Not all RAM is being recognized by XP

[rems]

My new rig only recognizes 3.x GB of RAM, although I have 6 GB installed. Is the remaining RAM being used or useful for PT8Le? Is there a way that XP could recognize all the RAM?

[jmitchell1532]

As far as I know, XP can only see up to 3.5 (I think?) gigs of ram.

[TOM@METRO]

Yup, XP32 can only see between roughly 3-3.5GB of RAM depending on your video card requirements and a few other variables. Of this Pro Tools 8 can only use about 1.7GB unless you place the "/3GB" switch in the boot.ini file. This will add about 1GB of RAM available to PT8.

[rems]

Thanks for the quick replies guys! The DUC has really changed since 2-3 years ago...

TOM@METRO, can you explain to me in more details how to do the boot.ini.file thing?

Also, I purchased 6GB because most users were buying this amount of RAM. Why buy this much if it won't be used? Was it a bargain this way at newegg?

[mano111]

Read the first post of this thread . If you are in PT 8 only do step 1. Step 2 is only required for 7.x

Also don't worry about the 6GB. I have a feeling it will come in handy in less than a year ~ when Windows 7 64bit hits the market. Like you said it was dirt cheap anyway :)

[Shan]

Originally Posted by rems

Also, I purchased 6GB because most users were buying this amount of RAM. Why buy this much if it won't be used? Was it a bargain this way at newegg?

Search my name under the i7 thread and read the RamDisk info. You can put that extra ram to use today.

Also, on today's motherboards, RAM needs to be installed in triples to get the most performance gains which is why most put in 6G.

Shane

[rems]

Originally Posted by TOM@METRO

Yup, XP32 can only see between roughly 3-3.5GB of RAM depending on your video card requirements and a few other variables. Of this Pro Tools 8 can only use about 1.7GB unless you place the "/3GB" switch in the boot.ini file. This will add about 1GB of RAM available to PT8.

I was able to do the 3GB switch and I think it's working great! I used to get an "increase buffer" error when recording at 128 and 24/96 in various sessions, and now I don't!

[Socrates]

A 32 bit address word size can only address roughly 4 gig of ram. However, there are other devices besides memory that need to be addressed, such as the video card, and so windows needs to reserve the half gig or so for non-ram uses.

Since memory is cheap, and most memory setups perform better using pairs of memory sticks, its best to just get the 4 gig and not fret about the half gig that's twiddling its thumbs. I think I have gotten 4 gig setups for roughly 60 american dollars.

I think the i7 architecture is optimized for triads of memory sticks, so for that I would just get the 3 gig--and I am thinking of doing just that!

And, yes, a 64 bit os will see all 6 gig provided the cpu and mobo support that. I went through the same thing with servers at work.

[rpriggleman]

this is good information to know!!!!!!