System memory number wrong

hey, I know what you mean. After the dell logo, my comp beeps once. So I reseated mt dimm and it still does it. in the boot config it says I have 256mb but in my comp properties it says 255. and now in my directx diagnostics it say 254mb. Which is it.?

Conty

It may be being used by your video card. That's the way it works on mine and the system shows either 1 or 2 MB less than's actually installed....




Cowboy Wisdom:
"Always take a good look at what you're about to eat. It's not so important to know what it IS, but it's critical to know what it WAS."
- Bob -
7XDB8

So when I get my new vid card will that 1-2 mb of ram still be used?

thanks.

It used to show 256 untill yesterday tho. And so I was wondering, even tho everyting is closed. All the prog in my ctrl-alt-dlt except the neccasary ones.

Does it make a dif that I only have the integrated card not a pci video card?

Conty

I'm not positive but my guess would be NO. The reason is that I believe you have to change a jumper setting when you put a PCI video card in and that takes the integrated card completely out of the loop, and thus, would return the memory....




Cowboy Wisdom:
"Always take a good look at what you're about to eat. It's not so important to know what it IS, but it's critical to know what it WAS."
- Bob -
7XDB8

Yes, the integrated card is what's using the 1 or 2 MB. That won't happen with a PCI card...




Cowboy Wisdom:
"Always take a good look at what you're about to eat. It's not so important to know what it IS, but it's critical to know what it WAS."
- Bob -
7XDB8

ya, its because of computer math, something to do with 2^x power. it's why the numbers with the 2 base show up so often in comp products i.e. 4, 8,16,32,.. 256, 1024...
I guess its the same approach they use in measuring monitors and why a 21" monitor only has a 19.7 viewscreen.
Dont sweat it

I have the GE Force 2 32 meg card from Dell and mine reads like your's also-255mg. I don't think it will go away. I think it has something to do with the memory Dell uses. I added 128 to mine 2 weeks ago and got the 255 reading. I added 128 mg I got from Crusial, which has great prices right now, to the wife's Gateway and her's reads 256 mg. Go figure! Both machines run great!