Thinkpad T60p - Vista x64 and 4GB memory?

I just got a Thinkpad T60p with 4GB of installed memory. The BIOS shows the correct 4GB number. I installed Vista x64 on it - however Vista shows the installed memory as only 3GB. What gives? Is the complete 4GB accessible to Vista on the T60p? I would imagine so, given that its a 64-bit Core2 Duo processor.

I wonder if the motherboard or other architecture of the T60p limits available memory to 3GB?

-Aakash

 

Well, as far as I know, the maximum memory on the T60 series is 3GB, unless the platform has changed. What does your machine say when you go to My Computer > Properties > List of Processor, OS and Memory?

 

It says 3070 MB.

What does it mean to have 4GB installed when the laptop only supports 3GB? Why would they even sell me 4GB of memory if the laptop only supports 3GB? And how come the bios actually shows the 4GB installed? Is this a windows specific issue, or does the 3GB restriction apply to all OS's?

I was under the impression the 3GB restriction was a 32-bit XP problem, and I would be able to use the full 4GB after I installed Vista x64.

-Aakash

 

I suspect the issue is the same as the one mentioned in ftp://download.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/ta71902.pdf

Basically, dont waste your money on getting 4GB of memory in your thinkpad. Stick with 3GB max until Lenovo says the full 4GB is supported by their bios/architecture.

-Aakash

 

give me the 2GB stick and i'll change it to my 1GB stick

i think 4GB is overkill. but yeah i agree with the idea of why they sell you 4GB and only use the 3GB in reality... that sucks. now you have to buy an X60 tablet and put in there the RAM

have you tested to use the whole 3GB memory? i mean open a resource-hog antivirus, all effects on windows environment, run oblivion, have a CAD model rendered, then have an HD movie rendered, download porn (or mp3) in limewire, etc... wait, do they even account for 3GB?

maybe they are fixing it right now. we hope

 

Strange they sold you 4GB of RAM when the machine supports up to 3GB. I don't think this is an OS issue.

 

I was under the impression that all 64bit laptops currently out right now are more of a hybrid 64bit, than true 64bit. This will change with Napa, but right now we still have the addressing limit of anything higher than 3gb of ram. More of a chipset issue than anything else.

 

Yes, that seems to be the case.

BTW, I talked to some folks within Microsoft, and they've confirmed the link I posted ealier - the BIOS indeed does reserve a large range of addresses for PCIExpress and other device, so on most desktop machines, the actual memory usable by 64 bit Vista will be less than 4GB. This is a limitation on almost all mobile chipsets as well.

-Aakash

 

If the BIOS recognized the 4GB RAM then it should utilize the memory - the computers recognized the whole 4GB.

I think the problem lay down to the OS, the way they interact with current Intel chipset (which is still 32bit internally).