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a few questions about my new computer
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bassexpander

Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 3:17 pm Post subject:

The difference in the HD would bug me if the cache size were smaller than I originally ordered. That can have a significant effect on speed.

ttompatz

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 1:53 am Post subject: Re: a few questions about my new computer

Demophobe wrote:

ttompatz wrote:

Beej wrote:

I had a computer built at yongsan yesterday. It was supposed to have a 500gig SEAGATE Sata HD. But he put in a Western Digital. Should I be concerned?
I also specified 4 gigs of Ram. But only 3.5 gigs show up when I look under system properties. Is this usual as HD space shows up as less than the disks actually are.

Thanks.

In my opinion the difference in price and quality between those 2 brands of HDD are negligible. No worry.

The RAM thing is a windows issue. You are running 32 bit windows and it can only address 3.5 gigs of RAM. IF you want to use all 4 gigs you will have to switch to a 64 bit version of windows (XP-64 bit or VISTA 64 bit).

It's not a Windows issue, its a hardware issue.

OK... let me rephrase to be more precise.

It is an O/S issue. WinXP-pro 32 bit is NOT capable of addressing more than about 3.5 GB of RAM (even if it is installed and the hardware supports it.)

Switching to a 64 bit O/S will solve his problem. Options are: UNIX, LINUX (64 bit), WinXP-64 bit or VISTA (64 bit).

And that makes it a SOFTWARE / Operating System issue, NOT a hardware issue.

.

Demophobe

Joined: 17 May 2004

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 2:22 am Post subject: Re: a few questions about my new computer

ttompatz wrote:

Demophobe wrote:

ttompatz wrote:

Beej wrote:

It's not a Windows issue, its a hardware issue.

Its a hardware issue.

32 bit versions of Windows support 4GB of RAM.

Code:

232 = 4,294,967,296

4,294,967,296 / (1,024 x 1,024) = 4,096

You lose with memory mapping for other IO (one graphics card alone will cost you about .5GB), thus 3.2 ~ 3.5 shows up. This IO hole is invisible to the OS: it cannot be used, so it isn't there but that doesn't mean that your 4GB isn't there or being utilized.

64 bit hole explained (PDF)

Another view:

Enable the /PAE switch, AWE and maybe the /SOS switch (in Server 2000) and all is well, but then crappy drivers become problems. Thus MS decided to write the 32 bit address limits into the kernel, making it appear a Windows thing. It's not. Or at least, it doesn't have to even appear that way. Also, you need the supporting chipset...beware.

If it is a Windows thing, why do the latest Intel Core Duo-based iMacs have the same issue?

Linux supports more because it uses the /PAE switch, at a 3 ~ 6% performance hit.

This may seem to support your position, but when you spend $80,000, the software and drivers will indeed support both PAE and AWE. No Firefox on that baby!

Here is another article that supports the hardware making it look like a software issue. Hardware supports a hack, then blames software when it doesn't. And, by the way, it isn't Windows that doesn't support 36 bit addressing. Wink

This IS a hardware problem and if you insist otherwise, proof will be necessary and interesting.

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