X-RAM eating into available Vista RAM?

[Richard Dower]

I got an Auzen X-Fi Prelude with onboard 64MB of X-RAM, before installing the soundcard Vista shows me i had 3581MB of physical RAM available, after the install it shows me i have 3325MB of RAM, why?? :confused:

Even if Vista needed to alocate memory resourses for the X-Fi why would it be eating more then 64MB?, it's like eating 250MB??

But is this normal?, does the X-RAM eat into Windows memory?

[cadaveca]

this is normal. windows allocates 256mb of physical ram address space for writing to the onboard ram of the X-FI. Pretty much any device installed in your system with memory (and some without) will affect overall system ram.


But by your description, you're not running SP1...

[Richard Dower]

I'm using Vista SP1, 32bit OS with 4GB of physical memory.

[cadaveca]

So, technically this "problem" should be overcome. max a 32bit program can use in Vista IIRC is 2gb, add on mem usage for Vista GUI, and I think you're fine.

I run 2xHD3870x2's, phys-X and D2X..i get a paltry 2250mb from 4gb. You ain't got it so bad :p:

[SoulsCollective]

If a computer has a 32-bit OS, it will therefore use 32-bit addressing. The 32-bit wide address allows the processor to address 2^32 bytes of memory, which is exactly 4,294,967,296 bytes, or four gigabytes. As said above, the amount seen is often less than this, due to memory mapped I/O. Memory-mapped I/O places memory which is visible to a peripheral on the system bus (like a graphics card or HDD) in the address space of the processor. To communicate with the device, the processor can simply write the data into the range of memory the device has mapped into its address space. While significantly faster than using a specialised bus for I/O access, this means that the amount of DIMM RAM that your system can see is equal to 4GB minus all peripheral memory.
If you want to use your full amount of RAM, you need to move to a 64-bit address system - and thus a 64-bit OS.

I'm not entirely sure why the X-Fi is taking 256MB though.

[Stanley Pain]

Wow, running 4GB of memory on a non 64bit os :?

A 32bit OS can only address a max of 4GB of memory. Take the plunge Vista 64bit hasn't given me any trouble since it was released on Technet (2-3 months prior to retail distribution).

Currently I'm running Server 2k8 as a workstation (gotta love TechNet) and it's been nothing but a dream.

[Donnie27]

I got an Auzen X-Fi Prelude with onboard 64MB of X-RAM, before installing the soundcard Vista shows me i had 3581MB of physical RAM available, after the install it shows me i have 3325MB of RAM, why?? :confused:

Even if Vista needed to alocate memory resourses for the X-Fi why would it be eating more then 64MB?, it's like eating 250MB??

But is this normal?, does the X-RAM eat into Windows memory?

Did the same thing to me while I wait to install WindowsXP 64 (sorry, I'm touching Vista yet). Mine went from 3598 to 3364MB IIRC! Each device does chew up RAM. But check this out, I'm still using WinXP for now. I put the Creative X-Fi Platinum that only has 2MB of RAM and it went back to about 3564MB, note, it seems to change by about 20MB.

Yes I know Know 32bit can only make use of 2GB of RAM. What about P.A.E. that's enabled on Mine?

[Stanley Pain]

Actually, 32bit can user more than 2GB. If I'm not mistaken Windows allocates 2GB for user space and 2GB for Kernel space, but you can change that to 3/1 but it's not really reccommended.

PAE allows for 36bits of memory addressing so it allows you to "USE" more of your memory.

[Donnie27]

Actually, 32bit can user more than 2GB. If I'm not mistaken Windows allocates 2GB for user space and 2GB for Kernel space, but you can change that to 3/1 but it's not really reccommended.

PAE allows for 36bits of memory addressing so it allows you to "USE" more of your memory.

Thanks Stanley, More info please? I had to show one guy PAE was enabled on mine.

[Stanley Pain]

Wikipedia has a really good article on PAE. It really depends on how much you understand how memory addressing works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension

What else would you like to know. Microsoft's webpage provides some info about the /3GB switch you can add at bootup to change the User Space/Kernel Space addressing scheme.

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx

The reason it's not usually reccommended is that running out of Kernel Space tends to cause bigger and more drastic issues than running out of User Space.

There's also one more level of complexity to add to this. Most 32bit apss (and even some 64bit apps) have to be specially coded to even address > 2GB.

[Donnie27]

Wikipedia has a really good article on PAE. It really depends on how much you understand how memory addressing works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension

What else would you like to know. Microsoft's webpage provides some info about the /3GB switch you can add at bootup to change the User Space/Kernel Space addressing scheme.

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx

The reason it's not usually reccommended is that running out of Kernel Space tends to cause bigger and more drastic issues than running out of User Space.

There's also one more level of complexity to add to this. Most 32bit apss (and even some 64bit apps) have to be specially coded to even address > 2GB.

Thanks!

Here's what I was looking for.

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/pae_os.mspx



Windows Version...............................Support
Windows 2000 Professional
Windows XP........................AWE API and 4 GB of physical RAM

[Kondik]

The basic thing is Windows 32bit 4096 MB RAM in slots + VGA with 512 MB Ram , and you'll end with 35xx MB available. Seriously 4 GB+ please use 64 Bit.
Oh Btw don't use XP x64, i bought it, and it's still lying in my desk, it's an awfull system, XP 32bit - > Vista 64 bit, i found vista 32 a bit ... slow ? :f

[Donnie27]

The basic thing is Windows 32bit 4096 MB RAM in slots + VGA with 512 MB Ram , and you'll end with 35xx MB available. Seriously 4 GB+ please use 64 Bit.
Oh Btw don't use XP x64, i bought it, and it's still lying in my desk, it's an awfull system, XP 32bit - > Vista 64 bit, i found vista 32 a bit ... slow ? :f

As I already pointed out, I'll be moving to WinXP 64 pretty soon and that's why I recently added another 2GB;) I'm just not using the DRM laddened Vista anything.

[Stanley Pain]

As I already pointed out, I'll be moving to WinXP 64 pretty soon and that's why I recently added another 2GB;) I'm just not using the DRM laddened Vista anything.

If you're going to go 64bit please, PLEASE do not go down the horrible choice that is WinXP64. Go Vista 64 or stick with XP.

[adamsleath]

Bill Gates: Windows 7 May Ship Next Year
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said on Friday that Windows 7, the next major version of Windows, could come within the next year, far ahead of the development schedule indicated by the software maker. In response to a question about Windows Vista, Gates, speaking before the Inter-American Development Bank, said: "Sometime in the next year or so we will have a new version." Referring to Blackcomb or Windows 7, the code names for the next full release of Windows client software, Gates said: "I'm super-enthused about what it will do in lots of ways." Previously it was generally believed that Windows 7 OS would ship sometime in year 2010. The current version of Windows, known as Vista, shipped in January 2007. Microsoft's Windows XP is still widely available though, with no plans to be stopped until Windows 7 is released, Microsoft also announced yesterday.
http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9911470-56.html

[Donnie27]

If you're going to go 64bit please, PLEASE do not go down the horrible choice that is WinXP64. Go Vista 64 or stick with XP.

Thanks and I got two E-mails from others saying the same thing:( Oh well the wait continues.:rolleyes:

[Stanley Pain]

Thanks and I got two E-mails from others saying the same thing:( Oh well the wait continues.:rolleyes:

For whatever reason, XP64 is a steaming pile of dung. Whereas Vista 64 isn't. I have a feeling it has to do with driver support, and quality.

[Kondik]

I really still have the XP 64 on my desk, it's a nice .. when things go wrong and you need to watch porn fast .. because it's installed fast , but how th system works it's a mystery even to Bill Gates, it's a living being, seriously, get an OEM Vista x64 or just .. you know ... lend it :f

[Donnie27]

I really still have the XP 64 on my desk, it's a nice .. when things go wrong and you need to watch porn fast .. because it's installed fast , but how th system works it's a mystery even to Bill Gates, it's a living being, seriously, get an OEM Vista x64 or just .. you know ... lend it :f


If I had Torrent installed I might;)

[Donnie27]

For whatever reason, XP64 is a steaming pile of dung. Whereas Vista 64 isn't. I have a feeling it has to do with driver support, and quality.

Though I'm no pro or anything, long way from it. I do quite a bit of Music related stuff that Vista's DRM doesn't like. Hell, I have uncompressed them compressed 5.1 Wave to Flac or etc.... To me Audacity doesn't sound the same in Vista.