Asked By
Janet Rock
0 points
N/A
Posted on - 09/23/2011
I recently purchased a computer for my parents from a local store just a block away from my parent’s home. My computer was installed with a 4 gigabyte RAM memory. But when I checked via the computer properties only 3gig of RAM is recognized. I initially asked the store why that happens. He told me that I need to upgrade to 64 bit version to utilize the whole 4 gig of RAM.
Is there any truth in this? Should I upgrade the OS, what are the costs of this upgrade?
Upgrading from Windows 7 32 bit to 64 bit
A 32-bit operating system is capable of maximizing 4GB of RAM. You will not see an exact 4GB. To check if you really have a 4GB RAM follow the steps below:
1. Restart your computer and go to BIOS menu.
2. Locate CPU Physical Memory. There are different BIOS menu, just try to search for it.
3. Check if you have 4096MB.
If you have that, it means your computer detected the full 4GB RAM.
Another way to check:
1. Close all open applications.
2. For Windows XP, Go to Start> Run. For Windows Vista or 7, Go to Windows logo orb (Start)> Search text box.
3. Type in "dxdiag" (without quotes).
4. Under System tab, check the line "Memory". Take note of the number beside it.
5. Press Ctrl, Alt and Delete buttons at the same time.
6. On the Task Manager window, click on Performance tab.
7. Get the number on the black box with the text Memory.
8. Add it to the number you have from "dxdiag". You should get 4096MB or close to 4096MB. It means you have 4GB of RAM being utilized.
Upgrading from Windows 7 32 bit to 64 bit
Yes, there's some truth in whatever you heard. Windows 7 64-bit version is capable of handling larger sizes of RAM more efficiently than the 32-bit version.
Also there is no additional cost for this as long as you have the CD/DVD of Windows 7. Since. it contains both versions of the software and you can easily install the Windows 7 64-bit version by following the directions given there and during the installation.
However, it does takes you some time and it might be risky if you are not very experienced at this. Therefore, if your parent are very sophisticated and heavy users of applications, if they find the current system slow, or if they want a faster OS then only consider reinstalling the Win 7 with 64-bit version. Otherwise, leaving it as it is must work just fine and save you the time and effort. Whatever you do, consider your need and make decisions.
Upgrading from Windows 7 32 bit to 64 bit
That’s true if you are using 32-bit Microsoft Windows on a computer with more than 3 GB of RAM installed. The main reason is that with 32-bit systems, it is limited only to 3.2 GB or 3.25 GB RAM. It doesn’t have the capacity to support a full 4 GB RAM.
But with 64-bit Microsoft Windows, it allows you or the system to support up to 17 billion GB RAM. But to install 64-bit Microsoft Windows, you need to have a supported hardware. The “32-bit” and “64-bit” labels in operating systems actually refer to the hardware particularly the motherboard. Before you can install 64-bit Microsoft Windows, your motherboard should be 64-bit.
That’s the deciding factor when installing a 64-bit operating system. To check if your computer supports 64-bit architecture, check your motherboard. You should see without quotes “64-bit” printed in there. If you don’t see this printed anywhere on the board, it means you have a 32-bit system. Along with a 64-bit motherboard is a 64-bit processor.
You can still use a 32-bit processor but again you will have the restriction on the memory capacity. You can also install 32-bit Microsoft Windows on a 64-bit system but the memory restriction is the same. So, if you want to have full access on the 4 GB RAM you have, everything should be 64-bit ready.
