RAM - How to determine maximum

  • Thread starter Thread starter Seeker
  • Start date Start date
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Seeker

Using WIN XP home SP 2

How can I determine the maximum amount of RAM my system motherboard
can support? Is there someplace within control panel that can tell me?

Or some other way?

Thanks
Steve
 
Of historical note on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:58:12 GMT
Seeker <[email protected]> scribed:

|Using WIN XP home SP 2
|
|How can I determine the maximum amount of RAM my system motherboard
|can support? Is there someplace within control panel that can tell me?
|
|Or some other way?
|
|Thanks
|Steve

The max RAM a motherboard supports is not determined by Windows but by the manufacturer of the board. I'd suggest visiting their site and look up your motherboard and check the specifications.

If you don't know the motherboard's mfg/model, check out Belarc's system properties tool, it should tell you the mfg/model of the board.
<http://www.belarc.com/>

hth
 
Seeker said:
Using WIN XP home SP 2

How can I determine the maximum amount of RAM my system motherboard
can support? Is there someplace within control panel that can tell me?

Or some other way?

Thanks
Steve
Click to expand...


Consult your computer's or motherboard's manual or the manufacturer's
web site for specific instructions and compatibility requirements.

If you cannot lay your hands upon the computer's manual and the
manufacturer doesn't provide a support web site, Crucial Memory's web
site (www.crucial.com) has a database to help to find the right RAM for
your specific make and model computer and/or motherboard.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
Seeker;3107560 said:
Using WIN XP home SP 2

How can I determine the maximum amount of RAM my system motherboard
can support? Is there someplace within control panel that can tell me?

Or some other way?

Thanks
Steve
Click to expand...

No, only your motherboard manual/manufacturer can tell you that
Windows XP supports a maximum of 4GB of RAM itself
 
Windows XP supports a maximum of 4GB of RAM itself.

You need to be more specific. A system and software using a 32 bits CPU
architecture as you can use more than 4 gb if it uses 64 bits. There are
users having Windows XP 64 bit software. although they are only a small
minority in these newsgroups.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Seeker said:
Using WIN XP home SP 2

How can I determine the maximum amount of RAM my system motherboard
can support? Is there someplace within control panel that can tell
me?

Or some other way?
Click to expand...

First - no matter how much RAM your motherboard supports - Windows XP Home
Edition only supports up to 4GB - out of which you will likely only be able
to use about 2.75GB to 3.6GB of it.

Second - there are a couple of ways...

1) Read your computer manual. The motherboard (the large board where you
will be inserting the new memory) is a hardware component and it (in many
ways) has no concern with what operating system you run on it. In your
manuals - there is likel a section that gives you the specifications of said
piece of hardware.

2) Visit crucial.com and use their tools to determine what you can get.
Their online tool (scanner) may be able to tell you - but if not - you could
use something like belarc.com and the advisor tool to figure out more
information (like name and model of motherboard) to use on crucial.com - or
maybe just belarc advisor will give you what you need - who knows.

Hope that helps.
 
The original post stated XP Home, which I believe is not available on as a 64
bit version.
 
That may be. However, I was commenting on this statement "Windows XP
supports a maximum of 4GB of RAM itself.", which standing on it's own
without qualification is incomplete and could mislead others reading the
post..


--
Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
First - no matter how much RAM your motherboard supports - Windows XP Home
Edition only supports up to 4GB - out of which you will likely only be able
to use about 2.75GB to 3.6GB of it.

Second - there are a couple of ways...

1) Read your computer manual. The motherboard (the large board where you
will be inserting the new memory) is a hardware component and it (in many
ways) has no concern with what operating system you run on it. In your
manuals - there is likel a section that gives you the specifications of said
piece of hardware.

2) Visit crucial.com and use their tools to determine what you can get.
Their online tool (scanner) may be able to tell you - but if not - you could
use something like belarc.com and the advisor tool to figure out more
information (like name and model of motherboard) to use on crucial.com - or
maybe just belarc advisor will give you what you need - who knows.

Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

First, thank you to all respondents. Very helpful and informative.

Second, the advice to go to Crucial was both completely informative,
and also very depressing. To reach the maximum ram on my computer
(2Gig) would cost me more (by at least 40%) than the price of a new
computer with an equal amount of ram!.

Third, I find it strange that using Windows XP's

CONTROL PANEL / SYSTEM / HARDWARE / DEVICE MANAGER

I am able to get complete and detailed information for every other
device/part of my system, but nothing beyond the Model # fot the
Motherboard. Seems to me a considerable oversight.

But, as I said, the responses here have been completely helpful, and
once again I say thank you.

Steve
 
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