memory

[axeman_ukl]

when running bfd and trying to load all the samples into ram the computer say insuficant memory at 1.9 gig when there is 4 gig in the computer,is there
any way of getting access to the remaining memory to load all the kit ?

or is the other 2gig just sat there gathering dust !! because the mother board
can not use it (when the computer post it only counts up to 3.5 gig)

thanking anybody in advance who can shed any light on this

 

[dgatwood]

In order for a single application to address more than about 2 gigs of RAM, you must be running both of the following:

1. A 64-bit version of Windows.
2. A 64-bit version of the audio application.

The reason for this is that the application's 4 GB address space must hold not just the data, but also the application's executable code, plus every library (part of the OS) that the application uses. Of course, the OS is using some of that extra space (up to 3.5 GB) for buffering of I/O and stuff, so you still get some benefit from the extra RAM. It just can't be used directly by the application.

The reason your machine only shows 3.5 GB when it does its POST is that either you have a 32-bit CPU or your BIOS is set up for a 32-bit OS. Either way, it is configured to only allow a 32-bit physical address space, of which half a gig of its physical address space is reserved for I/O devices. If you have a 64-bit version of Windows and a 64-bit CPU, you need to reconfigure your BIOS. (Enable the "hardware memory hole" option and/or disable the "32-bit OS" option, depending on your BIOS version.) If you don't have a 64-bit CPU and a 64-bit version of Windows, that upper half a gig just can't be used.