XP MCE 05 Max Memory

I am trying to work with some 1.3 GB TIFF scans froms USGS. I cannot open them with Paint Shop Pro because the software tells me that I do not have enough memory. So I am going to upgrade from my current 2GB to 4 GB. The motherboard will support this but I am getting conflicting opinions on whether or not XP Media Center will. Some say that the max supported by this operating system is 3GB some say 4.

I have been plodding through the windows xp website for about 2 hours trying to find the facts on this but have had no luck. Can someone help me out?

 

32 bit editions of Windows are limited to 4GB of memory. This includes system RAM, video and audio RAM, and pagefile. Soooo, you actually can only install a bit less than 4GB.

64 bit editions, OTOH, are limited at 16GB memory, in the same fashion.

 

OK got it. I think my page file is set to 1056MB. So that and my 256MB video card will allow only about 3 gigs of this RAM to be addressed. With 4 Gigs of RAM would I even need a page file?

I'm thinking that I can shut this off to use the faster system memory.

 

Check out thread http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=114498 for optimum sizing of your swapfile.

Remember to install System Information for Windows and follow the instructions in that thread.

As for 4 gigs of RAM, by the time all the various overheads are deducted from your 4 gigs, apparently you end up with about 3.3 gigs that you can actually use.
That is what I have read anyhow. Bazza

 

Yes, some applications DEPEND on having a pagefile, so it's generally not good practice to disable it entirely, but with that amount of RAM, yes, you don't need quite as much.

 

Thanks again. Two very helpful replies. If nothing else, for this particular project I will up my RAM and try turning my page file off.

I assume this limitation does not exist in Vista. So the RAM will be fully utilized when I upgrade sometime this spring.

 

Windows must have a swap file to run optimally, regardless of ram amount. Thats how it is designed.

AS mentioned prior, even if you install 4gb, it wont see all of it.

 

I wouldn't automatically assume this limitation does not exist in Vista.confused

Any Vista USERS out there care to comment? Bazza

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