VMware famously removed the vRAM entitlement limits (the "vRAM tax") starting with vSphere 5.1. In ESXi 5.5, there are no software-enforced physical RAM limits per host or per virtual machine, regardless of the license tier.
You could install the free license on a host with any number of physical processors. license key vmware esxi 5.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5 is a foundational hypervisor in enterprise virtualization history. Released as part of vSphere 5.5, this bare-metal hypervisor abstracts processor, memory, storage, and networking resources into multiple virtual machines (VMs). While newer versions offer advanced features, understanding ESXi 5.5 licensing, installation, and administration remains crucial for legacy environments, specialized compliance testing, and disaster recovery validation. Architectural Evolution in ESXi 5.5 VMware famously removed the vRAM entitlement limits (the