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Does FSX recognise 3GB automatically? (Read 2773 times)

Jan 5^th, 2008 at 3:47pm

volunteer Offline
Colonel
FSX flying is cool
Cessna 172 over Walmarts

Posts: 119

I have just installed an extra gig of memory to my computer and am wondering if FSX will detect it automatically? I remember reading somewhere the config file had to be told ....

thanks in advance
volunteer

my computer spec is
E6600 overclocked to 3400 (up from 2400) Asus P5N E SLI now 3 gigs OCZ DDR2 ATI 4 4 4 12 memory (800) in dual and a Geforce 7900GS graphics board

E6600 overclocked to 3400. Asus P5N E sli with 3GB memory, Vista and 7900GS vid card. new Pro Yoke and pedals

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Reply #1 - Jan 5^th, 2008 at 4:05pm

NickN Offline
Colonel
FSX runs fine... the problem
is you or your system

Posts: 6317

FSX is not the main problem.,,, its the OS

You cant just stick 3-4 gigs into a computer and it work

First of all, assuming the motherboard has not reduced the speed of the sticks and they are recognized correctly, the operating system must be 64bit to see and use more than 2 gigs without hacks to the boot and cache. Otherwise nothing in the system will see 2+gigs

Second, even if you have 4 gigs in a 32bit OS the best you can get out of it is about 2.6-2.8gigs of memory to the system even with the hacks.

Third, FSX will use over 2 gigs if you have a: Acceleration installed -or- b: SP2 installed, but, it requires wither a 64bit OS -or- you mark the OS wioth the hack to use more than 2GB. If you are not running SP2 or Acceleration you must MANUALLY edit the fsx.exe file using special software.

So if you are running WindowsXP x32 you must edit a line into the boot.ini file on the C:\boot.ini (requires hidden files and folders be diabled to see it) to allow more than 2gb to be used

disable hidden files and folder, then on the root C:\ you will find a file named: boot.ini

Open it in notepad and add the follwoing to the end of the OS boot line:

/3GB/Userva=2560

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows XP Professsional" /fastdetect /3GB /Userva=2560

NOTE: The Userva= value should ONLY be tweaked based on values which are divisible evenly by 64

This will allow you to use more than 2 gigs but you are never going to get 3-4gigs to work without a 64bit OS, more like 2.6

WARNING: setting that higher than 2560 will most likely crash the computer. Windows needs a reserve address space for the OS and video card memory mapping

Here is the MS KB readup on the line and its use http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316739

In Windows Vista you must do the following:

WINDOWS VISTA ONLY:

1. Open a command prompt with Administration rights. You find the command prompt box under "Programs->Accessories->Command prompt" or somewhere around there

2. Right Click the command prompt and select "run as administrator".

3. Enter in the box at the prompt: (copy/paste if you wish)

bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVA 2560

and press enter

4. Reboot

TO set that back to default in VISTA just start the command line prompt with Admin right again and type:

bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVA 2048

Hit enter and reboot

The first value will tell VISTA to address more memory. It should be used if you have more than 2GB installed, or in some cases 2GB or less.

the second line was to restore the default Vista value if it does not work.

Make sure you have the updates from Windows Update installed that address out of memory errors too.

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1188591122

A 32bit operating system can not use much of any more than 2.6-2.8gig no matter how much memory you have installed. A 64 bit operating system can use as much as you feed it without the hacks above.

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Reply #2 - Jan 5^th, 2008 at 4:33pm

Brett_Henderson Offline
Colonel
EVERY OUTER MARKER SHOULD
BE AN NDB

Gender:
Posts: 3593

This is a good place to plug this question in...

I'm still thinking that the RAM has to be installed symetrically ( slots 1 and 2 must equal slots 3 and 4, on the boards I'm familiar with), else the whole deal gets slowed down. In other words; 2GB must be installed as 1GB in slot 1, 1GB in slot 3.... and if you add a 3rd GB in either slot 2 or slot 4, you throw thw dual-channel stuff out of whack. So in that case, 2GB is better than 3GB.

Now unless my thinking is outdated, the only way to use 3GB, would be with two, 1GB sticks, and two, 512MB sticks; with 1GB in slots 1 & 2.. and 512MB in slots 3 & 4.

Am I way off base ?

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Reply #3 - Jan 5^th, 2008 at 4:39pm

volunteer Offline
Colonel
FSX flying is cool
Cessna 172 over Walmarts

Posts: 119

-thank you for your kind reply.

The memory is 2 one gig and 2 half gig memory strips

thanks

E6600 overclocked to 3400. Asus P5N E sli with 3GB memory, Vista and 7900GS vid card. new Pro Yoke and pedals

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Reply #4 - Jan 5^th, 2008 at 4:48pm

Brett_Henderson Offline
Colonel
EVERY OUTER MARKER SHOULD
BE AN NDB

Gender:
Posts: 3593

Don't thank me..lol Cheesy

Cheesy

I'm asking too....

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Reply #5 - Jan 5^th, 2008 at 8:56pm

Wii Offline
Colonel
Space

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Posts: 2787

I have 2x 1gb and 2x 512mb in my system and I run on Vista HP x32 so does this mean all of my memory is not being used!? (I purchased the computer with that memory btw)

&&http://352photography.webs.com/

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Reply #6 - Jan 5^th, 2008 at 11:18pm

NickN Offline
Colonel
FSX runs fine... the problem
is you or your system

Posts: 6317

Brett_Henderson wrote on Jan 5^th, 2008 at 4:33pm:

This is a good place to plug this question in...

I'm still thinking that the RAM has to be installed symetrically ( slots 1 and 2 must equal slots 3 and 4, on the boards I'm familiar with), else the whole deal gets slowed down. In other words; 2GB must be installed as 1GB in slot 1, 1GB in slot 3.... and if you add a 3rd GB in either slot 2 or slot 4, you throw thw dual-channel stuff out of whack. So in that case, 2GB is better than 3GB.

Now unless my thinking is outdated, the only way to use 3GB, would be with two, 1GB sticks, and two, 512MB sticks; with 1GB in slots 1 & 2.. and 512MB in slots 3 & 4.

Am I way off base ?

It’s strictly motherboard dependant

Every motherboard is different. Older boards typically will reduce the timing and also require the right slots be populated. Modern motherboards are easier to work with and do not reduce timing however that is not always the case. Some, like the P5K-3 series, have high and low speed slots instead of all 4 slots running at the same speed.

Some boards allow 4 x 2GB sticks, others restrict 2GB sticks to 2 slots. Some allow full speed with matched sticks. There is no set combination.

Its all based on the motherboard and the BIOS installed and there is no standard for it. The only standard involved is you will not get dual chanel operation unless you have 2 sticks (or 4 on some motherboards)

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Reply #7 - Jan 5^th, 2008 at 11:19pm

NickN Offline
Colonel
FSX runs fine... the problem
is you or your system

Posts: 6317

Wii wrote on Jan 5^th, 2008 at 8:56pm:

I have 2x 1gb and 2x 512mb in my system and I run on Vista HP x32 so does this mean all of my memory is not being used!? (I purchased the computer with that memory btw)

Nope

Not unless you do what I posted above. x32 OS's will not see or use more than 2GB without marking the OS for its use and you will never get to use more than about 2.6-2.8 max even with it marked

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Reply #8 - Jan 5^th, 2008 at 11:22pm

NickN Offline
Colonel
FSX runs fine... the problem
is you or your system

Posts: 6317

volunteer wrote on Jan 5^th, 2008 at 4:39pm:

-thank you for your kind reply.

The memory is 2 one gig and 2 half gig memory strips

thanks

You need to do exactly what I laid out above to use the memory

As for if the timing was reduced, that I can not answer. I would have to read the motherboard manual memory section to find out what happens when all slots are populated. It also depends on the sticks too. If the 2x1GB sticks are different timing than the 2x512 sticks, typically the timing is reduced on all sticks to the slowest stick speed. Therefore you must also know the timing specs for the sticks installed

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Reply #9 - Jan 6^th, 2008 at 4:44am

volunteer Offline
Colonel
FSX flying is cool
Cessna 172 over Walmarts

Posts: 119

Thanks NickN
I will do it today. I mustsay I always thought any increases in memory had to be the same spec to work. Certainly my 3 GB now sings and was such an easy up grade. I am surprised that Vista (I have Vista 32) needs a change. It spotted the memory change quickly and I had to re vallidate.

Cheers - volunteer

I am well chuffed with the system. I grabbed the extra memory as OCZ was discontinuing the 1/2 Gig sticks. Grabbed 'em while stock was arround -

Extra - just tried it and it says access to data store is denied

Woa - just done it -I forgot to ask for admin rights - thanks again NickN
Must go now and fly about !!

Cheers - Volunteer

E6600 overclocked to 3400. Asus P5N E sli with 3GB memory, Vista and 7900GS vid card. new Pro Yoke and pedals

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Reply #10 - Jan 6^th, 2008 at 5:00am

volunteer Offline
Colonel
FSX flying is cool
Cessna 172 over Walmarts

Posts: 119

Woa - - just done my test run which is in a heavily built up area - it usually gives 12 to 16 frames
Now it is on 18 to 19 frames - so very well chuffed

Thanks again

volunteer

E6600 overclocked to 3400. Asus P5N E sli with 3GB memory, Vista and 7900GS vid card. new Pro Yoke and pedals

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Reply #11 - Jan 6^th, 2008 at 7:08am

freedomhays Offline
Colonel
I'll take on that chump,
and you fight the other
Catonsville, Md.

Posts: 650

I have Vista Home premium 32 bit, four sticks of 1 gb each, at first Vista 32 bit did not see 3 gig's, so I went in to the control panel to system advanced and set the page file to 0, ok, rebooted and set the page file to the max recommended, rebooted and all's well with 3 gb's................

Also for those with trouble, Error message when you try to install Windows Vista on a computer that uses more than 3 GB of RAM: "STOP 0x0000000A"
There's a fix here...
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=929777

« Last Edit: Jan 6^th, 2008 at 8:32am by freedomhays »

&&&&

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Reply #12 - Jan 6^th, 2008 at 3:27pm

volunteer Offline
Colonel
FSX flying is cool
Cessna 172 over Walmarts

Posts: 119

There is a website for the 3 g switch that NickN kindly suggests its here:
http://www.prophotowiki.com/w/index.php/IncreaseUserVa

and worth a look before doing the switch

volunteer

E6600 overclocked to 3400. Asus P5N E sli with 3GB memory, Vista and 7900GS vid card. new Pro Yoke and pedals

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Reply #13 - Jan 6^th, 2008 at 4:14pm

NickN Offline
Colonel
FSX runs fine... the problem
is you or your system

Posts: 6317

freedomhays wrote on Jan 6^th, 2008 at 7:08am:

I have Vista Home premium 32 bit, four sticks of 1 gb each, at first Vista 32 bit did not see 3 gig's, so I went in to the control panel to system advanced and set the page file to 0, ok, rebooted and set the page file to the max recommended, rebooted and all's well with 3 gb's................

[img]

[img]

[img]

Also for those with trouble, Error message when you try to install Windows Vista on a computer that uses more than 3 GB of RAM: "STOP 0x0000000A"
There's a fix here...
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=929777

Good find.. I will hold onto that one. As more and more discover the advantages to running over 2 gig I am sure its going to come up again. I bet MS adds that one to future Vista DVD runs.

Although one can also remove all but 2 gig, install and plug it back in after the install was complete, then make the cache edits

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Reply #14 - Jan 6^th, 2008 at 4:16pm

NickN Offline
Colonel
FSX runs fine... the problem
is you or your system

Posts: 6317

volunteer wrote on Jan 6^th, 2008 at 5:00am:

Woa - - just done my test run which is in a heavily built up area - it usually gives 12 to 16 frames
Now it is on 18 to 19 frames - so very well chuffed

Thanks again

volunteer

Just so you understand, that is because you are no longer paging the hard drive once memory begins to peak about 200-150MB/s before it hits 2GB.

Since the system is no longer having to dump/fill memory and page the hard drive you released resources that can now go to FSX and Windows as needed.

Your system could always do that. it is not that you have increased performance, you just removed a bottleneck.

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