NVIDIA FX1700 Memory

[JONatMOT]

We have just installed a NVIDIA FX1700 card onto the follwing machine
Pentium D, 3.2Ghz HPxw4300 Workstation (32-Bit) to test for AutoCAD. Everything is running fine but when I list the system the RAM has dropped by 0.5GB, why is this?

[jpaulsen]

What OS are you using (32 bit or 64 bit)? How much RAM do you have in the computer and how much Video RAM is on the card? Do you have the 3GB switch enabled? What are you using to list the system RAM?

I'm not an expert at this but I'm pretty sure that a 32 bit OS can only access a total of 4GB of RAM that includes your video RAM.

I'm running XP Pro 32 with 4GB of RAM and an FX1700 video card. When I right-click on My Computer and look at the properties it shows 2.98 GB of RAM.

[JONatMOT]

Thanks for the info - I thought it might be to do with max RAM. We are running 32-bit with 4GB Ram and the card has 512mb. I was just listing through system properties.
We are looking to test 64-bit OS on this system set-up to see if would be beneficial although I have been told processor speed of 3.2Ghz is low spec for 64-bit OS.

[Glenn Pope]

Video memory in its self doesn't count against your total of memory that 32bit windows sees. Its the amount of hardware you have in the system. As it needs an address for each piece of hardware, which takes away from the available addresses for RAM. RAM on the video card is only used by the video card and Windows only needs to give the card itself an address. This is a pretty hard subject to research. Lots of conflicting info. This fits what I have seen from switching out video cards with different amounts of memory and not seeing a difference in what is seen by windows.

The needed processor speed is determined on the software and OS your going to run, not if its 64 or 32 bit. I run Windows 7 64bit on a 1.6ghz Duo Core, and it runs great.

[jpaulsen]

I was just relaying what my IT department told me. They recommended against 1GB video cards because they said it would reduce the amount of system RAM that we could access. Maybe they were wrong I don't know. Like I said I'm not an expert.

How do you explain the fact the OP's system RAM dropped by 512K when he installed the video card?

I would still like to know what the OP is using to list the system RAM and whether or not he is using the 3GB switch. And a new question for the OP. How much system RAM shows when you list it?

[Glenn Pope]

I was just relaying what my IT department told me. They recommended against 1GB video cards because they said it would reduce the amount of system RAM that we could access. Maybe they were wrong I don't know. Like I said I'm not an expert.

How do you explain the fact the OP's system RAM dropped by 512K when he installed the video card?

I would still like to know what the OP is using to list the system RAM and whether or not he is using the 3GB switch. And a new question for the OP. How much system RAM shows when you list it?

I may be wrong. Amazing can't find any solid info on this. Its just forums with people telling what they think (hmm.. guess a little like this :lol:). We'll all be moving to 64bit soon so it won't matter ;). Well until we need a few terabytes of RAM.

[jpaulsen]

We'll all be moving to 64bit soon so it won't matter ;)
I wish that were true for me. We are anticipating two years minimum before changing OS.

[JONatMOT]

Interesting ready. We are run XP Pro SP3 and I'm trying to get some answer from our I.T. department re the switch. I'm going to test 64-bit but as office still generally 32-bit and I.T. department not keen on switching. Also only budget I'm getting from them will cover upgrading 60+ video cards from FX1400 to FX1700 and not machines!