I payed for 4gb of ram, only getting 2.96gb?

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It sounds like not only are you using a 32-bit OS, you have a "beg, borrow, and steal" video card installed that's yanking some memory. What vid card is in there?
 
say what??. it's ram issues hes having, and it's because he is using a 32bit OS, nothing to do with the video card, i would imagine.
It has everything to do with his video card and OS. You can only suppor 3.5 GB of RAM (onboard and video) with a 32 bit operating system. So pretend for a second he has 512 mb video card, this would mean that his operating system will only recognize 3.0 GB of his RAM installed on his system:
3.5 MAX - .512 equals 3.0 max on the system board.

The RAM max is the RAM amount in the ENTIRE system, not just what is onboard. A lot of people get this confused. The OS recognizes all RAM on the system, not just what is plugged into the motherboard. So as apokalipse explained, 32 bit OS only has so many memory addresses to give out, so once it runs out of the 3.5 it will not use (even if it sees) the remaining.
 
It has everything to do with his video card and OS. You can only suppor 3.5 GB of RAM (onboard and video) with a 32 bit operating system. So pretend for a second he has 512 mb video card, this would mean that his operating system will only recognize 3.0 GB of his RAM installed on his system:
3.5 MAX - .512 equals 3.0 max on the system board.

The RAM max is the RAM amount in the ENTIRE system, not just what is onboard. A lot of people get this confused. The OS recognizes all RAM on the system, not just what is plugged into the motherboard. So as apokalipse explained, 32 bit OS only has so many memory addresses to give out, so once it runs out of the 3.5 it will not use (even if it sees) the remaining.

Wrong.

32 bit can support 4GB. Do the math.

2^32 = 4,294,967,296 bytes = 4GB.
 
The system reserves a gb regardless of video card. I have 2x640mb card in sli on vista ultimate with 4x1gb ram sticks. The first card is the only memory used so that 640mb gone I have 3070mb in system info. I have no other add in cards which have onboard memory unless my soundcard has some magically hidden which has never been mentioned by asus.
 
I had 3.5GB in Vista 32bit, I have a 512mb video card.

EDIT: And also, it's not just memory alone...it is hardware in general. The system has to reserve addressing space to communicate with the other hardware. The more hardware you have, regardless of what the hardware is, will soak up more addressing space and thus more memory.
 
And this is why i wish Microsoft would just KILL 32bit OS. Read the linked FaQ. LEts not turn this into a flamefest.
 
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