[SOLVED] 32Gb of RAM installed, PC only using 16Gb

[SawsJacksSon]

Hi, im sorry if this is the wrong place but im new and a novice PC builder and trying to figure something out.
I have been running 2 sticks of ram total of 16gb 3200MHz. my PC was only using 8gb. I decide to upgrade and get 2 more sticks of the same RAM because at the time I didn't realize my PC was only using half. (So this has been a problem I just was not aware until I tried to add more)

I installed all the ram and after booting the BIOS only shows 16gb. Under windows system info it show 32Gb's installed but only 16gb usable?

I'll attach screens and my specs, but I know the motherboard supports up to 64Gb of DDR4 3200MHz(OC) and I know all the slots are working(I tested each one individually), in the bios(board explorer) it shows all the ports in use, and they have the proper display of RAM size and speed. and I just updated the BIOS last night that hasn't fixed the issue.

I also have made sure the "Maximum Memory" box is unchecked in the boot options of MSCONFIG

The only thing I can assume is that the ram sticks are 2 different brands. The two Sticks are (Old Ones): G.SKILL TridentZ Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3200
(New Ones): CORSAIR - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2PK x 8GB) 3.2 GHz DDR4 DRAM
SPECS:
CPU: AMD RYZEN 7 1700 Eight-Core
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1070
MOTHERBOARD: MSI B350 Tomahawk
OS:Win 10 Home x64bit
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I will greatly appreciate any help/solution or if I have overlooked something or left info out and you tell me. Thank you all.

PICS
SYSTEM INFO:

https://imgur.com/IF9aTxL

View: https://imgur.com/IF9aTxL

GEFORCE:

https://imgur.com/pLRAc85

View: https://imgur.com/pLRAc85

BIOS PAGE:

https://imgur.com/H4goRzs

View: https://imgur.com/H4goRzs

WIN 10:

https://imgur.com/B5e2LkU

View: https://imgur.com/B5e2LkU

 

[rgd1101]

so the old kit didn't work right. adding another kit will not fix it.

 

[Lutfij]

The only thing I can assume is that the ram sticks are 2 different brands.
Why did you do that now? Revert to only one kit, source the same kit of ram for any build if you want to upgrade.

See if you can reflash the BIOS with the one you're currently on or the latter version. After the flash, power down the system and then remove the CMOS battery while the system is powered down and disconnected from the wall. Replace the battery after 15 minutes and then see if the rams(2x8GB kit, not the Frankenstein sorry setup) works.

Edit: On second thoughts, flash the BIOS to the Beta version, here, manually using M-Flash and a pen drive(with the BIOS file on the pen drive).

 

[GrandSACHI]

To be honest, this sounds like one of the memory channel is borked on the motherboard. If you try with only one stick of RAM in either channel A or B, does the computer boot?
My guess is that it will only boot when the stick is in one of them, but not in the other one. You can try with the stick in each of the slots to pinpoint which ones are broken.

 

[Blakenstein]

Whoa you just helped me !! with my problem when yo mentioned misconfig .. i had the same , removed and reinstalled overheated cpu . my bios read all the slots properly , 8 gigs by 4slots but read the total as only 16 , so expert here at toms told me to check the cpu again ,cause I had straightened a bent pin . well , by trial and error , with my memok button to get the comp to tune the ram , for a while , my screen would not even light up , then i find out that memok dont work for windows os enviorment , then i disscover that I have another button that is right on the front panel of my tower HA !! with that , I then found out that my B channel was not working . ,,......so instead of going to my clear rtc ram jumper , I checked the cpu again and I found another bent pin . I straightened and re installed ,.. and it works !!! bios reads 32 , total , and windows reads 32 ,,, but only 14 usable ..... You helped me remember that during my problem , I messed around with msconfig ,,
when i set boot for 32768 ,, it automatically jumped to half of that as i was leaving .. well im gonna try misconfig again , and if it donrt work , then ill go to windows repair ,, cause when I was into it the first time ,, I rebooted , and it automatically went to windows repair , and windows repaired it without restore ,, so windows repaired the os to run on only 16 gigs .... anyway my initial problem was the cpu ( overheated and bent pins ) man ,, it was stuck to the heatsink and was just ripped out of there but now its working good . , OK !!! Im editing cause I just went and tried the msconfig,,,, and IT WORKS !! YEEHAAA YOU DID HELP ME WITH YOUR POST . My windows is now reading 32 gigs with 30.5 usable WHOOHAA THANKS AGAIN !!!

 

[GrandSACHI]

I'm glad you fixed your problem! 👍

 

[MadsModsat]

BIOS PAGE:

https://imgur.com/H4goRzs

View: https://imgur.com/H4goRzs

According to your BIOS screendump, your RAM modules are in the wrong DIMMS -> Refer to the motherboard manual page 5 for correct RAM installation.

When using 1 RAM kit, the modules should be installed in DIMM A2 + B2 (socket 2 and 4 when counting from left to right from the CPU)

When using 2 RAM kits, one RAM kit should be in A1 + B1 (socket 1 + 3 when counting from left to right from the CPU) and the other kit should be in A2 + B2 (socket 2 + 4 when counting from left to right from the CPU)

Your DIMMS on the BIOS page should look like this :

DIMM - A1 G.Skill
DIMM - A2 Corsair
DIMM - B1 G.Skill
DIMM - B2 Corsair

You currently have one kit in A1 + A2 (G:Skill), and the other kit in B1 + B2 (Corsair), which is incorrect.

As the others have already mentioned, mix-matching RAM sometimes results in a lot of problems. Sometimes it works, sometimes you get instability issues, and sometimes the system wont even boot.

Not only are you using mis-matched RAM, they are not even working in pairs, the way they are currently installed, which could complicate matters further, when it comes to compatibility and stability.

Try to install just two RAM modules (either the Corsair OR the G.Skill kit) in DIMM A2 + B2, and see if you can utilize all the RAM.

It should look like this (as described in the manual) :

DIMM A1 - Empty
DIMM A2 - G.Skill (or Corsair)
DIMM B1 - Empty
DIMM B2 - G.skill (or Corsair)

EDIT:
If you can utilize all 16 GB RAM of one kit, with the RAM in the correct DIMMS, you can try to add your second kit afterwards, and see if that works as well.
However, you may very well run into issues with two mis-matched sets of RAM.

 

[Blakenstein]

Yep you,re right about that !!! Ha I previously thought that my A2 , was B1 but now all slots are full . My sticks are the same KIngston fury . I first got 2 sticks of fury . Then a few years later , which was last year , I put in another 2 sticks ,, but I made sure that they were the same company , and the precise same specs .
It is important ,,that when adding ram to make sure that they are the exact same ,, by the same company . Also ,, you you can look up the board on the internet and find what ram companies that they suggest . ...also ,,good to make sure it is the board companys' page and not somebody selling ram.