jwcolby
jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com
Sat May 17 21:04:07 CDT 2008
> 1.) I'm going to upgrade my pc -- was going to go all the way to 2 gigs until the recent conversation about Windows XP not being able to use more than 1.2, so my question is, why pay for 2 if the system's only going to use 1.5? Uhhh... I think there has been a failure to communicate... (one of my favorite movie lines). Windows XP x32 can use up to 4 gigabytes of RAM. Windows XP x64 can use ... unknown but way more than you can fit in your machine. The x32 4 gig limitation comes from the fact that using a 32 bit address register you can only physically access 2^32 addresses which equals 4 gigs. NOW, having said that, any memory that is on perepheral devices such as (for example) 128 or 256 megs on a video card have to be "mapped" into that same 4 gigs of ram space, so what happens is that Windows carves "holes" in that 4 gigs and "maps" the video memory into that hole, so that you end up with 4 gigs of memory MINUS the "mapped" memory from your video card. USUALLY you will end up with something between 3.25 and 3.6 gigs of RAM if you install 4 gigs of memory in a windows x32 machine. What happens if you install less than 4 gigs (only 2 gigs)? Windows no longer has to carve the holes out to map the memory of the video card so you end with with ALL of that 2 gigs available as memory. > 2.) Is there a modem/wireless router combo? I'm using cable Internet. If I have to buy both, seems like someone would be making a single unit that does both by now. I don't know but the cable company provides whatever they provide. They usually do not give (or at least offer) you a choice. Most of us just go buy a wireless modem of our own choice to place "behind" the cable modem. John W. Colby www.ColbyConsulting.com Susan Harkins wrote: > 1.) I'm going to upgrade my pc -- was going to go all the way to 2 gigs until the recent conversation about Windows XP not being able to use more than 1.2, so my question is, why pay for 2 if the system's only going to use 1.5? > > 2.) Is there a modem/wireless router combo? I'm using cable Internet. If I have to buy both, seems like someone would be making a single unit that does both by now. > > Susan H. > _______________________________________________ > dba-Tech mailing list > dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >