Question 4.1 GB Hardware Dedicated Memory Problem

[Timur Nazarovs]

Hello, I own an A68HM-PLUS motherboard (BIOS version 1701 which is the latest I believe,) with a pair of Kingston 1600 MHz DDR3 DIMM Ram sticks. However, there is a 1/20 chance that whenever I boot up I actually have the full 8 gb usuable (apart from 50 megabytes or so dedicated to "hardware" but i'm not fussed over that) and most times my task manager performance tab just comes up with 3.9gb usable with 4.1 gb hardware reserved. My BIOS detects the 2 ram sticks and displays them but only says that it only has 4GB of memory.

If needed, here is the rest of my specs:
GTX 770 2GB VRAM
A10 - 7860K CPU

I hear on other forums that it takes up 4.1gb for my internal GPU, which i do have alongside my primary one. Please help me, I do not know how to fix this issue, i've tried switching the two ram sticks around, inserting new ones into there and resetting the bios via the Cmons battery. Not even tweaking around the BIOS works.

Also, I did memcheck tests and the Windows Memory Diagnostics tests, both of which came up with nothing.

Another thing I saw was that when I used only one stick (4gb, i did change them around,) it only worked on one of the slots, if i placed it in the other slot the PC wouldn't even launch. I fear that it may be a motherboard issue.

https://imgur.com/a/9jm3knC

View: https://imgur.com/a/9jm3knC

 

[COLGeek]

Are you running 32-bit or 64-bit Windows? Does the BIOS always see the amount of memory installed, correctly?

 

[Timur Nazarovs]

Forgot to include that, I'm running 64 bit Windows 10, and yes it does see the memory installed correctly. When I only have one chip in the first slot it shows the second one as "Not Applicable" if I remember correctly.

https://imgur.com/a/Z0ykzVC

View: https://imgur.com/a/Z0ykzVC

 

[lynx1021]

What is the exact model number on your memory? It may not be compatible. Here is a link to Kingston's memory finder for your board. https://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?DeviceType=7&Mfr=ASU&Line=A68 Motherboard&Model=91588
You can use 16Gb modules on your board Max.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

If your RAM is compatible, you can adjust how much the system reserves in the bios for the APU/GPU reserved memory. change it to 512MB in bios because you already have a discrete card you game on.

 

[Ketchup79]

It does sound like you might need to doble-check the memory reserved to your graphics card in the BIOS. That is usually the only reason your RAM would show "reserved" like that. As for the slot, some boards only support using a specific spot if you are using one stick. To verify this, is the slot CLOSEST to the CPU the one that works in single stick operation?

 

[Timur Nazarovs]

The RAM sticks are KINGSTON KHX1600C9D3P1K2/4G 4GB(2 x 2GB) SS - - - 1.5V (ive checked via bios and CPUZ - not mismatched)
Just updated my BIOS to 2011, no difference in the problem. The only settings ive changed in the bios if ever were to change the voltage of the ram from the max 1.65v to the standard 1.5v

Furthermore, yes, only the closest one to the CPU works.
In the 2011 version of the asus bios, how would i change the memory reserved?
Sorry for the late replies but i've just moved this thread over to different forums.

As for the slot, some boards only support using a specific spot if you are using one stick. To verify this, is the slot CLOSEST to the CPU the one that works in single stick operation?

 

[Timur Nazarovs]

Great news! I found out that despite the ram sticks being exactly the same, they weren't working together. I found this out by ordering an 8gb ddr3 stick and putting it with my 4gb kingston stick, i got the full 12gb
The motherboard is fine!

 

[Deleted member 14196]

so you had a mismatched set of ram that didn't work, not surprising but you never said they were a mismatched kit. it's not advisable to ever use ram that was purchased separately, you buy it in kits that are Matched and guaranteed to work from the factory. otherwise all bets are off and you got lucky that new stick actually works.

 

[Timur Nazarovs]

so you had a mismatched set of ram that didn't work, not surprising but you never said they were a mismatched kit. it's not advisable to ever use ram that was purchased separately, you buy it in kits that are Matched and guaranteed to work from the factory. otherwise all bets are off and you got lucky that new stick actually works.

They weren't mismatched, from the same set, brought together, everything. My new pair is mismatched as i have a micron card and a Kingston card together and they work.