need help with RAM upgrade

[Drillbit]

System is HP Pavilion a6000n.

MB -ASUSM2N68-LA
CPU - Athlon 64 x2 2.2 GHz
RAM - 1GB
HD -250 GB 7200 rpm
Integrated graphics

I am wanting to upgrade RAM to 4 GB OZC Reaper DDR2 800 and add a GeForce 8600 VC as I can do this for around $90.00. I'm just unsure about the voltage on the RAM (2.1V) and if it matters to the MB. Also (probably a dumb question) but would the VC make a huge difference in the game? Called HP and spent all morning with a tech (from India) that just wanted to sell me a bigger hard drive and processor. Would like to stay around $100.00 and get the most bang for my buck. Thanks in advance for your advice guys, I know there are some real computer geniuses in here.

[gyrene81]

If you're not running a 64bit OS then 4 gigs of RAM is 1.5 gigs more than a 32bit OS can utilize.

But if you're planning on using a 64bit OS then go for it.


One PCI Express x16 graphics
That's good news...except it's not the 2.0 version...so you're gonna end up having to use a slightly older video card.

Watch that power supply, it may not be big enough to handle a good video card.

Probably the best video card you can get for that system but it's pricey and may require a better power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130327

Otherwise this is a DDR3 128bit 8600GT which will run better than the GS model:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130297

[Masherbrum]

If you're not running a 64bit OS then 4 gigs of RAM is 1.5 gigs more than a 32bit OS can utilize.

But if you're planning on using a 64bit OS then go for it.


One PCI Express x16 graphics
That's good news...except it's not the 2.0 version...so you're gonna end up having to use a slightly older video card.

Watch that power supply, it may not be big enough to handle a good video card.

Probably the best video card you can get for that system but it's pricey and may require a better power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130327

Otherwise this is a DDR3 128bit 8600GT which will run better than the GS model:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130297

Before I switched to 64 bit Vista Ultimate, 3.25GB of RAM was recognized by 32 bit XP Pro.   Yes, 2GB per application is known.   But I had more than one application running. 

[Skuzzy]

As a 32 bit OS is limited to addressing 4GB of RAM, without the use of PAE (Processor Address Extensions), all the addressable hardware buffers are mapped to the upper 4GB limits, this includes video RAM.

For example, if your video card has 512MB of video RAM, that instantly reduces the user addressable memory to 3.5GB.  Continue to subtract all the other direct addresable hardware buffers.  Typically there is 256K, or so, just for sound.  Down to 3.2GB, and so on.

[gyrene81]

Before I switched to 64 bit Vista Ultimate, 3.25GB of RAM was recognized by 32 bit XP Pro.   Yes, 2GB per application is known.   But I had more than one application running. 

Yeah my system is recognizing a grand total of 3GB including my video memory...but I haven't tweaked the OS to recognize more.

[Masherbrum]

Yeah my system is recognizing a grand total of 3GB including my video memory...but I haven't tweaked the OS to recognize more.

I have 4GB of RAM and a 512mb 8800GTS.   Folks with 512mb+ VC's, take a bigger hit. 

[gyrene81]

I have 4GB of RAM and a 512mb 8800GTS.   Folks with 512mb+ VC's, take a bigger hit. 

4GB with a 9500GT 512MB.

Did you try this on your system?

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx

[Drillbit]

Thanks for all the input guys. Right now I'm running minimal settings on everything with FR in the 20's sometimes with occasional screen freezes. I'm kind of wondering if this might help cure the problem and allow some more graphic detail. Also the voltage on the RAM, does it matter or how do I determine what I need for the MB I have?

Thanks

[TilDeath]

In 32 bit Windows operating systems, the total addressable space available is 4GB. If you install a total of 4GB worth of RAM, the system will detect/use/display less than 4GB of total memory because of address space allocation for other critical functions, such as:

- System BIOS (including motherboard, add-on cards, etc..)
- Motherboards resources
- Memory mapped I/O
- Configuration for AGP/PCI-Ex/PCI
- Other memory allocations for PCI devices

Different onboard devices and different add-on cards (devices) will result of different total memory size. e.g. more PCI cards installed will require more memory resources, resulting of less memory free for other uses.

This limitation applies to most chipsets & Windows XP/Vista 32-bit version operating systems. Again, this is a limitation of the Operating System not having enough address space to allocate to the system *and* the RAM. Not allocating address space to devices renders them inoperable. Not allocating addresses to RAM simply results in the unaddressed section not being used in an otherwise fully functional computer. Therefore the OS designers assign RAM last.

We can have long debates about mathematical fundamentals and discussions about why the original Windows designers couldn't allocate the full theoretical max of 36 bits of address space so that users today would be able to use more resource. But at the end of the day, the designers and engineers 'Didn't Do That Then'. So we 'Can't Do This Now'.

If you install a Windows operating system, and if more than 3GB memory is required for your system, then the below conditions must be met:

1. A memory controller which supports memory swap functionality is used. The latest chipsets like Intel 975X, 955X, Nvidia NF4 SLI Intel Edition, Nvidia NF4 SLI X16, AMD K8 and newer architectures can support the memory swap function.

2. Installation of Windows XP Pro X64 Ed. (64-bit), Windows Vista 64, or other OS which can provide more than 4GB worth of address space.

Note: According to the latest Change Log published by Microsoft, Windows Vista 32bit SP1 will display the installed amount of RAM. This is a display change only.

TD