[SOLVED] BIOS and Windows detecting but not using half of my system memory(RAM)

[GhaliPotter]

I recently updated the BIOS on my MSI B350M Gaming Pro motherboard, and now only 4GB of RAM out of 8GB is used by my system (I have 2x4GB ).
CPU-Z and BIOS detect both sticks and 8GB of RAM, and while Task Manager says that both DIMMS are used it also says that only 4GB is available.
I have the latest BIOS and drivers installed.
Specs :
-Ryzen 5 1400 3.2Ghz
-DDR4 G.Skill Aegis, 2x4 GB, 2400MHz, CL15
-MSI B350M Gaming Pro
-Nvidia Geforce GTX 1660 Ti
-Cooler Master 450W PSU

Thanks for your help.

 

[Lutfij]

Model for your CoolerMaster PSU? Remove the CMOS battery from the board, while the system is powered down and disconnected from the wall socket, and replace the battery after 30 mins. Re-seat the sticks of ram and see if you regain your ram capacity.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Do you have them installed in the A2 and B2 slots, which are the second and fourth slots over from the CPU socket? Or do you have them installed in different slots than those?

What Windows version are you using? Is it a 32 or 64bit version?

 

[GhaliPotter]

Do you have them installed in the A2 and B2 slots, which are the second and fourth slots over from the CPU socket? Or do you have them installed in different slots than those?

What Windows version are you using? Is it a 32 or 64bit version?

Hello, thank you for your reply.
My motherboard only have 2 slots where I can put my RAM sticks. I'm using a 64bit version of windows

 

[GhaliPotter]

Model for your CoolerMaster PSU? Remove the CMOS battery from the board, while the system is powered down and disconnected from the wall socket, and replace the battery after 30 mins. Re-seat the sticks of ram and see if you regain your ram capacity.

I have the Cooler Master K450, 450W.
Well I already tried to clear the CMOS battery and disconnecting the system from the wall socket several times but nothing changed.
Thanks for your help .

 

[gskill support]

Does the each module work fine individually? This can help confirm there is no defect with a memory stick.

 

[GhaliPotter]

Does the each module work fine individually? This can help confirm there is no defect with a memory stick.

Hello, yes each module work fine when plugged into the closest slot to the CPU but it doesn't when plugged into the second one. So I guess the problem is coming from the motherboard.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Not necessarily. It's LIKELY, but there are other possible reasons as well.

If there is a bent pin on the CPU, it can affect only one DIMM slot.

If the CPU cooler is not tightened evenly all the way around, all four corners being securely fastened to both the backplate and to any mounting hardware, and the heatsink base sitting flush against the heat spreader with no interference from anything around the socket or any loose fasteners, or broken push pins, then it can "cock" in the socket and either break the connection to some of the pins or short out specific pins against things they shouldn't be touching.

Make sure there are no bent pins on the CPU and that the cooler is correctly installed, flush, and flat, on all sides.

If all that is ok, then it's likely a motherboard issue.

 

[GhaliPotter]

Not necessarily. It's LIKELY, but there are other possible reasons as well.

If there is a bent pin on the CPU, it can affect only one DIMM slot.

If the CPU cooler is not tightened evenly all the way around, all four corners being securely fastened to both the backplate and to any mounting hardware, and the heatsink base sitting flush against the heat spreader with no interference from anything around the socket or any loose fasteners, or broken push pins, then it can "cock" in the socket and either break the connection to some of the pins or short out specific pins against things they shouldn't be touching.

Make sure there are no bent pins on the CPU and that the cooler is correctly installed, flush, and flat, on all sides.

If all that is ok, then it's likely a motherboard issue.

Hello everyone !
So I just checked my CPU for any bent pins but everything was looking okay, except for 1 or 2 pins on which I found a little bit of thermal paste that was covering them. So I cleaned it up, put the CPU back on the motherboard, then I made sure that the cooler was evenly tightened all around. And finally I turned on the system and the bios was showing 8GB of Functional RAM ( same thing on Windows ) ! So that was it, thermal paste on the CPU pins LOL !
Thank you all for your help !

 

[Darkbreeze]

Cool man. Glad you got it sorted out. Good luck to you.