Some weeks ago I outlined my
Memory + CPU support compact brief for SQL Server, and now it is time for Windows Server. Undoubtedly, when we are sizing a database server not only take a look at the hardware support for SQL Server but also for Windows Server. Here is the info you might need to have it at hand and make a good use of it.
If any of you want to get closer to related topics you can check out
Windows Server – Sockets, Logical Processors, Symmetric Multi Threading and
Windows Server scalability and more!
Physical Memory Limits: Windows Server 2016
The following table
specifies the limits on physical memory for Windows Server 2016.
Version
|
Memory
|
CPU
|
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
|
24
TB
|
64 CPU. Unlimited cores
|
Windows Server 2016 Standard
|
24
TB
|
64 CPU. Unlimited cores
|
Physical Memory Limits: Windows Server 2012 (R2)
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows Server 2012. Windows Server 2012 is available only
in X64 editions.
Version
|
Memory
|
CPU
|
Windows
Server 2012 Datacenter
|
4 TB
|
64
CPU or 640 logical processors (or 320 with Hyper-V Role)
|
Windows
Server 2012 Standard
|
4 TB
|
64
CPU or 640 logical processors (or 320 with Hyper-V Role)
|
Windows
Server 2012 Essentials
|
64 GB
|
2
CPU
|
Windows
Server 2012 Foundation
|
32 GB
|
1
CPU
|
Windows
Storage Server 2012 Workgroup
|
32 GB
|
|
Windows
Storage Server 2012 Standard
|
4 TB
|
|
Hyper-V
Server 2012
|
4 TB
|
|
Physical Memory Limits: Windows Server 2008 R2
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows Server 2008 R2
is available only in 64-bit editions. Windows
Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems support up to 2TB.
Version
|
Memory
|
CPU
|
Windows
Server 2008 R2 Datacenter
|
2 TB
|
64
CPU or 256 logical
processors (or 64 with Hyper-V Role )
|
Windows
Server 2008 R2 Enterprise
|
2 TB
|
8
CPU or 256 logical
processors (or 64 with Hyper-V Role )
|
Windows
Server 2008 R2 Foundation
|
8 GB
|
|
Windows
Server 2008 R2 Standard
|
32 GB
|
4
CPÛ or 256 logical
processors (or 64 with Hyper-V Role )
|
Windows
HPC Server 2008 R2
|
128 GB
|
|
Windows
Web Server 2008 R2
|
32 GB
|
4
CPÛ or 256 logical
processors (or 64 with Hyper-V Role )
|
Physical Memory Limits: Windows Server 2008
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows Server 2008. Limits greater than 4 GB for 32-bit
Windows assume that PAE is enabled.
|
Memory
|
CPU
|
Version
|
X86
|
X64
|
x86 (SP2)
|
x64 (SP2)
|
Windows
Server 2008 Datacenter
|
64 GB
|
1 TB
|
32
CPU or 32 logical processors
|
32
CPU or 64 logical processors (or 24 with Hyper-V)
|
Windows
Server 2008 Enterprise
|
64 GB
|
1 TB
|
8
CPU or 32 logical processors
|
8
CPU or 64 logical processors(or 24 with Hyper-V)
|
Windows
Server 2008 HPC Edition
|
|
128GB
|
|
|
Windows
Server 2008 Standard
|
4 GB
|
32 GB
|
4
CPU or 32 logical processors
|
4
CPU or 64 logical processors(or 24 with Hyper-V)
|
Windows
Small Business Server 2008
|
4 GB
|
32 GB
|
|
|
Windows
Web Server 2008
|
4 GB
|
32 GB
|
|
|
Windows Server 2008 for
Itanium-Based Systems support up to 2TB
SP1+ Hyper-V Enabled support up to 16 logical processors
SP1+ Hyper-V Enabled + KB956710 installed support up to 24 logical processors
Physical Memory Limits: Windows Home Server
Windows Home Server is available only in a 32-bit
edition. The physical memory limit is 4 GB.
Physical Memory Limits: Windows Server 2003 R2
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows Server 2003 R2. Limits over 4 GB for 32-bit
Windows assume that PAE is enabled.
Version
|
Limit on X86
|
Limit on X64
|
Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition
|
64 GB (16 GB with 4GT)
|
1 TB
|
Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition
|
64 GB (16 GB with 4GT)
|
1 TB
|
Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition
|
4 GB
|
32 GB
|
Physical Memory Limits: Windows Server 2003 with
Service Pack 2 (SP2)
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 (SP2). Limits over
4 GB for 32-bit Windows assume that PAE is enabled.
Version
|
X86
|
X64
|
IA64
|
Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 (SP2),
Datacenter Edition
|
64 GB(16 GB with 4GT)
|
1 TB
|
2 TB
|
Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 (SP2),
Enterprise Edition
|
64 GB(16 GB with 4GT)
|
1 TB
|
2 TB
|
Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 (SP2), Standard
Edition
|
4 GB
|
32 GB
|
|
Physical Memory Limits: Windows Server 2003
with Service Pack 1 (SP1)
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1). Limits over
4 GB for 32-bit Windows assume that PAE is enabled.
Version
|
X86
|
X64
|
IA64
|
Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1),
Datacenter Edition
|
64 GB(16 GB with 4GT)
|
1 TB
|
1 TB
|
Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1),
Enterprise Edition
|
64 GB(16 GB with 4GT)
|
1 TB
|
1 TB
|
Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), Standard
Edition
|
4 GB
|
32 GB
|
|
Physical Memory Limits: Windows Server 2003
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows Server 2003. Limits over 4 GB for 32-bit Windows assume
that PAE is enabled.
Version
|
X86
|
IA64
|
Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
|
64 GB(16 GB with 4GT)
|
512 GB
|
Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
|
64 GB(16 GB with 4GT)
|
512 GB
|
Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
|
4 GB
|
|
Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
|
2 GB
|
|
Windows Small Business Server 2003
|
4 GB
|
|
Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003
|
|
32 GB
|
Windows Storage Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
|
8 GB
|
|
Windows Storage Server 2003
|
4 GB
|
|
Windows Server 2003: The number of processors and the
amount of physical RAM that are supported
The following table compares the number of processors and the
amount of physical RAM that are supported by the x64-based versions of Windows Server
2003 and by Windows XP Professional x64 Edition to those that are supported by
the 32-bit versions.
Operating system
|
Number of processors
|
Physical RAM
|
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
|
4
|
4 gigabytes (GB)
|
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition
|
4
|
32 GB
|
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
|
8
|
64 GB
|
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition
|
8
|
1 terabyte
|
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
|
32
|
64 GB
|
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter x64 Edition
|
64
|
1 terabyte
|
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
|
2
|
4 GB
|
Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
|
2
|
128 GB
|
Notes
·
x86-based versions of
Windows Server 2003 that are running on a computer that uses a multicore
processor or a hyper-threading processor support a maximum number of 32 logical
processors.
·
x64-based versions of
Windows Server 2003 that are running on a computer that uses a multicore
processor or a hyper-threading processor support a maximum number of 64 logical
processors.
Memory
allocation settings
The following table compares the memory allocation settings that
are supported by the x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP
Professional x64 Edition to those that are supported by the 32-bit versions. Collapse this tableExpand this table
Memory allocation settings
|
32-bit versions
|
x64-based versions
|
Total amount of virtual address space
|
4 GB
|
16 terabytes
|
Amount of virtual address space per 32-bit process
|
2 GB (3 GB if the /3GB switch is added to the Boot.ini
file)
|
2 GB (4 GB if the /LARGEADDRESSAWARE option is used)
|
Amount of virtual address space for the 64-bit processes
|
Not applicable
|
8 terabytes
|
Amount of paged pool memory
|
470 megabytes (MB)
|
128 GB
|
Amount of non-paged pool memory
|
256 MB
|
128 GB
|
Size of system cache
|
1 GB
|
1 terabyte
|
Physical Memory Limits: Windows 8
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows 8.
Version
|
Limit on X86
|
Limit on X64
|
Windows 8
Enterprise
|
4 GB
|
512 GB
|
Windows 8
Professional
|
4 GB
|
512 GB
|
Windows 8
|
4 GB
|
128 GB
|
Physical Memory Limits: Windows 7
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows 7.
Version
|
Limit on X86
|
Limit on X64
|
Windows 7
Ultimate
|
4 GB
|
192 GB
|
Windows 7
Enterprise
|
4 GB
|
192 GB
|
Windows 7
Professional
|
4 GB
|
192 GB
|
Windows 7
Home Premium
|
4 GB
|
16 GB
|
Windows 7
Home Basic
|
4 GB
|
8 GB
|
Windows 7
Starter
|
2 GB
|
N/A
|
Physical
Memory Limits: Windows Vista
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows Vista.
Version
|
Limit on X86
|
Limit on X64
|
Windows Vista
Ultimate
|
4 GB
|
128 GB
|
Windows Vista
Enterprise
|
4 GB
|
128 GB
|
Windows Vista
Business
|
4 GB
|
128 GB
|
Windows Vista
Home Premium
|
4 GB
|
16 GB
|
Windows Vista
Home Basic
|
4 GB
|
8 GB
|
Windows Vista
Starter
|
1 GB
|
|
Physical Memory Limits: Windows XP
The following table specifies the limits on physical
memory for Windows XP.
Version
|
Limit on X86
|
Limit on X64
|
Limit on IA64
|
Windows XP
|
4 GB
|
128 GB
|
128 GB (not supported)
|
Windows XP
Starter Edition
|
512 MB
|
N/A
|
N/A
|