Memory 32bit windows

[GeoffF100]

32-bit versions of Windows will see (and utilise) around 3 - 3.5GB when 4GB or more is installed. To utilise more memory, you would need to install a 64-bit version of your OS

My pc is 32 bit win7, has 2 memory slots, one of which has a 1 x 4gb RAM chip fitted. When it says 'Windows will see (and utilise) around 3 - 3.5GB when 4GB or more is installed' is that per slot / chip or overall?

In other words, if I fit another 4gb RAM chip in the spare slot, will my pc be able to use it?

Ta.

No. 3.5GB is the maximum total amount of memory that can be addressed with 32 bit Windows.

[jfgw]

No. 3.5GB is the maximum total amount of memory that can be addressed with 32 bit Windows.

The address space of a 32 bit version of Windows is 4GB. Some of these addresses are used for other things so the total amount of addressable RAM is limited to around 3 - 3.5GB.

PAE (physical address extension) is available on some server versions of 32 bit Windows which allows more than 4GB to be addressed: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/window ... -extension . A third party patch does appear to be available to enable PAE on other 32 bit Windows versions. I have not tried this myself and recommend researching it thoroughly before using it. Installing a 64 bit version of Windows would probably be safer.

Julian F. G. W.

[Infrasonic]

You'd need to research what the motherboard/chipset limitations are to find the maximum addressable RAM outside of W7 32 bits limit.
As it's already got a 1X4GB DIMM hopefully it would be a minimum of 8GB (2X4GB), possibly even more if recent(ish).