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830

Memory Expansion Beyond 4GB

830 points posted to Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Desktops and Laptops by nelson 04/23/07


Manufacture desktop and notebook systems that support future memory expansion well beyond 4GB.

In a world where 2GB is rapidly becoming the standard base memory for new desktops and notebooks, selling computers that will never support memory expansion beyond 2 or 4 GB is an extreme example of premature obsolescence.

Moore's law will force the universal adoption of 64 bit addressing support in operating systems and application software in the very near future.

A system that is purchased today should not be unnecessarily crippled 5 years from now because a Dell motherboard designer decided to cut corners and eliminate the address runs required for future memory expansion.

The only systems that Dell currently offers with significant potential for expansion are servers such as the PowerEdge SC1430, which does not officially support Windows XP/Pro or Vista.

srobert
05/06/07		 "The only systems that Dell currently offers with significant potential for expansion are servers", You may want to check out the Precision line (Dell workstation class machines), They can be found in the desktop section on the small business site. The Precision 690 can support up to (2) 4-core processors, 16 memory slots/64GB of RAM.
jmxz
Apr 18		 Merged Idea originally posted 07/02/07
large memory laptops

The largest memory in a Dell laptop I see is 4GB.

The ability to have more RAM would be useful in at least a couple scenarios.

1) Sales demos of server software that involve running multiple VMWare instances. Since each VMWare instance is pretty heavyweight, it's pretty memory intensive, especially if one of the virtual computers is Vista and another one is Oracle.
2) Saving battery life by copying the entire OS to memory. Knoppix can do this at boot time; so after bootup the disk never has to be spun up at all (except for writes; which can be buffered for a long time (say, half an hour, if you aren't very concerned about data loss)).
3) Probably, Trying to run a modern game (wants 2+GB) under Vista (wants >>2GB).

Any laptops with more than 4GB ram around?
benjesuit
Apr 18		 Merged Comment originally posted 07/02/07
A few problems:

1. Only a 64bit operating system can address >4gb ram.
2. Only certain Intel chipsets can handle >4gb ram.
3. Currently cost prohibitive for anyone with any economic sense.
4. Difficult to design a laptop with more memory slots w/o sacrificing something else to accomodate them.
lindahewitt
Apr 18		 Merged Comment originally posted 07/02/07
I concur with benjesuit's comments.

Whether it is a 32 bit or 64 bit architecture, 1 GB RAM is reserved for the OS. Unfortunately, the 64 bit computer is still problematic in terms of Vista and hardware - software functionality. I have an associate who bought a 64 bit laptop (not a Dell laptop) and it is still not 100%. It is all about drivers and video cards. When he attempts to fix one problem, 2-3 more problems are created.

However, I am expecting that within the next year to 18 months; these issues will be resolved and the leading edge will be the 64 bit platform.
davmcn
Apr 18		 Merged Comment originally posted 07/02/07
i can tell you right now Dell Currently does not offer 64-Bit OS, bu does Offer only 32-bit and the max Ram is 4GB. Dell is gonnah ave to make a choice on this but that all i can tell you right now.
jmxz
Apr 18		 Merged Comment originally posted 07/02/07
@ benjesuit; lindahewitt; davmcn

"64 bit" - well, yes; that's a modification that, like adding the memory itself; would need to be done for this idea. It's not like they're that novel - 64-bit OS's have existed since the 60s (the old CDCs, Crays, and Decs); most all the unix-like OS's were 64-bit capable in the 90s (Tru64, SunOS, etc).

And Windows had 64-bit versions since at least 2001 and perhaps 1997, (on MIPS chips - which I think Nasdaq still uses running Windows-on-MIPS servers from Tandem -- http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/ArticleID/3167/3167.html ; http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=623999)

Surely that's not the main bottleneck?
kontithegreek
Apr 18		 Merged Comment originally posted 07/05/07
well 64 bit unless doesnt run properly with C2D chips so you are not going to want a notebook with a 64 Bit OS but you can also get one of the Dell P690 desktops that allow up to 32 GIGS of ram and have the Xeon processors which are much better 64bit OS processors
aggiejoe
Apr 18		 Merged Comment originally posted 07/06/07
get an AMD system.
wallyhorse
Apr 18		 Something does have to be done in this regard, especally now that HP for instance has desktops with an 8GB RAM option (as well as 64-bit Vista, which you need for more than 4GB of RAM). The only laptop currently that I have seen that offers 8GB of RAM is one of the Precisions, and that is like a $1,500 upgrade at least.

I do think Dell needs to look at adding 6GB and 8GB options at least for Desktops.
 
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