maximum memory

Hello,
I have a Sony VGN-NR310E with Windows XP Pro on it. The maximum memory is supposed to be 2gb. But my son showed me tonight with a 2gb chip he had just ordered for his laptop, that my Vaio would recognize 3gb of memory. Windows showed 2.99 My question is, has anyone tried this? If so, will it recognize 4gb? I want to order some memory from new egg but I will wait until I hear from others that have exceeded listed memory limits on this model.

Alan

 

32-bit windows has an approximately 1 GB addressing hole from 3 to 4 GB. Translated to English, don't bother getting more than 3 GB unless you run a different OS.

(This is a well-known fact, and at least 10 of the top 100 threads here mention this -- do us all a favour and read a little in the forum before asking questions.)

 

Unless you install a 64-bit operating system, it won't put much, if any of the extra memory to use. 3 should be good.

 

My question was about my specific model and xp pro. My search in this forum (prior to posting) for that specific combination turned up nothing. My online search for xp pro memory usage has turned up anything from 3.3gb to 4gb. So maybe you didn't understand my question. Will the hardware of my particular model (which is only listed to have up to 2gb installed) allow windows xp pro to see more than 3gb of ram?

(Do me a favor and don't assume that I didn't search before asking a question. You come across as rude and impatient.

 

Thank you for your kind reply.

Alan

 

Alan it will recognize the 4gb in xp pro although it won't make a difference as pixelot stated. The VGN-NR310E is a great notebook. definitly a good choice hope your enjoying it

 

You installed 3 GB on your laptop and windows showed 2.99GB, or your son installed on his other laptop?

Sony does indicate that VGN-NR310E has max expandable memory of 2GB. However, when the specification is published, they may not have had the higher density ram available, so when higher density RAM modules come out, vendors often forget or don't update their specification. So, your system "could" take up to 4GB (2 x 2GB) of PC2-4200 modules.

It could also be that the motherboard may not have enough addressing lines to address more than 1GB of memory per socket. In which case, there is nothing you can do. HOWEVER, if what you are saying that windows is showing 2.99GB on YOUR laptop, then, I see no reason why you can't install 4GB. But like its been said before, in a 32-bit system, there is only 32-bit of addressing space available, and some of those bits are reserved by your system for performing other peripheral tasks. So, although you can install 4GB of RAM, your windows may actually see anywhere from 2.9GB to say 3.2GB or whatever - all depending on hardware that is in use.


Find a local retail store, and see what their return policy is on opened RAM. Take it home, and try it out. Whether it works or not, return it back. If it works, find a better deal online. If it doesn't - well then it doesn't.

There's only one way to know if its hardware limited, or whether Sony just never got around to updating the spec sheet. Try it.

 

The answer is generic, and has nothing to do with the hardware of any particular model.

You've been given the correct answer, and yet you ask again? Who's coming across as rude and impatient here?

 

I will cut and paste the part of my question about the hardware

"Will the hardware of my particular model (which is only listed to have up to 2gb installed) allow windows xp pro to see more than 3gb of ram?"

You state that your answer is generic and has nothing to do with the hardware of any particular model. Then you say I have been given the correct answer. Do you see the problem yet? How can it be the correct answer if it didn't address the hardware part of the question? How can I do you all a favor buy using the search button when I already have used the search button? If you don't know the answer, that is fine. I don't either that is why I posted the question here.

I stand by my first impression of you which is someone who cant wait to tell the new guy to search the forum before asking a question. Now do me a favor and have a nice day.

Alan

 

Because, as you've been told twice, XP Pro is unable to see the address range between ~3 GB to 4 GB regardless of your hardware. It's not related to your hardware. Your hardware doesn't come into it. What hardware you have is irrelevant. In no way shall the hardware influence this answer. The hardware DOES. NOT. MATTER.

XP Pro (or Vista 32-bit) cannot use memory in the 3-4 GB address range. Not on your computer, not on mine, not on Bill Gates' computer. The answer is generic, and not related to your model. Catch my drift yet?

To use 4 GB of RAM under consumer Windows, you need a 64-bit Windows version. No matter what your hardware is. Period.

Not only did I know the answer, but I took the time to answer you. Don't count on it ever happening again.

 

I love it! I thought these exchanges only happened with the Apple users on the Apple-related forums.

Owning mostly Macs and now having my first Sony, I am pleased to find an active community.

However, you may have provided a bit of slightly inaccurate information. On certain systems, the hardware manufacturer does indeed restrict the system to some artificial limit. At work we own several old Dells that use an Intel chipset capable of 2GB (2x1GB) where Dell limited the system to 2x512MB for a total of 1GB. Also, early Macbooks only supported 2GB of RAM even though XP Pro supported 3GB.

Obviously, DadsSony has successfully tested 3GB so the limit listed by Sony may not be accurate (of course actually using the system over time with 3GB may reveal problems that led Sony to only "support 2GB"), however, he is obviously not familiar with these issues and needed an even more rudimentary explanation of why.

I believe the answer has now been thoroughly discussed. Again, great to see the lively discourse.

Cheers,

 

Oh, hardware can undoubtedly add further restrictions, but that doesn't change whether you can use all of 4 GB RAM in a 32-bit Windows OS -- you can't.

Mentioning how hardware is mapped to the finite address space, booting with /PAE and 5 GB or more RAM, or the 2GB/2GB versus 1GB/3BG split between kernel and user memory would make the answer even more complete, but probably wouldn't be helpful in the context of an old laptop.

 

DadsSony, I appoloize that I do not have an answer for your question. I just want to add that I understand exactly what you are asking and it is perfectly reasonable question. Some of the comments in this thread are absolutely worthless and some just plain wrong. The amount of memory that the OS can use depends on a lot of things (memory reserved for video, BIOS, and other hardware) and can vary from about 2.8gb up to at least 3.5gb. My Dell 1330 could use 3.5gb but my Dell 1730 could only use 3.0Gb so it can vary quite a bit. Maybe someone will eventually chime in with the exact amount your model can see.

I asked the same question about the Sony TT I have on order and got an answer from an owner. Running in dual channel with like memory and gaining an extra 500mb of memory, plus having an excuse to go to 64 bit someday is worth it to a lot of people, including myself.

 

Quite, a dissertation on the relative benefits of continued support of the x86 architecture and its impact on memory subsystems in modern PCs probably would not bring clarity to the situation.

Cheers,