Question 16gb ram installed but only 8gb usable

[Slixvx]

I see threads that are similar to this but none I've seen are like mine. When I open the bios it shows 8gb of ram in both windows task manager and the bios but I can open cpu-z and it shows that both dimm slots are filled with 2 x 8gbs but for some reason only reads as one. What's going on and what's the fix?

PC:
MB: Asus Strix B450-F Gaming
RAM: Crucial 2 x 8gb DDR4 3200 MHz
GPU: RTX 2060 Super
CPU: Ryzen 7 5700G

 

[boju]

Can you show screenshots of memory and spd (seperate picture of both occupied slots) tabs please.

Ram in 2nd and 4th slot from cpu? Sometimes reseating or swapping ram around helps.

 

[bdcrlsn]

Agree with above, try swapping the sticks around and see if that fixes the problem...otherwise, you can try MemTest86 and see if a stick is bad.

 

[Slixvx]

Im

Can you show screenshots of memory and spd (seperate picture of both occupied slots) tabs please.

Ram in 2nd and 4th slot from cpu? Sometimes reseating or swapping ram around helps.

I'm not really sure as to what you mean by "screenshots" but I can tell you. 1 x 8 is in the 2nd dim and the other is in the 3rd. I have it placed like this because my cpu fan covers the 1st slot so if I was to place it differently I wouldn't have dual channel.

 

[boju]

Screenshots. Hitting print screen on keyboard, editing the picture in paint then upload to image service to link here.

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Images of these screens, so i can try see what's going on with your ram.

Dual channel configuration on a 4 dimm slot board should be. Especially for AMD since memory controller is very sensitive. Having ram in slots 2 and 3 would cause problems.

I understand regarding large coolers blocking first dimm slot as I'm in the same boat. Luckily though, the first dimm isn't used anyway with two sticks of ram. Has been this way for a long long time.

 

[Slixvx]

My apologies. I've also noticed two other issues while taking screenshots in CPU-Z. My ram is not running at it's set speed in the BIOS (2999mhz) as well as it says it's placed in Dim slots one and two (2 and 4).

https://imgur.com/hnI4WhF

https://imgur.com/hIzF94a

https://imgur.com/oITFKhm

 

[boju]

Is xmp/docp enabled in bios? Currently they're running at 2666, 1333*2. Cpuz memory frequency report doesn't account for double data rate (ddr) so ya gotta multiply it by two on your own. 3200 (not 2999 according to spd xmp profile) would read 1600 for frequency.

What has been said and what Cpuz is reporting is confusing me about which slots are being used. Long as memory are in the exact slots as the diagram above, change it if not. Ram not in the primary slots can run into problems running xmp and other memory issues i expressed earlier. Primary slots for two sticks of ram are always 2 and 4 from cpu. Cpu -> 1 2 3 4.

 

[Slixvx]

Is xmp/docp enabled in bios? Currently they're running at 2666, 1333*2. Cpuz memory frequency report doesn't account for double data rate (ddr) so ya gotta multiply it by two on your own. 3200 (not 2999 according to spd xmp profile) would read 1600 for frequency.

What has been said and what Cpuz is reporting is confusing me about which slots are being used. Long as memory are in the exact slots as the diagram above, change it if not. Ram not in the primary slots can run into problems running xmp and other memory issues i expressed earlier. Primary slots for two sticks of ram are always 2 and 4 from cpu. Cpu -> 1 2 3 4.

DOCP is disabled in the bios for me. The ram is in the exact spots from the picture presented in your last reply from two modules. I am really not sure as to what is going on and why it's showing in slots 1 and 2.

 

[boju]

Get the imgur app on your phone and take a picture of your motherboard. We'll have a look.

 

[Slixvx]

Get the imgur app on your phone and take a picture of your motherboard. We'll have a look.

https://imgur.com/a/R6ud4e1

It's there in 2 and 4, clicked in on both sides.

 

[boju]

Thanks. Looks good.

Ok try take them both out and switch places. After that enable docp and reboot. See if all ram is accounted for + higher frequency.

 

[Slixvx]

Thanks. Looks good.

Ok try take them both out and switch places. After that enable docp and reboot. See if all ram is accounted for + higher frequency.

I did so and my pc had a hard time starting back up. Constantly turning on and back off before I even enabled docp. However, I did so and eventually it started. I enabled docp and still nothing changed. I then looked at my pc again and saw that I was able to fit it into slot 1 just barely touching the cpu fan. I placed them in slots 1 and 3 and had docp enabled. Still 8gb and 2666mhz. CPU-Z still also says its in slots 1 and 2. I'm honestly confused as to whats going on. Maybe my motherboard?

 

[boju]

Had a look at your motherboard manual for dimm placement. It's definitely 2nd slot from cpu for single stick. Intel Asus motherboards the last slot is used for single stick. Try single stick only in 2nd slot. Try both ram separately, see how the motherboard reacts and if you can enable docp. If both ram succeeds (separately) with docp then we can start to assume other things.

Along with incorrect slot information (unless cpuz is bugged, maybe try downloading again from cpuid or try Hwinfo) it also doesn't make sense cpuz showing 16GB though. Where are you seeing only 8?

Was ram bought together in a set, as in same package or separate?

 

[Slixvx]

Had a look at your motherboard manual for dimm placement. It's definitely 2nd slot from cpu for single stick. Intel Asus motherboards the last slot is used for single stick. Try single stick only in 2nd slot. Try both ram separately, see how the motherboard reacts and if you can enable docp. If both ram succeeds (separately) with docp then we can start to assume other things.

Along with incorrect slot information (unless cpuz is bugged, maybe try downloading again from cpuid or try Hwinfo) it also doesn't make sense cpuz showing 16GB though. Where are you seeing only 8?

Was ram bought together in a set, as in same package or separate?

Hey it's been a little and I've had my pc off for the last two days. I booted my pc up and saw it still said 8gb in the bios. I did a little messing around for about 10 minutes just swapping the placements of the ram. My pc would not turn on at all with just one. I placed it back in the same place and turned on my pc to open the bios and turned of docp. My pc reset and then all of a sudden it finally showed 16gb. To answer your question yes they are from the same packaging. It however said it was still running at 2666mhz. I changed it to set it to 2999mhz and it says it worked in the bios with 16gb still. I'm not sure what happened and why it did but it's working. However, I wished this was solved the right way to figure it out for other people or for a possible next time.

https://imgur.com/a/AxXpdt4

 

[boju]

It's possible the ram just isn't fully compatible. Bios update might improve compatibility but it isn't new that micron imc chips on the ram can be hit or miss for Ryzen. Memory with Samsung Bdie chips is best.

If you set 2933 manually then that's probably what did it, as in manual settings, getting away from Docp. Docp is an automatic preset and sometimes isn't agreed with depending on ram and imc chips. Still don't have an answer why memory wouldn't detect at all, especially with one. Bios update might fix all of that, if you haven't tried that yet. If you're comfortable leaving it the way it is then that's fine.