What's the max RAM Windows XP Home will run?

Question

Ok, here is my situation. I am currently building a new system. I want to run 4 GBs worth of RAM, no more. Now i dont want to have to shell out extra money for a 64bit version of Vista Home Premium. This is the goal for my new rig:

Case: Antec Nine Hundred got it for like $70, gotta love FRY's deals

Power Supply:Antec Earth Watts 650W Picked up cheap at FRY's

Graphic Card:MSI 4850

Processor: Intel Quad Core Q6600 will probably end up picking up the Q9450 or a Penrynn

Hard Drive: Westerm Digital Caviar 640GB Another FRY's deal

Motherboard: Asus P5Q Premium

RAM: G.Skill 4GB (2x 2GB) DDR1000 Dual

Now, i've been reading that XP Home READS 3.5GB worth of RAM BUT it is ACTUALLY USING ALL 4 GB? is this correct.

The reason i don't want to go with Vista is because, even though my system can handle it, is because i want as much of my resources to go into gaming, not into running the OS, so unless i can run Vista Home Premium with the system i've listed like at VERY EASILY, i want to try and stick with XP, but i do like the idea of Direct X 10, so, please help me out with my plight, but then again, if XP can USE all 4GBs of RAM, i ll stick with that.

Answer 1

My understanding is 4GB of RAM is the maximum memory that the 32bit copy of XP can handle. There is however a 2GB limit each application can have in the virtual address space.

64 BIT 128GB

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/...

Answer 2

Maximum memory for all windows operating systems is listed here

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/...

Answer 3

Your running XP 32bit OS then 3GB is your max

If you were running 64bit OS the 4GB or more!

Your Windows is 32bit so that's why you see 3.5GB

However some of your apps. you use may require the additiona 1/2 GB that is stored.