Photoshop preference not displaying correct available RAM

JG
Posted By
john_grindlinger
Nov 1, 2007
Views
414
Replies
5
Status
Closed
Just installed Photoshop CS3 for PC under Windows XP Pro sp2. Under the Preferences, Performance, the available ram displayed is about half of the memory I have installed. Total of 4GB installed and displayed under system info, Photoshop is reporting a total of 1717MB available which is what my old 2GB machine displayed. Brand new PC with Intel quadcore processor, two 250GB disks in a Raid 0 Stripe.
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correct display memory preference

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I
ID._Awe
Nov 1, 2007
john: a quick search would have anwered the question, but the short answer is that on a 32bit system any app will only see 2Gb max with a little removed for the OS, there is a /3GB switch that you can add to the boot.ini that will give any foreground app up to 3GB (but not necessarily).

You can ignore the memory thingie under PS, it was for systems that were built a decade ago. I think it is about time they got rid of it, it does not do anything. The OS handles the memory allocation.
C
chrisjbirchall
Nov 2, 2007
Photoshop handles memory quite differently to most other applications. This Knowledge Base document might be of interest:

< http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=32 0005&sliceId=1>

Although it refers to CS2, much of it is still relevent today.
I
ID._Awe
Nov 2, 2007
Don’t believe it! It’s marketing crap.

The PS MM can only make a request to the OS for RAM allocation, it cannot, as it states, allocate memory itself.

Just use common sense, if apps could do that, then all apps would do that and it would be a memory re-lapse for all concerned. Think of the OS as the referee.
C
chrisjbirchall
Nov 2, 2007
Hmm. Marketing Crap would be put out by the Marketing Crap Department – and it would be published somewhere other than the Knowledge Base.

This document was put out by the "How to make Photoshop run smoother" department. Engineers – who know a lot more about such matters.
I
ID._Awe
Nov 2, 2007
Trust me, if the engineers wrote that then they should look for work elsewhere.

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