How much ram can W7 really use?

I have an Intel Core Duo CPU (P7450 @ 2.13GHz) computer with 6 GB
installed RAM running Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium. But I've been told
that my apps can only use the first 4 GB of RAM.

Is that true? If so what use are the additional 2 GB RAM?

Thanks, Jeff

On 10/09/2011 6:31 PM, d wrote:
> I have an Intel Core Duo CPU (P7450 @ 2.13GHz) computer with 6 GB
> installed RAM running Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium. But I've been told
> that my apps can only use the first 4 GB of RAM.
>
> Is that true? If so what use are the additional 2 GB RAM?

If your apps are 32-bit apps, running under the 64-bit operating system,
then yes, they can only use 4GB in total. If they are full 64-bit apps,
then they can use the entire allotment of RAM that Windows 7 64-bit has
available to it.

However, on a related note, not all Windows 7 64-bits are built alike.

Memory Limits for Windows Releases (Windows)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...mits_windows_7

Here are the upper RAM limits for the different editions of Windows 7:

Starter (32-bit only): 4GB
Home Basic: 8GB
Home Premium: 16GB
Professional: 192GB
Enterprise: 192GB
Ultimate: 192GB

Yousuf Khan

On 9/10/11 6:43 PM, Yousuf Khan wrote:
> On 10/09/2011 6:31 PM, d wrote:
>> I have an Intel Core Duo CPU (P7450 @ 2.13GHz) computer with 6 GB
>> installed RAM running Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium. But I've been told
>> that my apps can only use the first 4 GB of RAM.
>>
>> Is that true? If so what use are the additional 2 GB RAM?
>
> If your apps are 32-bit apps, running under the 64-bit operating system,
> then yes, they can only use 4GB in total. If they are full 64-bit apps,
> then they can use the entire allotment of RAM that Windows 7 64-bit has
> available to it.
>
> However, on a related note, not all Windows 7 64-bits are built alike.
>
> Memory Limits for Windows Releases (Windows)
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...mits_windows_7
>
>
> Here are the upper RAM limits for the different editions of Windows 7:
>
> Starter (32-bit only): 4GB
> Home Basic: 8GB
> Home Premium: 16GB
> Professional: 192GB
> Enterprise: 192GB
> Ultimate: 192GB
>
> Yousuf Khan
Thank you. That is very useful.

I know there are some 64 bit apps, but since most apps that the average
user uses today are 32 bit, it sounds like anything beyond 4GB is really
wasted ram.

Jeff

d wrote:
> On 9/10/11 6:43 PM, Yousuf Khan wrote:
>> On 10/09/2011 6:31 PM, d wrote:
>>> I have an Intel Core Duo CPU (P7450 @ 2.13GHz) computer with 6 GB
>>> installed RAM running Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium. But I've been told
>>> that my apps can only use the first 4 GB of RAM.
>>>
>>> Is that true? If so what use are the additional 2 GB RAM?
>>
>> If your apps are 32-bit apps, running under the 64-bit operating system,
>> then yes, they can only use 4GB in total. If they are full 64-bit apps,
>> then they can use the entire allotment of RAM that Windows 7 64-bit has
>> available to it.
>>
>> However, on a related note, not all Windows 7 64-bits are built alike.
>>
>> Memory Limits for Windows Releases (Windows)
>> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...mits_windows_7
>>
>>
>>
>> Here are the upper RAM limits for the different editions of Windows 7:
>>
>> Starter (32-bit only): 4GB
>> Home Basic: 8GB
>> Home Premium: 16GB
>> Professional: 192GB
>> Enterprise: 192GB
>> Ultimate: 192GB
>>
>> Yousuf Khan
> Thank you. That is very useful.
>
> I know there are some 64 bit apps, but since most apps that the average
> user uses today are 32 bit, it sounds like anything beyond 4GB is really
> wasted ram.
>
> Jeff
>

If you run four 2GB programs, your 8GB is now used up.

If you use Virtual Machines regularly, the RAM gets used up pretty
fast. I've had as many as three of them running at the same time,
and ran out of system ram to do virtually anything else.

Paul

On 9/12/11 5:24 PM, Paul wrote:
> d wrote:
>> On 9/10/11 6:43 PM, Yousuf Khan wrote:
>>> On 10/09/2011 6:31 PM, d wrote:
>>>> I have an Intel Core Duo CPU (P7450 @ 2.13GHz) computer with 6 GB
>>>> installed RAM running Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium. But I've been told
>>>> that my apps can only use the first 4 GB of RAM.
>>>>
>>>> Is that true? If so what use are the additional 2 GB RAM?
>>>
>>> If your apps are 32-bit apps, running under the 64-bit operating system,
>>> then yes, they can only use 4GB in total. If they are full 64-bit apps,
>>> then they can use the entire allotment of RAM that Windows 7 64-bit has
>>> available to it.
>>>
>>> However, on a related note, not all Windows 7 64-bits are built alike.
>>>
>>> Memory Limits for Windows Releases (Windows)
>>> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...mits_windows_7
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Here are the upper RAM limits for the different editions of Windows 7:
>>>
>>> Starter (32-bit only): 4GB
>>> Home Basic: 8GB
>>> Home Premium: 16GB
>>> Professional: 192GB
>>> Enterprise: 192GB
>>> Ultimate: 192GB
>>>
>>> Yousuf Khan
>> Thank you. That is very useful.
>>
>> I know there are some 64 bit apps, but since most apps that the
>> average user uses today are 32 bit, it sounds like anything beyond 4GB
>> is really wasted ram.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>
> If you run four 2GB programs, your 8GB is now used up.
>
> If you use Virtual Machines regularly, the RAM gets used up pretty
> fast. I've had as many as three of them running at the same time,
> and ran out of system ram to do virtually anything else.
>
> Paul
Aha! I misunderstood. So, because a 32 bit app can only use 4GB another
running 32 bit app can use a "different" ram because W7 makes it
available to it. That's cool.

Jeff

One ram is usually able to take care of the needs of about 20 ewes.

"" <> wrote:

>I have an Intel Core Duo CPU (P7450 @ 2.13GHz) computer with 6 GB
>installed RAM running Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium. But I've been told
>that my apps can only use the first 4 GB of RAM.

The amount of physical RAM that 64bit Win7 can use is extremely high.
AFAIK, the limitation these days is always in the hardware, not the
Win7 software. So all of your 6GB is seen and used by 64bit Win7.

32-bit programs are all assigned a 4GB virtual address space when they
run. (64-bit programs are assigned a much larger VM space). The OS
tries to keep as much of all these VM spaces in physical RAM as it
can. It's an *extremely* complex system involving swapping pages of
storage between RAM and the swap file on your hard drive. The more
physical RAM in your machine, the more of the VMs can reside there,
and the less time your machine will spend swapping pages.

So *all* of your physical RAM will be used, and having more of it will
speed up your 32-bit programs, especially if you run many of them
simultaneously or if you run RAM-hungry apps.

--
Tim Slattery

http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

"Tim Slattery" <> wrote in message
news:...
> "" <> wrote:
>
>>I have an Intel Core Duo CPU (P7450 @ 2.13GHz) computer with 6 GB
>>installed RAM running Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium. But I've been
>>told
>>that my apps can only use the first 4 GB of RAM.
>
> The amount of physical RAM that 64bit Win7 can use is extremely
> high.
> AFAIK, the limitation these days is always in the hardware, not the
> Win7 software.

Except when the limitation *is* Win7 - you might take a look at Yousuf
Khan's reply elsethread which lists the arbitrarily limits MS has
imposed in various flavors of Win7. I agree, in this case Win7 isn't
limiting access to the 6GB memory since the OP is using Win7 Home
Premium, but all the same...

--
Zaphod

"The best Bang since the Big One" - Eccentrica Gallumbits

"Zaphod Beeblebrox" <> wrote:

>Except when the limitation *is* Win7 - you might take a look at Yousuf
>Khan's reply elsethread which lists the arbitrarily limits MS has
>imposed in various flavors of Win7. I agree, in this case Win7 isn't
>limiting access to the 6GB memory since the OP is using Win7 Home
>Premium, but all the same...


Point taken. Win7 64-bit limits:

Starter: (not available in 64-bit version)
Home Basic: 8GB
Home Premium: 16GB
Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate: 192GB

Entirely arbitrary as you say, Zaphod.


(Source:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...mits_windows_7
)

--
Tim Slattery

http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

On 9/13/2011 12:25 PM, Tim Slattery wrote:
> "Zaphod Beeblebrox"<> wrote:
>
>> Except when the limitation *is* Win7 - you might take a look at Yousuf
>> Khan's reply elsethread which lists the arbitrarily limits MS has
>> imposed in various flavors of Win7. I agree, in this case Win7 isn't
>> limiting access to the 6GB memory since the OP is using Win7 Home
>> Premium, but all the same...
>
>
> Point taken. Win7 64-bit limits:
>
> Starter: (not available in 64-bit version)
> Home Basic: 8GB
> Home Premium: 16GB
> Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate: 192GB
>
> Entirely arbitrary as you say, Zaphod.
>
>
> (Source:
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...mits_windows_7
> )
>
And, possibly, with some effort, the RAM limits (License restriction)
can be gotten around. The information is generally correct for Vista and
Win 7.
http://www.geoffchappell.com/viewer....nse/memory.htm