View Full Version : How to calculate the max RAM size and Hard disk size for 32 bit and 64 bit OS?
bspkumar
Oct 30, 2009, 11:24 PM
I would like to know the factors that limits the max size of RAM and Hard disk and how they are calculated.
Thank you.
seahwk83
Oct 31, 2009, 12:15 AM
32 bit systems can see and access 3.2gb memory even if more is installed
64 fit systems can access above and beyond 4gb
Here some info also
http://www.breakitdownblog.com/is-64bit-vista-stable-and-why-should-i-care/
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itprohardware/thread/b003fcd9-251e-4b07-98e6-77055582eff6
bspkumar
Oct 31, 2009, 02:31 AM
Thank you for the reply.
I have already calculated the max size of the RAM using binary method. But,
2^32 = 4294967296 bits
4 Gb = 4294967296 bytes ( 8 * 4294967296 )
?
KISS
Oct 31, 2009, 05:44 AM
You can see some of the address limits of the various processors here: Intel Microprocessor Quick Reference Guide - Product Family (http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/quickreffam.htm)
In reality, it depends on how many bits were implemented, not how many are available.
For hard disks, you had n 512 byte sectors that could be addressed. As the drives got bigger, the 512 or clustersize had to get bigger, then eventually the fundamental file system had to change.