Netbooks often have a memory limit of 2gb and it often puzzles people as to why. These computers are mostly for browsing the net and this is the reason for most of the limitations implied.
Netbooks are often limited to having only 2 gb of memory, but that should not be an issue as long as you use thing for its intended purpose. You don’t need more than that to surf the web. I would go as far as saying even 2gb is an overkill for most tasks, especially for those that don’t involve heavy multi-tasking.
Think of a netbook as a substitute for your smartphone. Everything you can do on your smartphone, you can do on a netbook, except for making calls. Want to pop in to Facebook to update your status? A netbook is fine for that, because it has a physical keyboard for typing any length of text. It would be kind of tedious a frustrating experience on a touchscreen phone.
Want to read your emails? A netbook is very good for reading emails thanks to its 10″ screen.
Want to play world of Warcraft? You can’t do it on your mobile phone, and apart from some special cases, I suggest you don’t do it on your netbook either.
As you can see, there is a certain level of crosstalk between functionalities of netbooks and smartphones. The processing and graphics capabilities are designed so that you can complete these tasks quickly and without frustration. Take it one step further, and you are in for some smashing the netbook to the wall fun.
These programs don’t require lots of ram. Intel’s engineers realised that, so they didn’t force what they didn’t have to. The integrated memory controller in modern atom processors can deal with only 2gb of ram because that is the most you will make use of anyway. That, and it’s another way of segmenting the market.
Another reason for it is the number of memory slots required. There are lots of 2gb memory sticks you can put into the laptop, but there are no 4gb modules I know of. There might be a few because you can have 8gb memory in some laptops with only two slots, but they are so expensive they make no sense in a netbook at all. They cost half of your entire netbook, each.
Keeping that in mind, having 4gb memory also introduces a new problem. 32 bit operating systems can handle up to 4gb of ram including the active swap file and any additional memory the graphics chip may have. This means that you could, in theory, have four gigabytes of ram and 20 to 25 per cent of it would not show up as available physical RAM anyway.
All in all, netbooks have space for only one stick of memory, and you would have to switch to a 64 bit operating system to make any use of the extra two gigabytes. Since netbooks are limited in raw processing power enough to make them unfit for heavy multi-tasking, neither limitation makes sense breaking. That is why no manufacturer bothers.
I am looking at tons of 4GB ram available now with the exact same slot specs for typical netbook memory. As it will cost $50 to get a stick and test with the new netbook, are there any other reasons you can think of (besides possibly the dimensions of the stick) that would limit my ability to use it, before I take the leap?
Limitation in the memory controller of the Atom processor. Check the model number at ark.intel.com , but the most common ones I’ve had seen were capable of working with only 2 gb.
Sorry, I was a bit vague because my reply was the first thing in the morning. Here is a detailed answer.
Netbooks come with Atom because that’s what uses the least amount of power. They come with an integrated memory controller more often than not in order to keep the whole system’s consumption to the minimum. Theoretically, the vendor could circumvent the limitation adding a dedicated controller chip (northbridge) but they don’t bother because.
a) tasks that require 4GB are bottlenecked by the processor performance anyway
b) it would add to the cost
c) it would lower battery performance by as much as a couple hours
Hope it helps
Thanks Lewis. You’re a big help. You’re the only person I’ve found who can give a solid answer on that.
I’m glad I could be of help!
Intel is coming up with a dual-core Atom processor (N2800) that will support 4GB of ram on a netbook computer. i guess that blows a big hole in your theory that God created netbooks for browsing only.
By the way, I also heard that they are coming out with dual-core smartphones and 3D smartphones, so maybe smartphones are not as limited as you think they should be, either.
Seriously, what made you the authority on what electronic equipment should be allowed to do or not allowed to do? If somebody wants to play WOW on their netbook, why would you begrudge that?
This comment goes through in its entirety solely to show what exactly is the type of shit I’m not going to put up with.
You’re frustrated? Fine.
You want to make personal attacks? I don’t mind.
But not on my watch.
Refrain from being a dick.
I understand why the typical user of a netbook would probably not need more then 2gb of ram today, however I think that it is shortsighted of Intel to limit users to 2gb total. I think that 2gb is going to feel pretty small in a year or two. I would love to be able to buy a netbook now and in a year or so put a 4 or 8gb single chip in later when they are cheap.
Intel: this limitation seems too artificial, to focused on pushing power users off of netbooks into more expensive laptops. I do not like it.
The 2GB limitation does seem artificial and sad really. Thing is, they seem to fit the kind of use people put it under. I really liked my 1005HA when I had it, but it’s not an universal cookie cutter construction. Sadly :/
For whatever it’s worth, I have heard reports around the web that these 4GB modules work and memory is recognized in the older Macbooks (some of which use the same memory, for example a 200-pin SODIMM DDR2 PC2-5300): Apparently there’s no memory limitation on Intel Dual-Core CPUs.
2gb is the physical limit for N4xx netbxooks due to the amount of addressable memory see intel website for more details.
If you want faster netbook reccomend getting your netbook memory up to 2gb as this makes video and browsing faster there are panels under the machine that house the memory and Hard disk , upgrading the version of windows also gives you more flexibilty and finally swapping a higher capacaty hard drive gives more storage, netbooks face really tough competition from tablets and small form factor laptops and even some phones pack more power but I am tapping this note out on a netbook if intel put there one new Teraflop Nights corner chip in a netbook $55m supercomputer power in the size of a book! most netbooks have a few slots and also some of the newer netbooks released have dual core which should also be slightly faster.