Hi all.Well with Vista just around the corner and FSX on my PC by next week,I thought I would look into More RAM,My mobo User guide says that If I install 4GB of RAM Win XP will see less than 3GB,This is a fact you have only to check around the Forums to read about this.But as Vista is getting near I decided to get another 2GB at a cost of

>Hi all.>Well with Vista just around the corner and FSX on my PC by>next week,I thought I would look into More RAM,My mobo User>guide says that If I install 4GB of RAM Win XP will see less>than 3GB,This is a fact you have only to check around the>Asus A8N32 SLI / AMD 64x2-4800 / 2 XFX ext.7800gt's / 2GB>Corsair XMS3200C2PT TwinX /WD 74GB Raptor & WD 250GB Caviar>/Viewsonic 19" 922 />Cooling Swiftstorm block /Danger Den DDC pump / swiftec MRC220>QP /Swiftec MC RES. Case TAI CHI.Hi, this is really simple. 32-bit system cannot handle more than 2GB (with a switch 3GB) ram. Putting 4GB in machine running 32-bit system is waste of money.64bit systems like windows XP64 and Vista64 can use up to (I forgot, but much much more than 4GB).

Hi Rayed.I never thought I may need more than 2GB. Window say if you use the switch it can make you system unstable,they were going to add it to sp2 when they found it out,So as things come more and more ram dependant we will have to go 64bit.RegardsRex

Right... under 2000 and XP and even Vista 32 bit version, the most the system will see is 3GB. Or rather, the most that you can use for your applications is 3GB (the OS will hold onto the last 1GB for it's own use, caching some things and such.) If you didn't install the OS with the full 4GB in the machine at install time, it won't have PAE mode turned on, so it'll only recognize 2GB worth. (I believe there is a way to tell it to turn on PAE mode after the fact though. You'll have to dig around the web to find it.)If you need more than 3GB, you need to move to XP x64 Edition or Vista 64 bit edition... And that's not without it's own set of headaches since not everything will run on them properly.--2002cbr600f4i

2002cbr600f4i, I don't doubt for a moment that what you say is true but I do find it curious that Dell will build you a system with 4 GB. of Ram and 32 bit WinXP OS and it won't raise a red flag. Again, I'm definitely not saying you are wrong and Dell is right. This is something that I've had on my mind with just getting a brand new system and particularly all the comments about FSX. Down the road in the maybe not too distant future I just may want to make the move to 4Gb. or at least 3Gb. from 2 Gb and with memory prices these days it really is quite a cheap upgrade. Especially when the warranty expires on this box and a little (or a lot) of overclocking will be in order for my E6600 processor.

>Hi, this is really simple. 32-bit system cannot handle more>than 2GB (with a switch 3GB) ram. Putting 4GB in machine>running 32-bit system is waste of money.No, it is not that simple.With a PAE kernel, they can use up to 64 Gig. The 2 GB limit still applies, but it must be seen as a "per process" limit, so a single process can use up to 2 Gig of RAM and the kernel gets its own memory if you have more than 2 gig of physical ram.The math is actually quite simple. If you have only 2 gig of pyhsical RAM, you need to subtract the amount of memory needed for the operating system + other processes. In most cases (even when running memory hungry background stuff like virus scanners for example), you will have about 1.5 gig or more memory free for FS. If you have more than 2 gig, the entire 2gig limit per process can be available for a single program.Overall, more than 2 gig still doesn't make much sense for 32bit operating systems. It's plenty of RAM, and even under Vista you will most likely have more than 1 gig free for FS. 64bit is different - the RAM usage goes way up under a 64bit OS, because 64bit code is much bigger than 32bit code, so every .exe or .dll will require more memory than its 32bit counterpart.And btw.. PAE doesn't work on all systems. It's mainly designed for server systems which really need more than 4gig of physical memory.

Hi,When upgrading XP from 1 to 2gb memory.Is it a requirement to uninstall MSFSX first because of the maximum number of times it can be reinstalled?I do not know if a memory upgrade would cause a .. key registration problem.Once the FX program is uninstalled you would think the maxium count of two installs would be valid again.And, would installing a new video card pose the same problem?True or false?

There is no re-install limit for FSX provided you have it on two machines or less. I have already installed more than twice. Certainly the addition of memory will not require a re-install nor re-activation of FSX . You should just plug the new memory in and away you go. The same goes for a new video card, it will not require a re-install or re-activation of anything. Don't forget to remove the current video drivers before you pull the old card out and install the drivers (even if they are the same ones) after you have booted up with the new video card installed.

Thank you for the reply.That is very good news.I read a number of posts and it all was really confusing.You did a on setting me on the right track here.I was really thinking I would end up on a few one hour waits calling MS for another "key" !Thanks,

>And btw.. PAE doesn't work on all systems. It's mainly>designed for server systems which really need more than 4gig>of physical memory.I don't mean to be rude, but since most, if not all of us here use FS on a workstation, what was the point of your post? You tell us that you can use this other kernel as it can address more than 4 GB, then at the end say it's only for servers.......perhaps you can clarify how we can use it on a workstation?Thanks!!!

Trust me, you're wrong.Boo-ya!

>I don't mean to be rude, but since most, if not all of us here>use FS on a workstation, what was the point of your post? You>tell us that you can use this other kernel as it can address>more than 4 GB, then at the end say it's only for>servers.......perhaps you can clarify how we can use it on a>workstation?I don't believe that Windows XP x86 can use the /PAE kernal switch nor address more than 4gb of physical memory (RAM).In x86 systems (32 bit) any program can address 2**32 bytes = 4gb of VIRTUAL memory. Windows enforces a split of 2gb for windows functions (which the program must be able to access) and 2gb for the program to use for itself. This is true regardless of how much RAM is installed in your system. There is a boot.ini switch, /3GB, which allows programs to change the default max allocation for 2/2 to 3/1 IF THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN WRITTEN TO SUPPORT THIS ADDITIONAL VIRTUAL MEMORY.Note that this is true for all programs running at any time. Thus, in theory, if 4gb of RAM is installed, and only one user program is running, the program could use all 2gb of physical memory, and the system the other 2 gb, and never have to wait for the swap file to page in memory. Or with the 3GB switch and a 3GB aware program, the program could use 3gb of physical memory.Thus, it is possible to install 4gb of physical memory, and Windows XP x86 can address all of it, you just can't force Windows XP x86 to give all of it to FSX for its own use.http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default....ws_releases.asp(sorry for long url)At least, that's my understanding, corrections cheerfully accepted.scott s..

Hi Cindy.So you are saying that win 32bit can use 0ver 2.5Gig of Installed ram.I would be very interested to know how .Please Tell me.Many thanks CindyRex.