Physical address extension (PAE) allows 32-bit systems with more than 4GB of memory to convert all memory into general system memory. PAE was created by Intel in 1995 and is used in many operating systems. The total amount of memory that can be used depends on the operating system, with server computers typically using more than home computers. Enabling PAE allows for better performance, but may have trouble managing memory under high usage.
Physical address extension (PAE) is a method of converting a computer’s memory, including random access memory (RAM) and all other virtual memory, into general system memory. This operation can only be performed on 32-bit systems, which use x86 processors and have more than 4 gigabytes (4 GB) of memory. This way, the computer will have memory for applications and caching and won’t separate the memory like it usually would. Physical address extension memory management was created by Intel® in 1995 and has been included in many different operating systems (OS).
In 32-bit systems, when the total memory is 4 GB or more, all memory cannot be used and accessed. By running the computer in physical address extension mode, the computer is able to use all the memory and convert it into general system memory. This memory management was created in 1995 by Intel® for its Pentium Pro® CPU (Central Processing Unit) and has been used in many models since its creation. When this mode is enabled, a level is added to the memory hierarchy, allowing for higher memory usage without the computer burning out or crashing.
Physical address extension can only be used in 32-bit systems when memory is 4GB or greater. In other systems above 32-bit, PAE mode may be automatic or other memory management schemes may be used in place of PAE. This is done to use more memory than 4GB, so systems with less memory won’t be able to access this feature, because nothing would change if it was enabled.
The total amount of memory that can be used depends on the operating system. The minimum is 4GB, but more advanced systems can access more than 100GB of memory. Server computers typically use this, as such a large amount of memory is required to perform day-to-day tasks. On home computers, the minimum amount is usually sufficient for most tasks.
When physical address extension is enabled, all memory will be converted to system memory, so it can be used for applications. This means that programs are less likely to crawl and multiple applications can be used simultaneously without inconvenience. The only potential downside to using PAE is that, when the computer is under high usage, the memory will have trouble knowing how much to use for cache and how much to use for programs, but this is a rare occurrence.
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