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Questions about how Windows allocates apps to memory..

C

Chix4mat

Gawd
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Messages
793
Hey all,

There seems to be this common myth that Windows can only allocate up to 2GB of physical memory to a given app. This could be true in some versions of Windows, but since only x64 will recognize 4GB, that's what I have been using.

What I basically want to know is... what's the deciding factor for a program on whether or not it can use a 1GB, 2GB or 3GB worth of your ram. Also, is it possible at all to have a program use more than 3GB of your physical memory?

The reason I am asking, is because I first ran MemTest for Windows. When you try to get one instance to use more than 1GB of RAM, it tells you that the OS cannot allocate more than that amount to a single application. But, Prime95 32-Bit version would easily use 1.5GB for a joke, and could go up to 2GB with some tweaks.

But then, running the Prime95 64-Bit version, it could use up to 3GB, just as easily as the 32-Bit could use 2GB. So I then figured that it was only 64-Bit related apps that could use 3GB. But of course that was quickly debunked, because I did a quick test in Photoshop, which is a 32-Bit only application, and it could use a full 3GB also.

I have read through a bunch of tech docs on the MS website, but nothing really gives a straight answer. I am just wondering what kind of apps are able to use 3GB of memory, and why some cannot go above 2GB. I also wouldn't mind knowing whether or not a program can use even more than 3GB also.

Thanks for any help.

29_photoshop.jpg
 
An app can use more than 2GB, but not more than 2GB at the a time; Meaning it can switch between chunks of RAM that are each up to 2GB, if it has been written specifically to do so. To my understanding, that is how it is supposed to be for the 32 bit versions of Windows (NT4, 2K, XP); I think the limit in the 64 bit Windows was supposed to be 8TB, but apps can tell Windows to only allow 2GB, which I assume is for purposes of giving old apps a "safe mode".
 
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