u can install at least 4Gb of memory on most motherboards today, but apparently you shouldn't install more than 3Gb if you're not running a 64-bit operating system. Why?
Can't a 32-bit version of Windows (or Linux, or whatever) address 4,294,967,296 bytes (two to the power of 32) of memory, by definition?
When I open Task Manager and click the Performance tab, I see the memory limit is way more than 4Gb. I understand that includes the swap file, but if Windows can handle 8Gb or whatever of total memory including swap, why can't it handle 4Gb of physical RAM?
Steve
The executive summary:
Yes, a plain PC running a 32-bit operating system - and if you're wondering if that includes your PC, then it almost definitely does - shouldn't have more than 3Gb of RAM , if you don't want to waste quite a lot of the last gigabyte.
If you install 4Gb, there is no way to make all of the RAM between 3Gb and 4Gb available without installing a 64-bit OS, which you can't do unless you have a 64-bit CPU. And even then it won't necessarily work.
So, to avoid hassles on current systems, it's best to stick with 3Gb or less.
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