Vista 64 bit not using 4gb

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srbarcena

Limp Gawd
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Feb 1, 2008
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Im not new to computers but this one has me stumped. Im using vista 64 but it seems its only able to use roughly 2.5 gigs of my ram. bios will see 4 gigs and so will the windows system properties. the onyl thing ive done is disable my page file, would that be why?
Im posting a screen of the resource monitor and system properties so you can see what i mean
screenshot1.jpg


edit: edited the product id out
 
Update the Bios maybe? It might see 4GB but might not be able to map to it if there is a bug.

I had a 680I for a little bit, but it blew up on me. It saw all 4GB of mine.

Man that is so acting like 32bit Vista with SP1. It see's the 4GB but can only use 3.

Why don't you reset your bios to defaults and boot w/o a OC, Vista doesn't like OCing as much as XP.
 
I had the same problem with Vista 64 and 4GB RAM. I had to adjust the memory setting in the Northbridge tab of the CPU section in the BIOS before the full 4GB was recognized.
 
well i updated the bios and reset to stock clocks to no avail. will try mr wolfs suggestion the report back, if i can find it. lol
 
srbarcena said:
well i updated the bios and reset to stock clocks to no avail. will try mr wolfs suggestion the report back, if i can find it. lol
Click to expand...
It's under voltages and frequencys tab, then select like advanced memory, take off auto and go manual, the try 5 5 5 16 timings
 
"Memory Remap Function", or something similar, is what you're looking for. Not timing and voltage.
 
what ive been reading through google is that memory remapping was for when the os wouldnt see it all and mine is. maybe im just reading wrong...

trying to find that remap feature anyways but not really having luck. im not sure its there. i'm pretty sure i wouldve found it by now
 
srbarcena said:
trying to find that remap feature anyways but not really having luck. im not sure its there. i'm pretty sure i wouldve found it by now
Click to expand...
That feature does not exist in that board. Try the one idea of lowering the timings.
 
If you read the MS articles on Technet, you will understand this is normal. It's because on workstation OS's, anything above 4 GB moves out driver addresses from the standard memory mapping range of less than 4 GB and because they had so many issues with third party drivers not able to translate the addresses. The workstation map putting your video and system component driver addresses as high as it can, then you get addresses for the rest of the memory you have below that. /PAE does not remap driver addresses to a new page on the workstation OS like it does on the server OS.

Server OS's are setup different because drivers for servers are usually standardized and use features that are easy to remap without causing driver errors, hence less support issues arise.

You can read a little about it here:

http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2008/07/21/3092070.aspx
 
BBA said:
If you read the MS articles on Technet, you will understand this is normal. It's because on workstation OS's, anything above 4 GB moves out driver addresses from the standard memory mapping range of less than 4 GB and because they had so many issues with third party drivers not able to translate the addresses. The workstation map putting your video and system component driver addresses as high as it can, then you get addresses for the rest of the memory you have below that. /PAE does not remap driver addresses to a new page on the workstation OS like it does on the server OS.

Server OS's are setup different because drivers for servers are usually standardized and use features that are easy to remap without causing driver errors, hence less support issues arise.

You can read a little about it here:

http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2008/07/21/3092070.aspx
Click to expand...
Um, he's on 64 bit bro. :rolleyes:
 
Am i the only one not seeing what your problem is? Windows sees your 4GB just fine. It's using even the full 4GB (2.5GB for apps and the rest is cached). If you're thinking Photoshop should use your full 4GB then i advise you to look into photoshops properties since it's by default set to only use some 1-2GB max or something unless you change that in Photoshop's preferences.

<edit> it should be under memory & image cache
 
ScYcS said:
It's using even the full 4GB (2.5GB for apps and the rest is cached).
Click to expand...

I think you misread it. Windows is only able to use 2.8GB of the installed RAM. Out of that, 1.5 is used for cache.

Some kind of memory remapping is nessecery for any OS to use all the RAM. As long as MMIO is overlapping some of the RAM, it will be lost.
 
Oh i see.....nevermind. Weird....mine shows the full 4gb there and not just 2.8GB
 
I misread it too.

Photoshop CS3 cannot use 4GB of memory. I was just reading Adobe's article on tuning CS3 for 64-bit OSs last weekend. I'll try to find the link again, but it shouldn't be hard for you to find. It's a CS3 FAQ item, I believe.

First you have to modify PS properties to set the % of system RAM it will allocate to PS. Second, this number will still top out at something like 3GB. They specifically state that any additional system RAM you have beyond 3GB can be used as a first tier of scratch space to improve performance, but it will not be used as PS main memory.

Sorry for the misunderstanding...
 
I had this issue with my P5B deluxe. I just had to enable extended memory support in the bios. You're running an nvidia chipset, but it should be something similar.
 
Here's what I was looking for. Full text here.

Allocating memory above 2 GB with 64-bit processors

Photoshop CS3 is a 32-bit application. When it runs on a 32-bit operating system, such as Windows XP Professional and some versions of Windows Vista, it can access the first 2 GB of RAM on the computer.The operating system uses some of this RAM, so the Photoshop Memory Usage preference displays only a maximum of 1.6 or 1.7 GB of total available RAM. If you are running Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2, you can set the 3 GB switch in the boot.ini file, which allows Photoshop to use up to 3 GB of RAM.

Important: The 3 GB switch is a Microsoft switch and may not work with all computers. Contact Microsoft for instructions before you set the 3 GB switch, and for troubleshooting the switch. You can search on the Microsoft support page for 3gb for information on this switch.

When you run Photoshop CS3 on a computer with a 64-bit processor (such as a, Intel Xeon processor with EM64T, AMD Athlon 64, or Opteron processor) running a 64-bit version of the operating system (Windows XP Professional x64 Edition or Windows Vista 64-bit) and with 4 GB or more of RAM, Photoshop will use 3 GB for it's image data. You can see the actual amount of RAM Photoshop can use in the Let Photoshop Use number when you set the Let Photoshop Use slider in the Performance preference to 100%. The RAM above the 100% used by Photoshop, which is from approximately 3 GB to 3.7 GB, can be used directly by Photoshop plug-ins (some plug-ins need large chunks of contiguous RAM), filters, or actions. If you have more than 4 GB (to 6 GB), then the RAM above 4 GB is used by the operating system as a cache for the Photoshop scratch disk data. Data that previously was written directly to the hard disk by Photoshop is now cached in this high RAM before being written to the hard disk by the operating system. If you are working with files large enough to take advantage of these extra 2 GB of RAM, the RAM cache can speed performance of Photoshop. Additionally, in Windows Vista 64-bit, processing very large images is much faster if your computer has large amounts of RAM (6-8 GB).

The default RAM allocation setting is 55%. This setting should be optimal for most users. To get the ideal RAM allocation setting for your system, change the RAM allocation in 5% increments and watch the performance of Photoshop in the Performance Monitor. You must quit and restart Photoshop after each change to see the change take effect.

The available RAM shown in the Performance preference automatically deducts an amount that is reserved for the operating system from the total RAM in your computer. You shouldn't set the percentage of RAM to be used by Photoshop to 100% because other applications which run at the same time as Photoshop (for example, Adobe Bridge) need a share of the available RAM. Some applications use more RAM than you might expect. For example, web browsers can use 20-30 MB of RAM, and music players can use 20-50 MB RAM. Watch the Performance Monitor to view the RAM allocations on your computer.

Watch your efficiency indicator while you work in Photoshop to determine the amount of RAM you'll need to keep your images in RAM. The efficiency indicator is available from the pop-up menu (choose Show > Efficiency) on the status bar of your image and from the Palette Options on the Info Palette pop-up menu. When the efficiency indicator goes below 95-100%, you are using the scratch disk. If the efficiency is around 60%, you'll see a large performance increase by changing your RAM allocation or adding RAM.
Click to expand...
 
Believe it or not, some motherboards do NOT have the remap option when in fact they should. Imagine my surprise when I found out trying to put 4GB into an Asus P5L-VM; come to find out that the chipset on the motherboard is only a "32 bit" board. :rolleyes:

First time I've ever heard of a 32 bit motherboard in my entire life, but, it was definitely true. The board does not accept 4GB. So I had to swap out the motherboard for a client. Hopefully, OP, you don't have this pitfall; I'm sure that remap feature is somewhere in your BIOS.
 
its not really photoshop im worried about using memory its more of everythin like gaming. crysis will use 800 megs and windows will tell me im running out of memory when only 2.5 gigs is being used. i only had ps open so i could blur the pruduct id lol. ive looked and looked but i cant find the damn thing. you would think it would be enabled since the board supports 16 gigs. i think im going to rma soon. boards been kinda flaky lately

edit: lol 25 gigs oops
 
If you cant enable Memory remapping and product info from seller claim ability to use 4GB RAM or more you should RMA it and demand different MoBo or money.

btw. you should edit that screnshot - I can see your Product ID :D

 
I have no issues with this on my P35 board. I see my full 4GB, so just to re-iterate what everyone else already said: Something is wrong in your BIOS or on the board itself.
 
I wonder how no one bring up the main source of problem - the chipset. P5L-VM have P945. This chipset supports 64-bit processors, but there is one component which is only 32-bit - the memory controller.
To use more than 3-3,5GB of RAM you must have P965, P35 or newer chipset. There is even a MSDN KB article about it - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605
 
faugusztin said:
I wonder how no one bring up the main source of problem - the chipset. P5L-VM have P945. This chipset supports 64-bit processors, but there is one component which is only 32-bit - the memory controller.
To use more than 3-3,5GB of RAM you must have P965, P35 or newer chipset. There is even a MSDN KB article about it - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605
Click to expand...

Are you confused? The OP has a 680 chipset, which should be compatible with 4GB of memory. I'm the one who brought up the P5L-VM. It was just a scenario I was describing.

Rebel44 said:
btw. you should edit that screnshot - I can see your Product ID :D
Click to expand...

Oh crap. I can see it too!!! It looks like something he shouldn't have!!! :eek: :D
 
Vista, even running photoshop is not going to use all of the available memory. There are very few things I have been able to do to get it to use all available memory, running a virtual drive was one that comes to mind. Vista as an OS itself will almost always use 50% of your available ram when idle. My friend and I ran an experiment with the same system running 1gig, 2gigs, and 4 gigs, and sure enough, it will use somewhere near 50% of whats available no matter how much is available. :)

So don't expect it to use all 4Gigs very often
 
ajm786 said:
Believe it or not, some motherboards do NOT have the remap option when in fact they should. Imagine my surprise when I found out trying to put 4GB into an Asus P5L-VM; come to find out that the chipset on the motherboard is only a "32 bit" board. :rolleyes:

First time I've ever heard of a 32 bit motherboard in my entire life, but, it was definitely true. The board does not accept 4GB. So I had to swap out the motherboard for a client. Hopefully, OP, you don't have this pitfall; I'm sure that remap feature is somewhere in your BIOS.
Click to expand...

His screen cap shows Vista indicating that the system has 4GB of memory - to me that rules out remap. He's says that his resource meter tops out at 2.5 and Vista says it's running out of memory.
 
Surly73 said:
His screen cap shows Vista indicating that the system has 4GB of memory - to me that rules out remap. He's says that his resource meter tops out at 2.5 and Vista says it's running out of memory.
Click to expand...

His screen also shows Service Pack 1, which negate your argument - Vista shows physical, not available amount of RAM like it was pre-SP1.
 
faugusztin said:
His screen also shows Service Pack 1, which negate your argument - Vista shows physical, not available amount of RAM like it was pre-SP1.
Click to expand...

Under SP1, if memory remap were the issue the control panel view (on the left) would show 3.x GB of RAM instead of 4.0GB because the BIOS isn't allowing it to see all of the physical RAM. I saw this myself a week ago with Ultimate SP1. My "argument" is that because of this, BIOS memory remap is not likely the issue here. How does "Vista shows physical, not available amount of RAM like it was pre-SP1" negate that argument?
 
Vista only showed 2.93 GB for me, without remapping (and I have 6 GB).
I can imagine that there are cases where you have even less memory (SLI setups, lots of other hardware).
 
srbarcena said:
Im not new to computers but this one has me stumped. Im using vista 64 but it seems its only able to use roughly 2.5 gigs of my ram. bios will see 4 gigs and so will the windows system properties. the onyl thing ive done is disable my page file, would that be why?
Im posting a screen of the resource monitor and system properties so you can see what i mean
screenshot.jpg
Click to expand...
srbarcena said:
its not really photoshop im worried about using memory its more of everythin like gaming. crysis will use 800 megs and windows will tell me im running out of memory when only 2.5 gigs is being used. i only had ps open so i could blur the pruduct id lol. ive looked and looked but i cant find the damn thing. you would think it would be enabled since the board supports 16 gigs. i think im going to rma soon. boards been kinda flaky lately

edit: lol 25 gigs oops
Click to expand...
Hrmmmmm...
 
Still the 2.8GB limit is usually present with 680i & 32-bit OS (just google for 680i 64-bit 2.8GB). Are you sure the memory controller of 680i is 64-bit or some device doesn't drop the system back to 32-bit compatible memory mode ?
 
OK, to fix this you will need three things:
1: a 64-bit OS
2: re-enable the page file (Still don't understand why you would turn it off)
3: enable extended memory mapping in your bios

By the way, when I clicked your link faug, your post was the #1 google hit, lol
 
Modred189 said:
OK, to fix this you will need three things:
1: a 64-bit OS
2: re-enable the page file (Still don't understand why you would turn it off)
3: enable extended memory mapping in your bios

By the way, when I clicked your link faug, your post was the #1 google hit, lol
Click to expand...


He has a 64-bit OS (read).

Memory mapping shouldn't be the problem or the Control panel wouldn't say 4.0GB memory installed if it was.

The page file is worth looking at. If there's no actual page file, Vista could reserve a certain portion of RAM for preloading, paging, or some other kind of memory hierarchy. I don't know why the OP would do something non-standard like disable the paging file, then post all over forums when something funny happens with running out of memory and not try putting it back to standard settings first....
 
IMHO the best way to see if it is a 32-bit limit in 64-bit OS or not is to add 1GB more memory to the computer. If the max memory stays at 2.8GB, then something is turning your memory controller into 32-bit mode. If it increases, then it's something else.
 
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