x64 Vista show only 3.25GB of ram with 8GB Installed

gi2unt,

Also are you sure the OS is 64bit - if it was 32 bit running on a 64 bit processor it would behave like this by default

PeteLong

Yep, I wouldnt have posted the question otherwise. I am very aware of what os I am installing on a PC. :-)

OS Name      Microsoft® Windows Vistaâ„¢ Enterprise
Version      6.0.6000 Build 6000
Other OS Description       Not Available
OS Manufacturer      Microsoft Corporation
System Name      DDNABER
System Manufacturer      Dell Inc.
System Model      Vostro 200
System Type      x64-based PC
Processor      Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     E6550  @ 2.33GHz, 2331 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date      Dell Inc. 1.0.10, 12/15/2007
SMBIOS Version      2.5
Windows Directory      C:\Windows
System Directory      C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device      \Device\HarddiskVolume2
Locale      United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer      Version = "6.0.6000.16407"
User Name      AD-PAPANATURE\donnaber
Time Zone      Pacific Standard Time
Total Physical Memory      3,325.56 MB
Available Physical Memory      1.72 GB
Total Virtual Memory      3.13 GB
Available Virtual Memory      1.57 GB
Page File Space      .00 KB

Fair enuuf (I had to ask)

Start > run > msconfig > boot> Advanced > Has max memory been set?

If not check your motherboard specs say regardless of what the BIOS says a LOT of mobos can only use 4Gb of Memory - and assuming your graphics has pinched some 3.25 would not be outrageously low

I notice you have a Dell - the  intel 945 chipset has this problem with 64 and 32 bit :(

Hi,
If you say that in your bios settings you see 8gb of memory, then you are using this ammount of memory on your OS, meaning that applications, games, and software are using this ammount of ram, hwr with certain limitations, since you are using a tops of 4gb for many of your processes on 32 bit native applications, keep that in mind, even though you see 3.25 GB ram.
Take a look at this article http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2007/03/23/memory-management-demystifying-3gb.aspx since it explains a bit what happens with kernel memory allocation and OS's...
Also, take a look at http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/sb/cs-009192.htm to see if your motherboard might have a new Bios that supports more ram, its quite risky but it is an option if you cannot handle more than 4GB ram...
Any other, let me know.
Brgds.

Where did you get a Dell Vostro 200 that accepts 8GB or RAM?  Crucial says the maximum that model accepts is 4GB: http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Vostro%20200%20Mini%20Tower  I suggest that you physically look at your RAM and check if you really have 8GB.  Post the RAM markings here.

This is, as noted already, a simple chipset issue => and there's nothing you can do about it.   In fact, I'm surprised the BIOS even reports the 8GB.

I agree that "... Dell cheaped out..." ==> but not that they "... didn't bother to tell anyone."   From page 169 of the manual for the Vostro 200:  "Maximum Memory:  4GB"   [http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/vos200/en/mini_tower/om_en/pdf/DX333A01.pdf ]

... and from the marketing page for the Vostro on Dell's web site:  "Up to 4GB Dual-Channel DDR22 SDRAM" with a footnote that reads "1 The total amount of usable memory available will be less than 4GB, depending on actual system configuration."

They also don't offer it with any x64 OS, nor do they sell configurations with more than 4GB of memory.

I'm not a fan of Dell (having bought any of their systems in over a decade) ... but they DO disclose plenty of information on this system => actually, their web site does an excellent job of providing information and drivers for just about all of their systems.

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gi2unt ==>  Having said all of that:   One thing you could do to improve your overall performance is to enable the page file.   Your configuration indicates you do not have a page file enabled.

Please list your system specs (motherboard, ram, etc) or the OEM manufacture model number (HP, dell, etc).
Maybe we can find the specific info for you one way or another.

Page file slows down the machine. For some reason when it is enabled Vista trys to use it to swap instaead of memory. Anyways thanks for all the info

The Dell Vostro only supports 4GB of RAM and the current version of Vista will only report what RAM is available to the OS (which is usually less than than 4gb). Below is where the information was found plus an excerpt about the upcoming Vista Service Pack.

Dell Vostro Manual (PDF)
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/vos200/en/mini_tower/om_en/pdf/DX3331D.zip

EXCEPRT:
Memory
Type 667-MHz, 800-MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Memory connectors four
Memory capacities 512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB
Minimum memory 512 MB
Maximum memory 4 GB

At the bottom of this page is a  bullet item 'in small print'.
http://www.dell.com/content/products/results.aspx/vostrodt?~ck=anav&c=us&l=en&s=biz&cs=555\

Excerpt:
* The total amount of available memory will be less than 4GB. The amount less depends on the actual system configuration.

---

Vista Service Pack 1 will address 'how' it reports RAM, info here.
http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/005f921e-f706-401e-abb5-eec42ea0a03e1033.mspx?mfr=true

EXCEPT:
•      
With SP1, Windows Vista will report the amount of system memory installed rather than report the amount of system memory available to the OS. Therefore 32-bit systems equipped with 4GB of RAM will report all 4BG in many places throughout the OS, such as the System Control Panel. However, this behavior is dependent on having a compatible BIOS, so not all users may notice this change.