Docster wrote:
> I am building a new computer with a board that has the capacity to use 8
> gigs of memory. I would like to know how much memory WinXP will accept and
> utilize.
> Also I would like to know if there is a limitation on harddrive size in
> terms of gigabytes. For instance will it handle a terabyte or should I stay
> with 400 or 500 gigs.
>
Possible limitations are
1) OS - WinXP SP3 x32 limits address space to 4GB on purpose.
Proper usage of PAE, would have made larger address spaces possible.
2) Chipset - anything recent is fine.
3) Effects of the video card. Address space used to address
memory chips on the video card, subtracts from space available
for addressing system memory.
Some examples on a WinXP x32 system (some rough, rounded off numbers):
1) Install 4GB. Install FX5200 128MB video card (small memory).
Get to use 3.5GB of the memory that is installed.
2) Install 4GB. Install 7900GT 512MB video card.
Get to use 3.2GB of the memory that is installed.
3) Install 4GB. Install (2) 512MB video cards in SLI or Crossfire.
Get to use 2.75GB of the memory that is installed.
Using a 64 bit OS, should make most all of it available, even if you
installed 8GB. Windows 7 x64, Ubuntu 10.10 x64, would allow you to use
all 8GB if installed. (WinXP x64 isn't worth buying, so don't bother.)
The best compromise configuration is 2x2GB. That allows dual
channel operation for the memory. You'll lose a little, or
a lot of that memory, depending on your video card configuration.
But fiddling around with 2x1GB + 2x512MB configuration, is not
the best compromise. Yes, you may shave $25 off the price of
the memory, but that config lacks the best expansion options
later. Better to lose $25 worth of accessible memory, in order
that a future addition of 2x2GB will be simpler.
4GB sized sticks are occasionally available, but using just one
in single channel mode, wouldn't be the best choice.
Depending on how far back you go, there was one Intel chipset, that
made room to install 8GB, but the front side bus connection between
processor and chipset was 32 bit, which meant the user could only
access 4GB of the memory. When I say "anything recent is fine", don't
go looking for some crusty old 915 chipset motherboard to build your
rig.
*******
For hard drive, anything up to 2TB in size, is seamless in usage.
Avoid Western Digital "Advanced Format" drives with 4KB sectors,
since you're going with WinXP. I'm not sure if WD is still selling
drives with Advanced Format after their initial launch. The industry
will soon be changing to nothing but 4KB sector drives, so sooner or
later, we'll be stuck with them. (Existing drives use 512 byte
sectors.) Check a photo of the WD disk product label, and see if the
words "Advanced Format" are printed on the label in the picture. Some
users had issues with those, including sluggish performance. OSes other
than WinXP, might be fine, so they're "the future" so to speak. The
more modern the OS, the better the odds they properly support 4KB
sectors.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/2888
As for the recently introduced 3TB drives, I wouldn't touch those
with a barge pole. Allow six months, for the early adopters to
report their failure rates, before buying. That may also give time
for a decent web article to come along, with tips on using them.
The Newegg.com customer reviews for hard drives, will give you
some idea how crappy the drives are. Poor shipping materials
are part of the reason for so many failures, and one of the
reasons I buy hard drives locally. By using my local supplier,
they come out of a proper bulk shipping container, rather than
flopping around in some oversized UPS box with a few Styrofoam
peanuts for company :-) The drives may have a high G force rating,
but that still isn't a reason to allow them to flop around
in the box.
Paul
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