which is effectively the same as most people running 64-bit Windows, since most of their applications are still 32-bit.

[Biggles78]

you're just limited to 4GB of RAM for each individual program running on the system

Sorry but this is not correct. Vista will report 4GB of RAM on the System Properties page but the 32bit version can only use 3.25GB maximum irrespective of how many applications you are running. Each app will however run in its' own "virtual memory" the total of which shall be ...... 3.25GB.

Worth having a read. What is the max ram for Vista 32 bit? [Solved] - RAM - Windows Vista

Also, I would suggest you avoid the PAE switch. Want to see a performance boost, install the operating system on a SSD. The Samsung 840 EVO has a 3 year warranty (the EVO Pro had a 5 year warranty) and the speed increase will surprise you.

[Pezzar]

The PAE switch is a supported option on 32bit Windows server OS' s that support it. Windows server standard 32 bit cannot use Physical Address Extensions it is an Enterprise and Datacenter feature only.

It is correct that 32 bit desktop OS will only use around 3.25 gb of the installed RAM

[Mac the Knife]

PAE isn’t a “hack”, it is an integral part of the modern Windows 32bit kernel (used by Windows 2000 and 2003 Server - Enterprise and Datacenter editions only) - the problem is that only these versions of the kernel are licensed to use it.

Microsoft mostly advertised it as a feature of the server editions such as Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003, and only then for the more expensive levels (Enterprise and Datacenter). However, even Windows 2000 Professional can be configured to access memory above 4GB using PAE.

Obviously the mobo has to support PAE.

PAE works very much like expanded memory (LIM EMS, for those of you who can remember it) on the old 8088 - Windows 7/32 can handle it and can allocate as much as 4GB per process. It remains a 32bit OS, though one that can theoretically address up to 64GB.

MS disabled the use of PAE in most 32bit kernels for four reasons,
1) It "wasn’t always stable" (this is questionable)
2) Licensing strategy
3) Intel HD Graphics driver was not compatible and Intel didn’t want to fix it (AMD and Nvidia HW/drivers mostly work fine) and
4) They quite reasonably thought that a full 64bit OS was better and stabler.

There is a good discussion here: Licensed Memory in 32-Bit Windows Vista

The kernel “adjustment" (OK, hack) is simple and there are automated tools to do this if you like.

As they say, your mileage may vary since this is not an approved procedure.

Windows itself works fine, but unless you work it on a fresh install (recommended) be prepared for some driver incompatibilities (surprisingly few I found).

Having said that, I have an installation of Windows 7 that is quite happily using 16GB of memory with no more instability than an unmodified kernel (it did take a bit of tinkering though).

My advice?

Switch to a true 64bit OS

Mac



PS: Any 32bit Windows OS will be much happier with 4GB of RAM
If the OS is short of onboard RAM then many of the benefits of a SSD will be lost