Half RAM Hardware Reserved

[sdbell92794]

Greetings, programs!

I have been all over google looking for a solution to this. I built myself a gaming desktop a few months ago and have been having no end of problems since I built the blasted thing, and I've run into yet another

I originally installed 2x4GB of RAM into my Gigabyte 970A-UD3P motherboard. I tried to install the RAM in dual channel mode (in slots 1 and 3 iirc) and when I booted up, 4GB worth of RAM was hardware reserved. I moved one of the sticks to slot 2 (I'm guessing this disabled dual channeling) and all 8 GB were available to me.

However I just installed 2 more 4GB sticks into the computer and lo and behold, 8GB is hardware reserved.

I've gone through and done Windows Memory Diagnostic, checked the maximum memory in the advanced boot options, cleaned things inside, and dug into the BIOS looking to see what's up. Both the BIOS and My Computer recognizes I have 16GB installed but only 7.93 are usable. I didn't mess with any power or configuration settings in the BIOS regarding memory as I'm not too familiar with all that.

Anyone know what's going on here? I suspect the issue is related to dual channeling since changing the slots when I only had 2 sticks seemed to solve the issue last time, but since I'm now using 4/4 slots that's not really an option.

I've attatched ResMon and System Description screenshots as well as a speccy overview for further details.

RAM links:

Set 1 (Slots 1&3)

Set 2 (Slots 2&4)

UPDATE: So after looking at Speccy, it's showing that I have 16GB of single channel memory running at 803MHz. I'm not too sure exactly what this means but that speed is less than half what it should be at 1866. I dunno.

Speccy RAM snapshot

Spoiler

RAM
Memory slots
Total memory slots 4
Used memory slots 4
Free memory slots 0
Memory
Type DDR3
Size 16384 MBytes
Channels # Single
DRAM Frequency 803.7 MHz
CAS# Latency (CL) 9 clocks
RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD) 10 clocks
RAS# Precharge (tRP) 9 clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS) 26 clocks
Bank Cycle Time (tRC) 36 clocks
Physical Memory
Memory Usage 52 %
Total Physical 7.97 GB
Available Physical 3.77 GB
Total Virtual 16 GB
Available Virtual 12 GB
SPD
Number Of SPD Modules 4
Slot #1
Type DDR3
Size 4096 MBytes
Manufacturer Kingston
Max Bandwidth PC3-14200 (889 MHz)
Part Number KHX1866C10D3/4G
Serial Number 6D1466A5
Week/year 11 / 15
Timing table
JEDEC #1
Frequency 465.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 5.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 5
tRAS 15
tRC 21
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 558.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 7
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 18
tRC 25
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #3
Frequency 651.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 7.0
RAS# To CAS# 8
RAS# Precharge 7
tRAS 21
tRC 30
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #4
Frequency 744.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 8.0
RAS# To CAS# 9
RAS# Precharge 8
tRAS 24
tRC 34
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #5
Frequency 837.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 9.0
RAS# To CAS# 10
RAS# Precharge 9
tRAS 27
tRC 38
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #6
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 10.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #7
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 11.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #8
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 13.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
Slot #2
Type DDR3
Size 4096 MBytes
Manufacturer Kingston
Max Bandwidth PC3-14200 (889 MHz)
Part Number KHX1866C10D3/4G
Serial Number 6B35AB6A
Week/year 26 / 14
Timing table
JEDEC #1
Frequency 465.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 5.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 5
tRAS 15
tRC 21
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 558.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 7
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 18
tRC 25
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #3
Frequency 651.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 7.0
RAS# To CAS# 8
RAS# Precharge 7
tRAS 21
tRC 30
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #4
Frequency 744.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 8.0
RAS# To CAS# 9
RAS# Precharge 8
tRAS 24
tRC 34
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #5
Frequency 837.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 9.0
RAS# To CAS# 10
RAS# Precharge 9
tRAS 27
tRC 38
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #6
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 10.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #7
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 11.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #8
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 13.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
Slot #3
Type DDR3
Size 4096 MBytes
Manufacturer Kingston
Max Bandwidth PC3-14200 (889 MHz)
Part Number KHX1866C10D3/4G
Serial Number 661498A5
Week/year 11 / 15
Timing table
JEDEC #1
Frequency 465.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 5.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 5
tRAS 15
tRC 21
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 558.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 7
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 18
tRC 25
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #3
Frequency 651.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 7.0
RAS# To CAS# 8
RAS# Precharge 7
tRAS 21
tRC 30
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #4
Frequency 744.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 8.0
RAS# To CAS# 9
RAS# Precharge 8
tRAS 24
tRC 34
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #5
Frequency 837.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 9.0
RAS# To CAS# 10
RAS# Precharge 9
tRAS 27
tRC 38
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #6
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 10.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #7
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 11.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #8
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 13.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
Slot #4
Type DDR3
Size 4096 MBytes
Manufacturer Kingston
Max Bandwidth PC3-14200 (889 MHz)
Part Number KHX1866C10D3/4G
Serial Number 6A35B06A
Week/year 26 / 14
Timing table
JEDEC #1
Frequency 465.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 5.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 5
tRAS 15
tRC 21
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 558.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 7
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 18
tRC 25
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #3
Frequency 651.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 7.0
RAS# To CAS# 8
RAS# Precharge 7
tRAS 21
tRC 30
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #4
Frequency 744.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 8.0
RAS# To CAS# 9
RAS# Precharge 8
tRAS 24
tRC 34
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #5
Frequency 837.2 MHz
CAS# Latency 9.0
RAS# To CAS# 10
RAS# Precharge 9
tRAS 27
tRC 38
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #6
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 10.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #7
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 11.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #8
Frequency 888.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 13.0
RAS# To CAS# 11
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 29
tRC 40
Voltage 1.500 V

 

[Tradesman1]

What mobo and CPU cooler?

 

[sdbell92794]

Gigabyte 970A-UD3P motherboard and stock cooler for AMD FX6300. No cooler upgrade as it's never had any problems staying below 60C

 

[bootcher]

As weird as it sounds, from your motherboards memory support list document:
Note: Only one DIMM per channel is supported for DDR3-1866MHz and higher speed as using an AM3+ CPU.

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4717#memory%20support%20list

So set them all at 1600 mhz or buy only 2 sticks to run at 1866.

 

[Tradesman1]

Thought it might be a cooler that was tightened down too much in a corner or side, try raing the DRAM voltage + 0.06 and set the CPU/NB voltage to 1.27

 

[sdbell92794]

As weird as it sounds, from your motherboards memory support list document:
Note: Only one DIMM per channel is supported for DDR3-1866MHz and higher speed as using an AM3+ CPU.

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4717#memory%20support%20list

So set them all at 1600 mhz or buy only 2 sticks to run at 1866.

I thought I tried doing that and it didn't do anything. I'm assuming that'll be in the BIOS under that thingy that has 9.33 as a multiplier or something of the sort? I'll try it again now and see what happens or if I'm hitting wrong buttons.

UPDATE: No luck. Turned it down to 1300-something and all it did was lower the speed in Speccy and that didn't happen until after I turned it down again.

Thought it might be a cooler that was tightened down too much in a corner or side, try raing the DRAM voltage + 0.06 and set the CPU/NB voltage to 1.27

I haven't the foggiest notion of how to do that.

 

[InvalidError]

Try memtest86 and see how much memory it is able to access without errors. If memtest can only access 8GB, then the 8GB "reserved" happens before Windows even boots.

 

[Tradesman1]

Go into BIOS - find DRAM voltage and change it - then look for CPU/NB voltage and change it

 

[sdbell92794]

Try memtest86 and see how much memory it is able to access without errors. If memtest can only access 8GB, then the 8GB "reserved" happens before Windows even boots.

Odd. It can only access 12. Looks like something's wrong with one of the new sticks and that's causing the whole 8GB to be screwy then? Idk I'll fiddle with it. Make sure it's clean and whatnot.

Go into BIOS - find DRAM voltage and change it - then look for CPU/NB voltage and change it

To what? I don't understand your shorthand.

 

[Tradesman1]

Raise the DRAM voltage up + 0.06 from current setting - manually set the CPU/NB voltage to 1.27, sorry but if not clear enough you may want to find a friend or co-worker that knows a little about systems

 

[InvalidError]

Odd. It can only access 12. Looks like something's wrong with one of the new sticks and that's causing the whole 8GB to be screwy then? Idk I'll fiddle with it. Make sure it's clean and whatnot.

If even the BIOS and memtest are having trouble enumerating all the DIMMs, you might want to test each DIMM individually with memtest86 and do the same thing with DIMM slots, one at a time.

If all four DIMMs and all four slots test fine individually, then you may have some odd interoperability issue with the DIMMs and motherboard/CPU.

Another thing you might want to try is updating your motherboard's BIOS if you are not already running the latest version and possibly reset BIOS settings to defaults, just in case.

 

[sdbell92794]

At this point I'm convinced I have a hardware issue of some sort, either with the DIMMs or the mobo. It would be my luck too. I'll mess with it after work and update this later. Thanks for y'all's help.

 

[sdbell92794]

Well. I found the problem.

When I got home from work today, I removed the two new sticks of RAM and noticed that one of them had a piece of tape on it with the word "BAD" written in big black lettering on it. Evidently I was NOT receiving new hardware as I was led to believe. I've removed both RAM sticks and I have 8GB of usable RAM.

Returning for full refund.

Thank you everyone for trying to help! Turns out the problem was much much simpler than any of us thought. XD