32 Bit Memory Limits - Help
 

Hi all - I have a simple question :

I have a scrap build PC I'm using for grunt work - Its running 32Bit XP - and has 4GB ram installed - because the chips where spare - YES I KNOW it cant use it all. I dont care 3Gb is fine...

HERE'S THE PROBLEM - It used to have a 320Mb 8800GTS Installed - and during this time the PC had 3GB ram free - which was great because it was running some VM's.

the 8800GTS exploded and I replaced it with a super cheap 9400 just to keep it running - Now the 9400 has 1Gb ram - and ever since then the PC only has 2GB ram and my VM's are falling apart, fro lack of rams...

WE all know WHY this is - so please nobody start explaining that again - My question is - does anybody know of any way of "LIMITING" the 9400 to say 256MB ram or something - with drivers or whatever, to allow me to have more system ram?

Yes I realize this would make games run worse - But I ask you what could possibly make games run worse than having a 9400 in the first place? - This is a simple server PC, texture memory is irrelevant.

PLEASE no "Upgrade to 64Bit..." / "Buy a vid card with less ram.." or any other BS answers... I'm, looking for a fix, NOT to rebuild anything.

IF anyone knows of any way to make windows simply not recognize all of the Video Ram, then that will fix my problem immediately and for free - anyone have any ideas / heard of anything like this?

Maybe there's a way Of flashing the Video card to think it has less ram? any help?

Well there is no way of doing what you asked, unfortunately the only option is to go x64, and sorry for the BS answer :rolleyes:

Heh - is ok - at least you got to the point in that you don't think it can be done - that's good enough.

TO all the Bios tweakers out there ... Surely its possible to jippo the video card bios to report less ram - I recently heard of 465's unlocking to 470's with a bios flash and gaining extra ram when they did - SURELY the reverse is possible too?

No, and it isnt a 'bs' answer, upgrade to 64 bit. Why cripple a perfectly fine GPU for the sake of being able to carry on using 32 bit?

Im sorry but this whole question just seems ridiculous to me.

Have you tried the /3GB switch?

I've run a few 1GB cards with XP 32-bit and the OS still allowed me to use 3GB of the RAM I had installed.....I don't really see why your having an issue.

I don't care what you think about what I want to do, OR why - and I dont have all day to type a 30 page screenplay explaining it to you.

That is what I want to do, and if you cant be helpful then why respond at all?

I have Thanks, but still no luck. :\

I feel the same way when I get BS answers or questions on why I'm doing whatever it is I'm doing, but ouch man, that's a bit harsh...

Anyway, try adding the /pae switch into boot.ini

I thought there is an option somewhere to set your video ram down to any amount you wish, but I can be wrong or it only applies to onboard.

I don't think it can be done either. I'm pretty sure it can't be done. 64-bit would solve everything. Annnoying, yes, but true. :(

Are you thinking about that AGP Aperture size thing maybe?

/3GB enables PAE by default. If he tried it, he did already try PAE by default.


@Bazooka, is the hardware even 64 bit capable?

Well, that was my $0.02, if you dont like it then thats your troubles for you alone to deal with. Im still completely baffled as to why you would even want to limit the card, when doing a simple, and by some methods free upgrade to 64 bit would solve everything?

Im not attacking you in any way, im just confused as to why this issue was even raised, it seems daft to limit a perfectly good card :ohwell:

maybe physicaly destroy some of the ram chips on the video card ? :d

NOW' were talking... although the more I look at the 465 -> 470 Bios Unlock the more I think a bios patch CAN do this.

I'm just not really up to speed with Bios manipulation :\

Honest question here. I may have a fully legit and free solution if you are willing to upgrade to x64.

http://img.techpowerup.org/100614/Capture122.jpg


As I said, still not seeing your issue....

Doesn't matter. Different setups react in different ways. Unless you have the identical hardware, your screenshots do not apply here.

Out of the 5 setups I've had using 1GB cards and 4GB RAM I've never had this issue.

I've even gone from 256mb graphics to 1GB and not had anything change when using 4GB of RAM.


I'd reinstall the OS and call it a good job...it'd no doubt fix the issue and isn't a BS idea. :laugh:

I lost 512MB of my ram when I went from a 512 to a 1GB card, too. It's not BS, it's quite normal. A fresh install did not fix it. Different mobos, hell just different BIOSes on the same mobo, can effect the outcome.

check if the graphics card is actually your problem by going into device manager -> graphics card -> resources -> memory

this should list all the memory ranges the card has claimed, check if those are really thatb ig

you cant limit the card, you will need to go an x64 OS in order to use the extra ram.

dont forget that 32 bit apps in a 32 bit OS are capped at 2GB anyway, once you go x64 you can use up to 4GB per app (even if they're a 32 bit app) thanks to the large address aware feature.

There simply is no easy, quick way out of this... you either have to change hardware or change OS, to get what you want.

Brace yourself for the backlash!

Its such a smack in the face obvious answer, im surprised this thread has even gone past post #2.

i can understand him asking for another way to do it, but there simply isnt another way.

He complaining that he has 4GB RAM and only 2GB left to use when his card is installed....that isnt correct as he should have 3GB like me.

I know quiet well you lose RAM for installing cards but he's lost twice as much as he should have; it doesn't make sense to me.