Q: If my dimension XPS Gen 4 is 64-Bit, why can it only address 4GB RAM? (Question sent via Quora)
A: There’s a world of difference between what’s mathematically or theoretically possible, and what is commercially viable for desktop systems!
For example, a 64-bit system is theoretically able directly access 2^64 bytes (=16 exbibytes) of memory. But no one, anywhere in the world, builds a physical PC that can hold that much memory; no one makes a PC with that many memory slots; no one builds memory chips with that much capacity.
And probably no one would be able to afford it, if they did!
Systems built to meet an attractive price point may face further constraints, such as pairing a 64-bit CPU with older, less-expensive 32-bit physical subsystems.
So, it was a Dell marketing decision that defines what your PC actually can do, versus its theoretical ability.
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