p.c, ram

Gary Moore · Post by **Gary Moore** » 4 Dec 2012 2:26 pm

I have a Dell xps410 p.c.32 bit, with 4 gigs of ram can i upgrade to 8 gigs without upgradeing to 64 bit thanks.

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 4 Dec 2012 3:00 pm

No. A 32 bit operating system only recognizes and addresses about 3.2 gigs of RAM, maximum. The rest is ignored, or used by the video adapter.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 4 Dec 2012 3:04 pm

You can't upgrade. The max memory, according to the Dell manual is 4GB.

From the manual:
Memory
Type dual-channel 533-, 667-, and 800-MHz DDR2
Memory connectors four
Memory capacities 512 MB or 1 GB
Maximum memory 4 GB

In reference to memory, a 32 bit OS can only address slightly less than 4GB MAXIMUM. You would have to have a 64 bit OS to address more than 4GB.

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 4 Dec 2012 8:41 pm

I sometimes wonder about memory. In the summer I use a dell
8200 I think it is, quite old. I put vista on it, then went back to XP. It has a 1 TB hard drive but only 1 Gig of memory,
my other 1 Gig card went bad. Yet I do all things with it, E mail, lots of music stuff, cakewalk, BIAB Hundreds of MP3's,
yet I have noticed no problems with it. Everything works just fine. No speed problems, or any other kind of problems.

Seems like more memory is not really needed.

Comments?

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 5 Dec 2012 3:14 am

1GB is fine for Windows XP, providing you don't have a lot of programs opened at one time. However, what more memory does is allow Windows to use the extra memory rather than use hard disk space for memory extension (and thus slightly speed up operations).

As you get into newer Operating Systems and some memory intensive programs then the extra memory becomes apparent.

The old Dimension 8200 was one of the first Windows XP consumer desktops that Dell sold. It dates back to 2001 or 2002 (a millenium in PC hardware). It is not supported by Dell for anything but XP (no drivers) as newer operating systems are designed for newer hardware. The 8200 would relate to a Fender 400 compared to a modern day 10 string all pull pedal steel guitar.

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 5 Dec 2012 7:31 am

That is good to hear. I plan on using that computer for some time. I have a win 7 here, and it's already getting out of date.

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 5 Dec 2012 11:58 am

Ken Lang wrote:That is good to hear. I plan on using that computer for some time. I have a win 7 here, and it's already getting out of date.

Ken;
I you plan to keep using a Windows XP computer for online access, please note that all Microsoft Windows Updates will end in April, 2014. At that time, XP will be retired, just like Windows 2000 and earlier OS's.

Going online with an unpatched operating system is an invitation for malware to walk right in and sit right down.

Gary Moore · Post by **Gary Moore** » 5 Dec 2012 2:45 pm

Thanks for the info.