linux-kernel - Re: Only 3.2G ram out of 4G seen in an i386 box

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Date:	Wed, 9 Aug 2006 08:51:41 +0200
From:	"gmu 2k6" <gmu2006@...il.com>
To:	davids@...master.com
Cc:	"Thomas Stewart" <thomas@...warts.org.uk>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Only 3.2G ram out of 4G seen in an i386 box

On 8/8/06, David Schwartz <davids@...master.com> wrote:
>
> > Replying to Thomas Stewart:
>
> > > Hi,
> > > I have a Dell Optiplex GX280, a Pentium 4 with an Intel chipset. It has
> > > 4G of ram. The problem is I can only see 3.2G, even tho the bios reports
> > > 4G.
>
> > Chipset issue. Some Intel chipsets are doing strange things with memory
> > map. They call this "design flaw" but not offered free replacements
> > yet, so, for example, on SE7221BK1E you can't use more than 3 gigs.
>
>        It is quite funny to read Intel's technical note on this, as they try to
> make it seem like they're blaming the operating system. For example:
>
> When the Intel E7221 chipset is populated to its maximum memory capacity of
> 4 GB (Giga Bytes), the Operating System (OS) may report a significantly
> lower amount of available memory.
>
>        Yeah, that stupid operating system.
>
> These requirements may reduce the addressable memory space available to and
> reported by the Operating System. These memory ranges, while unavailable to
> the OS, are still being utilized by subsystems such as I/O, PCI Express and
> Integrated Graphics and are critical to the proper functioning of the
> server.
>
> Use of Available memory below 4 GB by system resources is not specific to
> Intel chipsets, but rather a limitation of existing PC architectures and
> current limitations of some 32-bit operating systems. Some 32-bit operating
> systems may not be capable of recognizing greater than 2 GB of memory. This
> issue potentially impacts any chipset with 4GB maximum memory configuration.
>
> Intel has addressed this from a hardware perspective in future platforms,
> anticipating that future Operating Systems will provide greater than 4 GB of
> memory support.
>
>        Last but not least, their solution.
>
> Corrective Action / Resolution
> Intel Server Board SE7221BK1-E system BIOS will be updated to properly
> indicate the following information screens augment memory configuration
> characteristics for the Intel Server Board SE7221BK1-E and Intel Server
> Platform SR1425BK1-E customers.
>  Total physical memory populated in the system
>  Total memory dedicated to motherboard resources
>  Total memory reported as available to the operating system
> This information will align to the INT15h E820h standard that BIOS uses to
> communicate memory usage to the operating system. This BIOS feature will
> clarify the memory subsystem support and usage for the end user.
>
>        Are these technical notes supposed to be so funny?
>
>        DS

I guess this is all related to older Intel chipsets, right? I mean the
chipset *75X something I'm going to have in the new box I will get
soonish will support up to 8 GiB. I hope it does not mean that it will
be capped at 7.4GiB although I will only have 4GiB installed for now.
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