2.43 GB memory usable in W7 32-bit?

[BearZDefect]

Incoming PC with 4GB physical memory and Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit from the OEM.

Windows 7 says:

Installed memory (RAM): 4.00 GB (2.43 GB usable)

Task Manager reflects this 2.43 GB as Total Physical Memory.

I haven't done further research yet, but I expected 32-bit Windows to be able to use closer to 3.5 GB so I'm complaining.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Video card reserving extra memory?

 

[Towncivilian]

Depending on your video card and several other devices which may reserve chunks of memory, your total usable RAM when running a 32-bit version of Windows can be anywhere from I believe 2.25 to 3.8GB. Upgrade to 64-bit. The product key on the side of your case will work fine for Home Premium 64-bit, just acquire the installation media and you're set.

 

[BearZDefect]

Thank you for the replies.

It is a Core i3 laptop, so perhaps the integrated graphics is allocating a large chunk as Quattro Pete suggests. I will check on that.

Towncivilian, whenever I eventually upgrade (replace) my own PC it will get a 64-bit OS, but in this case I thought perhaps the user would have less hassle from a 32-bt OS than 64-bit since most software is still 32-bit.

We did not custom configure it this way. I was a bit surprised to see the OEM provide 32-bit Windows on 4GB memory.

I wonder if the recovery disks (presently creating) will offer a 32/64 choice.

 

[BearZDefect]

Results of some research:

- According to Microsoft here, PAE is supposed to solve this problem, and in Windows 7 32-bit, PAE is on by default if DEP is on. I checked, DEP is on.

- The Intel graphics utility indicates graphic memory usage of around 50 MB, nothing close to the missing 1.5GB.

- I found no parameter in the CMOS setup to specify maximum memory allocation to the integrated graphics system.

- Experiment: I removed one of the two 2GB DIMMs and started Windows. The report became:
Installed memory (RAM): 2.00 GB (1.86 GB usable)
Removing 2GB only lost 0.57 GB of usable memory.

 

[OVERKILL]

Look for memory remap in the BIOS.

 

[Towncivilian]

Originally Posted By: BearZDefect
Towncivilian, whenever I eventually upgrade (replace) my own PC it will get a 64-bit OS, but in this case I thought perhaps the user would have less hassle from a 32-bt OS than 64-bit since most software is still 32-bit.

All 32-bit software will run on 64-bit operating systems. You will only have trouble with running ancient 16-bit applications. Your hardware must also have 64-bit drivers available, but your laptop contains a very recent Core i3 CPU so it is guaranteed to have the necessary drivers. You may run into issues with very old peripheral devices (webcams, printers, etc), however.

 

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: BearZDefect
Results of some research:

- According to Microsoft here, PAE is supposed to solve this problem, and in Windows 7 32-bit, PAE is on by default if DEP is on. I checked, DEP is on.

- The Intel graphics utility indicates graphic memory usage of around 50 MB, nothing close to the missing 1.5GB.

- I found no parameter in the CMOS setup to specify maximum memory allocation to the integrated graphics system.

- Experiment: I removed one of the two 2GB DIMMs and started Windows. The report became:
Installed memory (RAM): 2.00 GB (1.86 GB usable)
Removing 2GB only lost 0.57 GB of usable memory.

Thats because even though it says its using only 50MB VRAM, it actually has more than that reserved. That is probably just what it is using rendering the desktop. Are you sure its 2x2GB? Ive seen stuff with 1x2GB and 1x1GB. If one is in fact a 1GB then it is probably reserving 512MB for VRAM.

 

[BearZDefect]

Thank you for the ideas.

OVERK1LL, I looked but cannot find anything like "memory remap" in the BIOS.

Towncivilian, I realize 64-bit Windows can run 32-bit applications. And this Thinkpad Edge 14 with Core i3 350M has all necessary drivers available, as Lenovo offers 64-bit for it.

Colt45ws, the 1.86 GB usable with only 2 GB (1 DIMM) confirms what you wrote about the reserved graphics memory. But 0.14 GB is far from 1+ GB lost with both DIMMs. I saw this very same PC configuration last Nov with 64-bit Windows which reported 3.86 GB usable, so the 0.14 is more like it.

Yes, I am sure it has two 2 GB memory modules - they are identical DIMMs, each with a Samsung sticker clearly stating 2 GB, and removing one resulted in 2 GB reported.

Perhaps if we find a better use for one of these DIMMs we'll replace it with a 1 GB module and leave it at that. Undecided on a final course of action, but for now it will be used as-is.

 

[Towncivilian]

I'm quite perplexed that Lenovo shipped a machine with 4GB from the factory with a 32-bit operating system installed. One of my friends just bought an Edge 15 and even with 2GB, it came with 64-bit preinstalled! Perhaps you should give Lenovo a call and ask why you don't have 64-bit when you had 4GB (I'm assuming you picked the factory option for 4GB?)

 

[Colt45ws]

Is it possible to install 64 bit? Even just to test? The 32bit key will work, btw.

 

[javacontour]

If you don't want to re-install, just boot a live image CD/DVD from some other O/S and see how much memory is reported.

I ended up with 2x2gb DIMMs in my 32bit Toshiba Tecra M5 and it reported on 3.25gb of memory. Of course I think that has to do with the legacy reserved addresses in the range of addressable memory going back to the days of DOS and 640K (yes K) of maximum memory as well as the other hacks that followed.

 

[BearZDefect]

javacountour, 3.25GB sounds reasonable, 2.43 was a surprise. I am aware of some of the ugly memory hacks that encumber PCs due to the old 16-bit addressing limitation. Back then Intel did a hardware hack to get 20 address bits out of 16 to access 1 MB (with 640KB usable for reasons you explained) and that 'special' 640KB-1MB range persists and continues in style now with the 32-bit ceiling. On a side note, funny how Intel must have considered a 16-bit data path too costly in the 8086 and consequently made the 8088 with an 8-bit data bus.

Towncivilian, Colt45ws, Windows 7 32-bit does acknowledge the 4.00 GB physical memory installed, and so does the hardware. I don't feel a need to try another OS just to prove the presence of 4 GB. I saw this same machine configuration last November with 64-bit W7, reporting 3.86 GB usable out of 4.00 GB total.

A call to Lenovo may be what we need here.

Thanks to everyone for the help!

 

[Rand]

it does sound like a bios issue.