Microsoft vista ram

We're just trying to clear the common misconception that Microsoft Windows Vista is poor at memory management. Windows Vista seems to consume a lot of memory because its SuperFetch feature grabs memory for itself upon startup. Vista Memory usage per version Operating System. The above examples were done with a total of 1GB of system memory. The more system memory installed, the more Vista will be able to cache programs, tasks and services.

Up next we'll see how memory sizes affect different tasks within Windows Vista. Do you need as much memory when you're running office applications as you do when you're gaming? How much memory do you need in Vista to game comfortably, and spreadsheet smoothly?

The answers are next! Table of Contents. RSS Newsletter. Beginners Guides Cases and Access. Privacy policy and Terms of Use. Beginners Guide: How much memory is enough in Windows Vista? Abstract: Do you need as much memory when you're running office applications as you do when you're gaming?

Filed under: Memory. External Mfg. Website: Microsoft. Vista Memory usage per version. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:. Before the installation of Windows Vista SP1, Windows Vista displayed how much system memory was available to the operating system.

For computers that have 3 GB or less of physical memory installed, the reported memory value can sometimes be somewhat less than the memory physically that is installed.

These differences are because of the BIOS and possibly driver reservations of physical memory. For example, some BIOS implementations allocate some physical memory for the graphics adapter. Typical sizes are from 8 MB to MB for graphics. Other sizes are possible. The BIOS and some drivers may reserve physical memory for other peripherals or purposes. These reservations are reasonable and are part of the usual operation for a computer. However, they do reduce how much physical memory is available for use by the operating system and applications.

These reservations affect both bit and bit computers. On computers that have a bit operating system, more than 3 GB of system memory, and with a version of Windows that is earlier than Windows Vista SP1, users will see a larger difference in how much memory is reported as available to the operating system compared to how much physical memory is installed.

These addresses also cannot be used to prevent the operating system from using some physical memory that would ordinarily be accessed between the 3GB physical address and the 4GB upper physical address limit. For more information about how system memory is reported in Windows Vista, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:.

If you've maxed the memory it may cause issues down the line. You don't have to upgrade the system but you might want to look at the Lifecycle Fact Sheet below. Before upgrading, go to the computer manufacturer's website and look for Windows 7 and Windows 8 drivers for the unit. I'd advise upgrading to Windows 8. You can use the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant to determine if your system is capable of running Windows 8. Was this reply helpful? Yes No. Sorry this didn't help.

Thanks for your feedback. And this explains why there will be a shortfall in the amount of RAM that shows up in the System :.