question regarding xp memory restrictions.

[gwent]

I'm sure you guys have heard this many times before, so forgive me for asking, but I am building a new system, and have never done this before. I have decided upon an Asus P5Q-E board, and a Q6600 processor, as money is an issue, and this will be a nice upgrade from what I currently have. But I am a bit confused about Windows XP memory restrictions. I understand that XP 32-bit, doesn't recognise 4GB of memory, is this correct? In the specifications for the motherboard, here is what was said about memory:

4 x DIMM, Max. 16 GB, DDR2 1200*/1066/800/667 Non-ECC,Un-buffered Memory
Dual Channel memory architecture
*The chipset officially supports the memory frequency up to DDR2 800MHz. Tuned by ASUS Super Memspeed Technology, this motherboard natively supports up to DDR2 1200MHz
Please refer to ASUSTeK Computer or user manual for Memory QVL.
**When installing total memory of 4GB capacity or more, Windows 32-bit operation system may only recognize less than 3GB. Hence, a total installed memory of less than 3GB is recommended.

It says at the bottom that less than 3GB is recommended. Wouldn't that mean 2GB? Would my system benefit if I threw in 3GB (3x1GB)? I was once told that memory should be installed in pairs. Does that mean I shouldn't use 3 sticks of 1GB memory? And according to what they said about their memory, should I buy DDR2 1200MHz memory and expect it to work okay? The "Super Memspeed Technology" tuning thing confuses me - do they mean I can get 1200MHz if I overclock, or will 1200MHz memory just work as is?

I was also wondering, if all I can use with XP 32-bit is 2GB, then will my q6600 performance be severely hindered? I know many others have the Q6600 with XP, are they suffering from having just 2GB, or is it enough?

Sorry for all the questions, but I just don't want to get the wrong memory, and I want to be able to get the most out of my XP 32 system.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Darthtanion]

Re: question regarding xp memory restrictions.

Keep in mind that while you can use a 3x1GB setup, but you will likely lose the dual channel memory configuration for your system. While not a crippling slowdown, I prefer to try to keep things moving as quickly as possible.

That said, you can either use 2x1GB and 2x256MB or 512MB, or you can move to a 64-bit operating system that will address the full 4GB without issue. At this time there are even some free alternatives in this area. Windows has a Windows 7 Beta available for download (just gotta give them an email address that is valid to activate an account with them) and many flavors of Linux come in a 64-bit flavor. Ubuntu is a pretty straightforward one and doesn't have a steep learning curve if you're new to Linux.

[gwent]

Re: question regarding xp memory restrictions.

So could I use 2x1GB and 2x512MB and not suffer the slowdown I'd get from using 3x1GB? I've been reading that even 3GB might slow things down, because filling all 4 slots can have a negative effect. I've also heard that having different sizes of memory is a bad idea, and that you should always stick to matching memory. So confused. The reason I'd like to stick with XP 32-bit is just because I currently have so many old-school games and emulators that run great on XP, and I'm not planning on even using Vista at all since I'd prefer to let XP get me through until Windows 7 is officially released. I certainly don't want to make my system unstable. If 3GB will have no noticeable improvement in everyday tasks (browsing,some video encoding, gaming), then maybe I should just stick with 2GB? Thanks for the reply.

[Darthtanion]

Re: question regarding xp memory restrictions.

As far as I am aware, as long as you have the same size (and speed preferably) modules in the respective channels, the dual channel features will work normally. As for having a negative impact when using all four slots, I cannot say for certain since I don't use an Asus board. You might check into Google and see if you can find something that answers this question for you. Personally, I use 2x1GB and haven't run into any problems on a 32-bit system, even when gaming. Some newer titles can make use of extra memory, but if you're going to go with more than 2GB of memory, then you probably ought to go ahead and look into a 64-bit operating system.

[gwent]

Re: question regarding xp memory restrictions.

Okay, I see what you're saying. I was hoping that I could get a bit more memory in case I do run any newer games, which I'm sure I will, and I figured the extra memory might help. But I think you're right - everything I read seems to point at 2GB being the sweet spot for XP 32-bit
Thanks for the reply.