So you have had at look at your computer and it has only 2 GB ram. Everybody keeps telling you “you need more ram” and so you put some more in and expected big things after that but alas.. no.
Why is it that even though you dropped in another 2 gb which brought it up to 4gb your computer keeps telling the that it only has 3 gb installed. Or it says 4gb installed, 3 usable.
What the… ?
Well heres some interesting trivia of those who want to know.
Ever heard of 32 bit and 64 bit? What does it actually mean and what has that got to do with “more ram”. Here’s some answers that may solve the mystery.
Within Windows there are two versions 32bit ( a little old school now but still around ) and 64 bit. ( 64 bit is the norm now-a-days. )
This is how it works:
If your computer is running the 32 bit version of windows you are limited to only being able to run up to 3gb of memory, so save your money !!! don’t go out and just simply buy more ram and hope it will work. The limitations of the 32 bit operating system make it pointless to upgrade your ram past 3gb.
If you are running only 1gb or less, definatly make the move to more ram. In all probability you will see an improvement in the system you are running. If you already have 2gb, the option exists to upgrade to 3 gb but you should check first to see if you are able. In some cases your motherboard will only have two slots and it may already have two “one’s” installed. If that is the case you will have to take out a one to put in a two. However it is always recommended that you match the ram when there is more than one stick. So putting 1 and 2 together to make 3 may seem like a good idea but it is better to have two the same so in this case either 2 x 2 or 1 x 4 or leave it the way it is.
Even though you may be getting 2 x 2 and ending up with 4 that only has 3 usable, it may in fact be cheaper to get the two, memory is reasonably priced these days, so consider all the options.
If you need a little help, feel free to send us a message so we can have a chat.
So there you have it….
