NForce 650i SLI not showing proper RAM total

[thefoyfoy]

P5N-D nForce 650i SLI board
4x2gig sticks installed now, system information is reporting 2.50.
CPUz detects 8192mb. Am I actually using the 8 gigs or no?
I feel this is a common problem, sorry if I'm being a noob here, I poked around for a little bit, tried to enable mapping on the bios, didn't find such an option though.
Thanks.

 

[GhislainG]

You are using a 32-bit OS. You need to install a 64-bit OS and all memory will be available in system information.

 

[jitpublisher]

Might as well take 2 sticks out, sell'em, or put them on the shelf until you get a 64 bit OS.
How high does the RAM count go during POST? If it only goes to 3 gig, you indeed need to enable memory remapping in the BIOS.
But, as noted, if you are using a 32 bit OS, you are stuck right where you are at- no matter what you do.

 

[thefoyfoy]

Well I feel awfully silly. It definitely is the 32bit OS hanging it up. At least the newer sticks i bought are better quality, I'll be sticking with them.
Thanks for the quick reply guys.

 

[thefoyfoy]

...what did I do...
I removed the older pair of 2g sticks so there are 2x2g sticks in there, same as I had in the first place, but windows reports 2.5 still.
POST is 4g, RAM shows up correctly in all hardware check apps.
Suggestions? I would have sworn that it showed 4g total before all of this, 32bit cut off is at 4gig correct?

 

[JDocs]

32bit OS limitation. Switching to a 64bit OS will allow you to see the rest.

 

[thefoyfoy]

I had 2 2gb sticks in my system originally.
Heedlessly, installed 2 more sticks of 2gb.
Windows only displayed 2.50gb
Learned that my 32bit xp os will only read up to 4gb.
Took the two older sticks out to leave 2 2gb sticks in (same channel, same stats, just supposedly 'better performing).
So there's only 4gb in there now.
Windows still reads 2.50gb of ram instead of 4gig.
Whats the deal with that?

Thanks for the help so far,

 

[Zorg]

If you are using a 32bit OS then you will only have 4GB total. That is reduced by the addresses that are used by the hardware. XP will only show the actual usable amount of RAM as will Vista. In Vista SP1 they changed that so it will see all installed RAM, up 4GB I think. They did that to stop the whining, even though it's total BS.

Ask Dan: What's with the 3Gb memory barrier?