Each box has an address (a unique number) assigned to it. You can think of computer memory as an array of storage boxes, each of which is one byte in length. Page - a fixed number of bytes recognized by the operating system.Īddress - A location of data, usually in main memory or on a disk. The size can be adjusted by the user via a XP advanced settings dialog. The amount of virtual memory (page file) is automatically set at 1.5x the amount of installed ram. XP automatically sections off a part of the hard drive to be used exclusively as "virtual memory" called the "page file". This leads to the second type of memory a computer uses. This, apparently abberated, is by design (actual). XP won't even recognize if 4 GB of ram is installed, it will report anywhere from 2.5 GB to 3.5 GB of installed ram.
The home or office workstation will never need more than 3 GB of ram, no software or games will ever require that much ram in XP.
#Cacheman 10 patch 64 Bit#
Windows XP 64 bit edition can use 128 GB or ram, as can some server operating systems use terabytes of ram. This is by design, since no one will ever need more than 3 GB of ram in use at one time.
However, by design, XP will never utilize and cannot utilize more than 3 GB of ram. Yes, there are several types of memory.Ī normal XP system can have a maximum of 4 GB of installed ram. Most people, including tech trained, don't really understand how a computer uses RAM and other types of memory. (in my original effort to explain to him that the 4 GB won't get used by xp, he felt invalidated, so I clarified it all in an email to him) Here's a quick write up I did for a friend's kid who was tickled when his new 4 GB ram arrived for his gaming pc. Most people don't really understand what memory and how xp manages it. Best to let xp manage memory, 3rd party memory tweakers for xp are unnecessary and often a burden because they too must use memory to work.