OT: Compaq Proliant "loses" memory when more PCI cards installed???

[Thomas Cameron]

On Mon, 2005-05-16 at 18:31 +0200, Alexander Dalloz wrote:
> Am Mo, den 16.05.2005 schrieb Thomas Cameron um 17:58:
> 
> > I noticed that when it boots, the system counts 4GB memory, but after
> > POST is says that there are only 3.6GB.  I called HP about it and they
> > said that the system reserves a chunk of memory for each PCI card.  I
> > pulled the video and sound cards, and sure enough, the system saw more
> > memory.
> 
> This is a limitation of the 32bit world. The system I/O address space
> has to be mapped into the available memory space, from top limit 4GB
> down. Often this is even a fixed memory space of 512MB.

So then even if I get a different board I will likely see the same
results, huh?

> > So my question is - what's up with this?  Why do none of my other
> > machines act this way?  I've got workstations from Dell and other
> > servers from HP that don't do this.  Those machines don't have PCI-X
> > slots though.  I assume that is relevant.  Anyone got an explanation as
> > to why this machine is reserving so much darned memory for the PCI
> > cards?  I am seriously tempted to yank the motherboard and drop in
> > another one from Intel or someone like that.  I paid a lot of money for
> > the 4GB memory and I want all of it, you know?  :-)
> 
> Those other systems may have PAE implementations in hardware / BIOS?

Ah, I think the Proliant DL series does...  That's why I didn't see it
then.

Thanks Alexander,
Thomas