[SOLVED] 12GB RAM installed, only 4 usable

[M4CHII]

I recently upgraded to 12gb RAM from a matching pair of 4gb sticks (8gb in total). However 64 bit windows 10 is telling me that only 4 of it is usable. I had the same problem when I only had 8gb installed. Both the BIOS and Windows 10 recognise 12gb as being installed but say that 8gb of it is reserved.

I've tried disabling the max memory in msconfig, and swapping the ram around. I've attempted to boot the system using only the 8gb stick I bought however it would not boot in either slot.

Here's my specs:
FM2A68M HD+ Asrock mb
AMD A10-7800 apu
Nvidia geforce 730
1 X 4gb Samsung ddr3 1600mhz ram
1 X 8gb hyperX ddr3 1600mhz ram

Can I have some help please? I'm totally stumped. Thank you for your time.

 

[Schlachtwolf]

Well you have 2 makers and it is highly unlikely they will work together, Samsung and Hyper, that is why RAM is sold in "KITS" 2x8gb etc. etc. which are tested to work out of the box. RAM is very selective as to which will work with each other, you could buy 2 Corsair sticks this week and 2 more next week from another batch of Corsair and they won't work.

You say "matching sticks", do you mean bought together or just from the same maker?

They use different chips which are not compatible so if you can send one back and buy a "kit" of say 2x8gb .... for example

https://www.notebooksbilliger.de/co...Wx3tLK5wIVRKQYCh1lOAK3EAQYASABEgL8EvD_BwE:G:s

That will work straight away with no issues.

Hope this helps...

 

[bignastyid]

I've attempted to boot the system using only the 8gb stick I bought however it would not boot in either slot.

Sounds like bad ram to me.

 

[M4CHII]

Well you have 2 makers and it is highly unlikely they will work together, Samsung and Hyper, that is why RAM is sold in "KITS" 2x8gb etc. etc. which are tested to work out of the box. RAM is very selective as to which will work with each other, you could buy 2 Corsair sticks this week and 2 more next week from another batch of Corsair and they won't work.

You say "matching sticks", do you mean bought together or just from the same maker?

They use different chips which are not compatible so if you can send one back and buy a "kit" of say 2x8gb .... for example

https://www.notebooksbilliger.de/co...Wx3tLK5wIVRKQYCh1lOAK3EAQYASABEgL8EvD_BwE:G:s

That will work straight away with no issues.

Hope this helps...

Ah I understand thank you very much for your reply. I'll see what I can do with it then. Thanks again for your time. Is there anyway I could get the full ram usage out of the two 4gb sticks I had? They were a kit, and I had the same problem.

 

[M4CHII]

Sounds like bad ram to me.

Oh okay. I should take it back where I bought it from then?

 

[bignastyid]

Oh okay. I should take it back where I bought it from then?

Yes, if it was just an incompatibility issue with the 4gb stick that would not stop it for working when installed by itself.

 

[Schlachtwolf]

I would and a buy 2x8gb 1600mhz RAM KIT ie. 2 sticks in 1 packet.

 

[M4CHII]

Yes, if it was just an incompatibility issue with the 4gb stick that would not stop it for working when installed by itself.

Okay thank you for your time.

 

[M4CHII]

I would and a buy 2x8gb 1600mhz RAM KIT ie. 2 sticks in 1 packet.

I'll do that then, thank you for your help.

 

[bignastyid]

Personally I'd just get a refund and save that money for when you can do a platform upgrade(cpu, motherboard and ram) and not spend any money on upgrading the current platform. A Ryzen APU, motherboard and ddr4 ram would easily outperform what you have now(the vega gpu on them are also better than the gt 730),