Re: System Properties question: RAM
"K. Stonefield" <KStonefield@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:C29EF230-80C7-4532-A0A6-461DB0F19D3B@microsoft.com...
> Patrick,
>
> I followed your instructions and the amount of physical memory available
> is
> almost 393,000 KB. That's 393 MB or RAM.
As noted, it's actually 384. The counting is done in base 2, not base 10,
and 1K is actually 1024.
You would get 384 meg with a 256 and a 128 meg set, or 3x128 meg RAM sticks.
HTH
-pk
> Hmmm... Maybe I'll open up the
> CPU and check the chips again.
>
> Thanks,
> K.
> --
> In the field of stones...
>
>
> "Patrick Keenan" wrote:
>
>> "K. Stonefield" <KStonefield@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:B91A43E3-65E6-439A-907D-1F84DB83A20C@microsoft.com...
>> > Thanks again!
>> >
>> > Okay, here's a newbie question: How do I see the BIOS and the RAM
>> > outside
>> > my OS?
>>
>> The precise method vares from PC to PC.
>>
>> First, though, open any Explorer window (not IE) and go to Help, About
>> Windows. You'll get a little dialog that includes the line "Physical
>> Memory
>> Available to Windows:" and have a figure in KB. If yours shows 384,
>> it's
>> extremely unlikely that there is 1024 meg installed. It might be not
>> seated properly, or broken, or not there, but it isn't 1 gig.
>>
>> To get into the BIOS, you have to turn the power OFF, you cannot just
>> restart. Watch the screen carefully as it comes up; you will see
>> something
>> like "Press DEL (or F2) to enter setup". Press that named key. You
>> might
>> not get it the first pass.
>>
>> HTH
>> -pk
>>
>>
>> >
>> > -K.
>> >
>> > --
>> > In the field of stones...
>> >
>> >
>> > "Patrick Keenan" wrote:
>> >
>> >> "K. Stonefield" <KStonefield@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
>> >> message
>> >> news:5CAFC85D-6E35-47B0-8A3F-F2A0CC9AB3DF@microsoft.com...
>> >> > Thanks Patrick!
>> >> >
>> >> > According to my computer's specs, 1024MB was installed but System
>> >> > Properties
>> >> > says 384MB of RAM, so I was concerned.
>> >>
>> >> Where exactly are you looking? On this XP Pro system, which has 2
>> >> gig
>> >> RAM
>> >> installed, the General tab shows - 2 gig, the installed amount.
>> >> There
>> >> are
>> >> other places that *do* show the amount available - but free RAM is
>> >> wasted
>> >> RAM, Windows should be allocating it.
>> >>
>> >> Power down your system (not restart), turn it back on and go into the
>> >> BIOS.
>> >> How much memory does it list? You may find that part of the RAM is
>> >> not
>> >> being recognised, or that there is less installed than you think.
>> >>
>> >> The place to check this is outside the OS, and that means in the BIOS.
>> >> If
>> >> it isn't recognised there, Windows has no chance of seeing it.
>> >>
>> >> > So my graphics cards use that much memory? Wow.
>> >>
>> >> Such chipsets are often in the 64 to 128 meg range, and 384 plus 128
>> >> is
>> >> 512,
>> >> half the amount of memory you think is installed.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> > If I were to upgrade my RAM to its maximum of 4GB, would that help
>> >> > speed
>> >> > things up?
>> >>
>> >> The amount of RAM installed doesn't actually speed your system up, it
>> >> can
>> >> only keep it from slowing down as you load things into memory. And 4
>> >> gig
>> >> is wasted on a 32-bit OS, as memory above about 3.2 gig can't be used.
>> >> Windows uses the address space above that point, to 4 gig, for mapping
>> >> hardware addresses, so RAM that might be in that area is simply
>> >> ignored.
>> >> So, there's pretty much no point in installing more than 3.
>> >>
>> >> On many systems and for many users, 512 meg is plenty on an XP system,
>> >> and 1
>> >> gig should be fine.
>> >>
>> >> HTH
>> >> -pk
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> > --
>> >> > Thanks,
>> >> > K.
>> >> > In the field of stones...
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > "Patrick Keenan" wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> "K. Stonefield" <KStonefield@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
>> >> >> message
>> >> >> news:ACBF6D43-5961-4BB0-AD05-5C6DF617E23B@microsoft.com...
>> >> >> > When I click Start > right-click My Computer > choose Properties,
>> >> >> > I
>> >> >> > see
>> >> >> > my
>> >> >> > computer's properties.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > My question is regarding the information at the bottom of the
>> >> >> > General
>> >> >> > tab.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > For the amount of RAM, is the amount shown the amount of RAM I
>> >> >> > have
>> >> >> > left
>> >> >> > or
>> >> >> > the amount installed?
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > I ask because I thought it was the amount installed but a
>> >> >> > computer
>> >> >> > technician told me it's how much I have left.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> It's the amount installed *and* available for use. And that is a
>> >> >> reference
>> >> >> to systems that have graphics chips that use "shared" memory -
>> >> >> these
>> >> >> are
>> >> >> often chips on the motherboard, as opposed to graphics cards that
>> >> >> you
>> >> >> install. All graphics chips and cards need some memory, and
>> >> >> these
>> >> >> ones
>> >> >> don't have any of their own, so they "share" the system RAM.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> These "shared" graphics cards use part of the RAM that you've
>> >> >> installed.
>> >> >> So, if you've got a system like this, and there are many, and
>> >> >> you've
>> >> >> installed, say, 1 gig of RAM, you'll see that Windows reports
>> >> >> somewhat
>> >> >> less
>> >> >> than 1 gig is installed. The difference is the amount that the
>> >> >> graphics
>> >> >> chip "shared", meaning "took", for its own use.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> HTH
>> >> >> -pk
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > --
>> >> >> > Thanks,
>> >> >> > K.
>> >> >> > In the field of stones...
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>
