I want to increase my RAM, but I have a few questions?

Question

I think I already know the answers to most of these, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.  I have three 1G sticks and one open slot.  My mother board supports up to 8G.  I have an AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual core processor.  My system is an Acer Aspire M3100-UD5200A (all stock).  I'm running 32 bit Vista.  Now, onto the questions.

1.  I thought since my processor was an AMD Athlon 64 that I would be able to upgrade to the 64 bit Vista.  I was checking around and was told to look under my "Environmental Variables" to see my processor architecture.  It says x86.  Does that mean I cant upgrade to the 64 bit Vista, or am I misinterpreting something?

2.  Am I correct that 32 bit Vista will only recognize between 3 - 3.5 gigs of RAM?

3.  How do I check the speed of my RAM?

4.  I had my computer scanned at www.crucial.com and it says my RAM has to be installed in pairs.  That doesnt make sense to me though since it came with 3 sticks in it.  Can someone explain this to me?

5.  If my first two questions are correct, is there any better/cheaper way of upgrading my RAM to the max 8 gigs without having to buy a new processor and upgrading to 64 bit Vista?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me.

nookkin · Accepted Answer

1. You are running an x86 version of Windows, which makes the processor run in x86 mode. Installing an x64 version of Vista will make it run in x64 mode, using the processor to its full potential.

2. A 32-bit OS will be able to utilize between 3 and 3.5gb of RAM. You might make it to 4.0gb with PAE enabled. A 64-bit version of Windows will recognize more; Home Premium x64 will recognize up to 16gb and Business/Ultimate x64 will recognize up to 128gb.

3. It should say it in the BIOS, or use CPU-Z or a similar program to find out.

4. Your RAM has to be installed in pairs to enable dual-channel mode. If you have 3 sticks of RAM installed, dual-channel mode is deactivated, but the RAM will still work.

5. You don't need a new processor, and can already upgrade to 64-bit Vista and use all 8gb of RAM.

? · Answer

32-bit vs. 64-bit Vista comparison table…
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/06/04/differences-and-advantages-between-32-bit-x86-vs-64-bit-x64-windows-vista/

Understanding how SuperFetch uses RAM to enhance system performance…
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=735

Windows Vista - SuperFetch & ReadyBoost
http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2007/03/29/windows-vista-superfetch-readyboost.aspx

32-bit means it can only address 2^32 (2 to the 32nd power) = 4GB memory spaces.
That would be RAM + VRAM + other devices on Motherboard, etc.  
e.g. If you have a 1 GB VRAM, you will prolly only be able to get 2.7GB user RAM approx.

This one's a bit technical, but it describes some of the nitty-gritty of 64-bit technology.
http://www.bit-tech.net/bits/2007/10/16/64-bit_more_than_just_the_ram/1

Considering this, SuperFetch is probably the most significant feature that distinguishes Vista from all other OS's for the users across the board.  Many other features won't be noticeable or even used by the common person (that is until commercial developers start using WPF/WFC etc., and even more DX10).  So why not take advantage of it?

Get one with Vista 64-bit.  They usually have the best specs that will last long.

If this is any indication that 64-bit is the wave of the future and 32-bit will be “obsolete”…

“There appears to be a shift taking place in the PC industry: the move from 32-bit to 64-bit PCs. 
We've been tracking the change by looking at the percentage of 64-bit PCs connecting to Windows Update, and have seen a dramatic increase in recent months. The installed base of 64-bit Windows Vista PCs, as a percentage of all Windows Vista systems, has more than tripled in the U.S. in the last three months, while worldwide adoption has more than doubled during the same period.  Another view shows that 20% of new Windows Vista PCs in the U.S. connecting to Windows Update in June were 64-bit PCs, up from just 3% in March. Put more simply, usage of 64-bit Windows Vista is growing much more rapidly than 32-bit. Based on current trends, this growth will accelerate as the retail channel shifts to supplying a rapidly increasing assortment of 64-bit desktops and laptops.”
http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2008/07/30/windows-vista-64-bit-today.aspx

romero617 · Answer

1. Yes you can upgrade to 64-Bit Vista
2. Yes...true
3. You can check it during the boot up and when you see black text press the Pause / Break key and look for it
4. Not sure because i never bought a computer prebuilt
5. IDK 
And why would you need 8 GB of RAM for ?

BillyGoat · Answer

The only question I can answer is number 4. Your crucial.com wants you to install RAM in pairs, because your computer uses the RAM most efficiently when they come paired together,like 2x1GB or 2x512Mb.

Anonymous · Answer

Vista can only get up to 4gigs, it would be better to run 64x seeing you have an AMD, but it would still only go up to 4gigs.

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I want to increase my RAM, but I have a few questions?

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