.NET Max Memory Use 2GB even for x64 Assemblies
I asked this on Stack Overflow:
I’ve read (http://blogs.msdn.com/joshwil/archive/2005/08/10/450202.aspx) that the maximum size of an object in .NET is 2 GB.
Am I correct in assuming that if I have an Object that takes up 256 MB Memory, since it is a reference type, I can have an array of these 256 MB Objects where all the objects together may takeup >2GB Memory as long as the size of the reference array stays below 2 GB?
LukeH answered (11 upvotes):
Yes, your assumption is correct.
The 2GB limit applies to each object individually. The total memory used for all objects can exceed 2GB.
(Whether the runtime is able to allocate enough memory for your requirements is another matter. I doubt if it could find a full 2GB of spare memory on a 32bit machine, but it shouldn’t be a problem on 64bit.)
Notable comments
Nate (0 upvotes): I agree, there are not many scenarios where you would need more than 2 GB in a single object. A game server or database server is really the only thing that comes to mind.
Originally posted on Stack Overflow — 12 upvotes. Licensed under CC BY-SA.
