Memory Problems in Vista

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Well I recently upgraded my laptop from 2GB DDR2 Samsung Ram to 4GB DDR2 KIT Patriot

The laptop is Acer Aspire 5630, specs:-

Windows Vista® Home Premium, Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T5500 processor, 2*1024MB RAM, 160GB HDD, 15.4" WXGA high-brightness Acer CrystalBrite™ TFT LCD, NVIDIA®

GeForce® Go 7300 with up to 256 MB of TurboCache™ (128 MB of dedicated GDDR2 VRAM; up to 128 MB of shared system memory), DVD-Super Multi Double Layer drive,

Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection, 6-IN-1 CARD READER, 1.3MP ORBICAM, 6 CELL

To read more about specs and laptop there's link from Ebuyer

Or you can go straight to acer website which is Aspire 5630

The memory I bought from aria

I made sure I bought 4GB kit so it's matching memory rather than take a risk with unmatch ram.

The specs show there are two slots on the base of the laptop that allow up to 4GB DDR2 PC2 5300 So-dimm.

Right well in bios it shows the following:-
system memory 640
Extended Memory 4095mb
video 128mb

yet when in Vista only 3.00 GB are shown?? WTF I have updated the bios, swapped the ram around by takening out 1 ram and switching them around and in both slots vista reconises 2GB of ram but if I put them both in it only shows 3GB? 2+2=3 according to Microsoft?

 

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OK - here's some picture shots of Welcome screen in vista showing specs of acer laptop and some screen shots of CPU-z which gives infor on what type of CPU and memory you have. Now the CPU-z shows 4GB of Ram but vista still show it as 3.00 GB. I thought maybe some of the memory would be shared by the video graphics card. It does but not 1GB. (271mb shared memory)

So is it a fault in vista or something else?

 

I suspect that you have Vista 32 bit. This is a limitation of 32 bit systems.

XP is the same.

Harry.

 

but isn't xp 32 bit as well?

does this mean I would have to down grade to XP or upgrade to vista 64 bit?

 

Depends on the version of XP - as with Vista.

32 bit systems tend to have a memory limit of just over 3GB.

64 bit systems have no such limit as long as the hardware is fully 64 bit.

However 64 bit systems are very low on driver support at the moment. My normal rule on machines at the moment is not to buy more than 2GB. For most apps this is quite good enough.

EDIT: As this is a laptop - and I suspect is a 32bit one, then I wouldn't change the OS (my basic rule is not to change the OS on a laptop without very good reason).

Harry.

 

Having looked this up - I see that this is a 64bit processor. However - if the OS is 32bit then the 32bit rules apply.

Harry (getting rusty on all the current processors)

 

Harry is right, you will need a 64 bit OS to support 4GB of ram
Driver support is not that bad these days, especially for mainline components (I run a few instances of x64 Vista with no problems so far on the driver front)

Like harry says tho, with laptops they have a lot of custom shitty drivers that you will want to be aware of, you may lose the use of things like hotkeys if you cant find appropriate drivers from Acer

If you have a recovery CD you don't have much to lose by giving it a try though

 

Aah right ..Cheers Harry

It is Vista Home Premium (32bit)edition as shown on attachment:-

 

Thanks Ryan I will bare that in mind. There is a recover image on a hidden partition, which is activated through the bios.

The more I think about it the more it sounds like a bad idea.. I mean changing to 64 bit system. I might gain 4Gb ram but I may lose stability of the laptop or the use of the hot keys.

Thanks for the advice

 

Just in case you want to actually test the integrity of the ram you have installed why not download memtest86, all you have to do is burn image on cd and make the laptop boot from that cd at start up and it will do a diagnostic test on your new ram

 

thanks GBL I just taken a look at that link - memtest86 I have got something simliar with centreprise or CPUZ. Besides testing the CPU it also tells you about -
Memory
Frequency and timings.
Module(s) specification using SPD (Serial Presence Detect) : vendor, serial number, timings table.

So I know it does read 4GB of ram and at what frequency, it's just a shame MS Vista 32 bit is limited to 3GB.

 

I have CPUZ also.

I think all of the 32bit OSs will only see 3GB at most.

 

All 32-bit operating systems have a memory limit of 4,096MB. The problem is that this refers to the memory address space which includes memory mapped devices.

This means that your video card, your motherboards BIOS and your PCI bus will use some of that memory address space. The remainder will be left for the OS.

So how much memory you have available will depend on the hardware in your PC. I get 3582MB out of mine.

 

Thanks John