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February 23rd, 2014 13:00
Dimension E520 - Windows XP 32bit version - 4GB RAM
Hi,
I'm sure this has been asked before, but I cannot find a definitive answer with my exact circumstances.
I have a Dimension E520, running Windows XP - 32 bit version.
I had 2GB RAM (2 1GB cards) and just added 2 more for a total of 4GB RAM.
Using the System Information system tool, it tells me there is:
Total Physical Memory 4,096.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 1.42GB
In the Windows Task Manager, it says:
Total Physical Memory is 3143520
Available Physical Memory is 1491984
The Windows Task Manager reporting 3.15GB of Total Physical Memory has me worried that all the memory is not being used. Is there something I can do to make sure the memory is all being used.?
If this is correct. is there something I can do to increase this to be closer to the installed 4GB, w/o upgrading to a 64bit OS. Is it worth it to upgrade to a 64bit OS (Win 7) at this point in the PC's life? It's almost 8 years old.
Thanks!
shesagordie
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February 23rd, 2014 13:00
jmom
When you have a 32-bit system, this does not recognize 4gb of memory, 3±gb is all a 32-bit system can address.
Basically what it means is, while you can install 4gb of memory in the system, the reason it’s not recognized is mainly due to 32-bit processors and/or 32-bit applications on memory address limitations.
64-bit processors & operating systems will recognize beyond the 32-bit limitation.
Personally, I would not buy the 64-bit version of the operating system, used Dimension e520 can be purchased for around $200, or less
Bev.
rdunnill
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8.8K Posts
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February 23rd, 2014 14:00
Support for XP is ending in six weeks, so it's worth upgrading. Newegg frequently offers Windows 7 on sale, with Home Premium priced at $85 and Professional priced at $125. If your E520 is still working fine, that's a lot cheaper than a new PC.
bhasling
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April 3rd, 2014 13:00
it would be nice if someone would answer the original question. I have documentation from a vendor of ours that states that their software needs 4gb of ram to run and on a windows 32-bit pc it walks you through what changes are needed to get the OS to see all 4gb of ram, says in my documentation that this will work on hp, ibm, etc but for all Dell pc's you need to contact Dell to walk through the process. I have been working in IT for 8yrs and have always been under the impression that 4gb in XPx86 isn't possible until now so I'm at a point now that I have a few xp boxes that we still need to run on until later this year and I'm about ready to call Dell but was hoping to find a solution on the web. This is possible, does anyone know how to do it???
rdunnill
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April 3rd, 2014 20:00