Question about the 4gb patch for 32 bit Windows 7

[NightScreams]

So from what I gather, unlocking the kernal works with the caveat that each individual process can use up to 4GB's of Ram but no more, however the processes overall can use up all the available ram up to 64GB's, So theoretically one could load up on two 32bit processes, each maxing out to 4gigs or whatever and that would use 8 gigs of ram unlike before the patch where both would be limited to a single 4gigs or 3.5 whichever it's supposed to be, therefore that would make it no different than using the 64bit in that regard.. So there seems to be lots of articles and youtube video's claiming proof it works.

First off, is this correct?

If so, then my question is, since most all the video games and applications for modern windows is 32bit, then what is the real advantage to using 64 bit OS here besides obviously the very few 64 bit apps and game .exe's...neither of which seem to actually use more than 3gb's anyway.

Please don't turn this into a 32bit vs 64bit thing, that debate died years ago. I just find it curious considering most every software is still 32bit and the very few 64bit apps and games (crysis 1) I have, has no benefit over it's 32bit exe.

[times2fxp]

I have run this patch for a few years now on several machines. The main machine is windows 7 32 bit and 32 gigs of ram. I have made posts with my findings on evga.com

All I can say is use it. My machine is i7 with 3 gtx 290 video cards.

I shut off the page file and run strickly out of ram. Machine is blazing fast. I posted on evga where I can have 10 seperate access programs running, photoshop with about 20 pics I am creating, and in task manager shows my memory usage around 18 gigs with plenty left to spare. In the System properties my machine shows "32 gigs usuable ram" I have heard many stories about the patch doing nothing but I am here to tell you that it works to the point of using all ram, just just 4 gig sections. Some of the photoshop stuff I do will have 16 gigs of ram being used at one time without a flicker of the hard drive until I save files. Games run very quick.

I am a gamer also and the main reason I use this patch trick is the compatibility issue with so many games not running under 64 bit windows.

Make an account on evga.com and search for times2fxp on the forums, you will find all my posts with pictures of the memory usage and such.

[spaceelf]

I am a gamer also and the main reason I use this patch trick is the compatibility issue with so many games not running under 64 bit windows.

What games? DOS games? Practically everything runs under 64 bit Windows.

[rfirth]

What games? DOS games? Practically everything runs under 64 bit Windows.

Yeah, the only games I have that don't work are those that have a 16 bit component, usually the installer.

If so, then my question is, since most all the video games and applications for modern windows is 32bit, then what is the real advantage to using 64 bit OS here besides obviously the very few 64 bit apps and game .exe's...neither of which seem to actually use more than 3gb's anyway.

Please don't turn this into a 32bit vs 64bit thing, that debate died years ago. I just find it curious considering most every software is still 32bit and the very few 64bit apps and games (crysis 1) I have, has no benefit over it's 32bit exe.

You can't answer this question without making it a 32 vs 64 bit thing and looking at the additional instructions in the x86-64 instruction set.

[primexx]

I have run this patch for a few years now on several machines. The main machine is windows 7 32 bit and 32 gigs of ram. I have made posts with my findings on evga.com

All I can say is use it. My machine is i7 with 3 gtx 290 video cards.

I shut off the page file and run strickly out of ram. Machine is blazing fast. I posted on evga where I can have 10 seperate access programs running, photoshop with about 20 pics I am creating, and in task manager shows my memory usage around 18 gigs with plenty left to spare. In the System properties my machine shows "32 gigs usuable ram" I have heard many stories about the patch doing nothing but I am here to tell you that it works to the point of using all ram, just just 4 gig sections. Some of the photoshop stuff I do will have 16 gigs of ram being used at one time without a flicker of the hard drive until I save files. Games run very quick.

I am a gamer also and the main reason I use this patch trick is the compatibility issue with so many games not running under 64 bit windows.

Make an account on evga.com and search for times2fxp on the forums, you will find all my posts with pictures of the memory usage and such.

my BS meter is way high

[Raa]

Oh please, not this topic again...

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

I'd like to sum up the next 10 pages of back and forth discussion as such.

For any possible reason you can think of to use the PAE patch on a 32bit OS, the correct answer is to just use the 64bit variant.

We could go on and on about all the issues you'll run into, and how they simply don't exist on a 64bit OS, but that never seems to convince anybody.

[+Red King Subscriber²]

I thought OP was referring to the 4GB patch for executables to allow access to all 4GB RAM for idiot designed as well as old applications.

[Gerowen]

Why not just get a 64 bit processor and install 64 bit Windows? I've never heard of anybody having issues running 32 bit games in 64 bit Windows, it ships with copies of all the 32 bit libraries to prevent stuff like that.

[ShadowMajestic]

Games old enough to have 16bit parts will be able to run in a virtual machine.

Get 64bit windows and go run 32bit VM's.

[Cheatyface]

I have run this patch for a few years now on several machines. The main machine is windows 7 32 bit and 32 gigs of ram. I have made posts with my findings on evga.com

All I can say is use it. My machine is i7 with 3 gtx 290 video cards.

I shut off the page file and run strickly out of ram. Machine is blazing fast. I posted on evga where I can have 10 seperate access programs running, photoshop with about 20 pics I am creating, and in task manager shows my memory usage around 18 gigs with plenty left to spare. In the System properties my machine shows "32 gigs usuable ram" I have heard many stories about the patch doing nothing but I am here to tell you that it works to the point of using all ram, just just 4 gig sections. Some of the photoshop stuff I do will have 16 gigs of ram being used at one time without a flicker of the hard drive until I save files. Games run very quick.

I am a gamer also and the main reason I use this patch trick is the compatibility issue with so many games not running under 64 bit windows.

Make an account on evga.com and search for times2fxp on the forums, you will find all my posts with pictures of the memory usage and such.

I heard flame decals improve performance and make your PC faster too. Trufact?

[articuno1au]

The_Decryptor tl;dr'ed nicely.

There is absolutely no reason to use 32bit with physical address extension in place of 64bit.

There's a ton of benefits to x64 and next to nothing to be lost.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

You do lose compatibility with pure 16bit apps, but those apps aren't even benefiting from being run on a 32bit OS, so trying to give them more RAM or what not won't do anything (Well, it could cause more crashes, that's about it) Just run a copy of XP in a VM, you won't have any issues.

I've had more issues with games refusing to run on an NT based OS than refusing to run on a 64bit OS, and I've been using 64bit full time since Vista came out.

[Athlonite]

You do lose compatibility with pure 16bit apps, but those apps aren't even benefiting from being run on a 32bit OS, so trying to give them more RAM or what not won't do anything (Well, it could cause more crashes, that's about it) Just run a copy of XP in a VM, you won't have any issues.

I've had more issues with games refusing to run on an NT based OS than refusing to run on a 64bit OS, and I've been using 64bit full time since Vista came out.

Same here infact I've had more issues with win 7 x86 than I ever had with win 7 x64 and the majority of issues were either outdated software (fixed by patching) or fixed by throwing out the old and bringing in the new by finding better more upto date programs and or games to use ( Quake 3 still works like a trooper)

[XerXis]

KernEl goddamnit, kernEl!

and on topic, don't do It. You light run into problems with some drivers. Just install a 64 bit Version of Windows. There isn't a single reason to still use 32 if Your processor had the amd64 instruction set

[Anibal P]

KernEl goddamnit, kernEl!

and on topic, don't do It. You light run into problems with some drivers. Just install a 64 bit Version of Windows. There isn't a single reason to still use 32 if Your processor had the amd64 instruction set

This going to sound trollish, BUT, if you can't even spell a simple word like kernel, you shouldn't be running shady an useless patches like this on your system