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Any current motherboards with ability to exceed 32+ GB RAM?

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13 replies

by galahad04

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I know that with Windows Vista Ultimate x64 supports up to 128 GB of max RAM. However, among the current generation of desktop motherboards, the highest capacity size I have been able to find so far is support for up to 32 GB -- and the actual memory chips to actually get to 32 GB do not appear to be available yet. Therefore, a few questions:

(1) Are there any motherboards available yet that are able to have a higher max RAM capacity than 32 GB?
(2) Does the max RAM capability make a difference based on whether you buy AMD or Intel processors?
(3) Does Opeteron have more RAM capacity than Intel Quad Core? If so, are there any Opterons that can run on a desktop (not server) PC?

13 replies

by maniacman

I don't know why anyone in their right mind would need so much RAM in a workstation. If you do, then you may as well plop down a $12,000+ server on your desk (RAM alone will cost you a few thousands bucks), which in my opinion, is no longer an affordable desktop PC.

Intel Xeon can also support it with the addition of the /PAE switch in the boot.ini file, but again, we're talking about server systems, not desktops running Vista.

by jamesrl

But its Max is 16 GB according to the specs...

The latest Dell Precisions (T7400)are listed to have up to 64GB of RAM, or 128 with a RAM riser card. They have 8 slots, so 8 x 4GB would be 32GB of RAM.

James

by maniacman

What in the heck are people running that they need 64GB of RAM on a desktop? Even some of the servers I support don't exceed 16GB at most.

by jamesrl

Currently I have 2 GB, and I run a game that will happily use 2 or 2.5 GB all to itself. But if I do the logical thing and put another 2GB in, XP will only show 3.5.

James

by retro77

Think ten years ago, how much RAM did you have then? I think I had 48MB on a 486DX4-100MHz.

Ten years from now, maybe 32GB will be standard...

by jamesrl

I had a Mac II with 512K of RAM. A 1 MB stick of RAM cost $400. I had a 40 MB half height SCSI HD drive.

My first PC was an XT class with 1MB of RAM.

James

by amin_adatia

Your kind of thinking is what leads to motherboards that only support a max of 1GB RAM chips and only two slots.

by older mycroft

Can't you find anything more up-to-date since you're so concerned about being modern ?? ;)

by jdclyde

to not be able to notice something as basic as when a post was made.

by amin_adatia

Database, Application Server, CASE Tools with Code Generators and Testing applications. Just because it is called a "desktop" does not mean much in configuration needs. Some of us even have to train overselves at home to be able to meet the constant need for X years of experience on a product suite that has only been relased X-n years where n is sometimes larger than X. :)

by older mycroft

And it was a thread I wuz gonna jump right into until I realised he'd dug up another zombie! ;)

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