8GB detected 3.95 usable

[DesireeJoy]

I have browsed all around Toms Hardware and elsewhere and gone through several friends, so I think it's time to make a new post.

There are many posts on this but non of them have solutions that have worked for me. The usual suggestions are...

Windows 64, because a 32 bit windows can't handle more than 4gigs of memory.
- I have a 64bit installation

Good Old MSConfig
- I have tried it with the max memory both unchecked, and checked while putting in 8gigs.. It doesn't seem to make a difference

Power Supply
- Since this was a possibility, I went out and grabbed a Corsair 750 Modular Power Supply. It's got to be enough.

Move the memory to slots x and x
- I have had them in slots 1 & 3 (The video card won't work in this case), They're in slots 2 & 4 currently. I have tried them in 3&4 as well.. no change really.

CPU-Z check the speed
- They're running at 800mhz, since it's dual channel multiply by 2, they're at the perfect 1600.



One thing I ran into that could be it, but I'm just not sure, is the matter of my video card. I have a GeForce GTX 960 with 4GB onboard RAM. I read in the forums on microsoft that perhaps it maps those 4gb onto my systems 4GB. I don't really understand that because it has it's own, so I don't know why it's using the systems. So this is a possibility, just one I don't really understand.

However, windows says shared memory is at 2 gigs, dedicated video memory is at 4gigs, and total graphics memory is at 6gigs.


Windows 8.1 64bit
MSI 970 Gaming Motherboard
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
EVGA GeForce GTX 960 Video Card with 4GB onboard RAM
AMD FX 8320 8 core 3.5GHZ AM3+
Corsair 750Watt Modular PowerSupply
CoolerMaster CPU fan (I guess you never know what's causing trouble!)

 

[Tradesman1]

What CPU cooler? Sounds odd huh? But if too tight in a corner or side it can throw the CPU out of balance and the pins don't get full contact which often throws the MC (memory controller) off

 

[DesireeJoy]

What CPU cooler? Sounds odd huh? But if too tight in a corner or side it can throw the CPU out of balance and the pins don't get full contact which often throws the MC (memory controller) off

That's definitely something I hadn't considered. I will attach the cooler that came with the CPU and see what happens.

Thank you for the suggestion!

 

[Tradesman1]

Let us know, might also try some voltage adjustments, but thinking the cooler

 

[basroil]

Have you checked the BIOs to see if there are any limits there? It could be set for 32bit compatibility settings, some do still have options for limiting memory and CPU cores for addressing older OSes.

And as always, try booting your system with one RAM stick at a time to make sure that the sticks aren't broken.

 

[DesireeJoy]

I tried switching out the fans, but that was a no go. There was no change.

I have been looking around the BIOS but haven't seen anything that would suggest a solution.

This build is based on http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml build by forbes, but with an upgraded video card and and a 3.5 mhz AMD FX processor instead of the 3.2.

The motherboard and memory should work really well together according to pcpartpicker.

I tried starting individually with the memory, but while the computer would start up with just one stick, the video card didn't send any picture.

 

[DesireeJoy]

I tried buying 2 8gb PNY sticks, and put them in the motherboard. The video card didn't send any picture, but everythign powered up. It's like when the sticks are in a different spot, or when there's only one.

 

[basroil]

I tried buying 2 8gb PNY sticks, and put them in the motherboard. The video card didn't send any picture, but everythign powered up. It's like when the sticks are in a different spot, or when there's only one.

Did you try updating the bios? Video card issues can happen on certain older BIOS, and it's expecially true of the Maxwell cards. I had a Z68 system that worked with both a 560ti and 660 but not my 970, until I updated the bios.

 

[DesireeJoy]

I ran the MSI updater and updated it to the latest and greatest.