Question I can only use half of my installed ram

[daaveeHun]

Hello! I have an older pc with win 10 pro x64 on it. The problem is i can only use 3.99gb of ram instead of the installed 8gb. Pc specs(AMD A6 3500, 2x4gb patriot 1333mhz ram and a GTX750)
The ram shows up in the bios, and in windows but i can only use the mentioned 3.99gb

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Make and model of your motherboard? BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time? What version(not edition) of Windows 10 are you on? Lastly, make and model of your PSU and it's age?

 

[daaveeHun]

Motherboard is a MSI A55M-P33, with bios ver 1.6(won't update further due to my old a55 being destroyed with the 2.0 update[computer froze up and restarted, didn't boot anymore]) PSU is a week old EVGA 500W 80+ standard one. Windows 10 22H2

 

[johnbl]

best guess is you have 32bit version of windows installed.
32 bit versions of windows can only access 4 GB of RAM even if you have more.
So make sure you have a 64 bit version of windows installed.
take a look at this to find out where to look for the version you have installed:
Determine whether your computer is running a 32-bit version or 64-bit version of the Windows operating system - Microsoft Support

confirm 64 bit version is installed.

i would also run msconfig.exe find the advance options and make sure the advanced boot option does not have the limit memory checkbox checked. (used for certain testing)

 

[daaveeHun]

As I mentioned on the top of this post, i have a 64bit windows 10 pro installation. I have renistalled windows yesterday, twice. The same problem occured both on windows 7 and 10. I have also tried disabling the ram limit in advanced settings, that didn't work neither on 7 or 10. I'm clueless on what might be the problem. Also I did run a memtest, which came back with good results, no errors.

 

[johnbl]

any chance you have a RAMDISK driver installed that uses the rest of the system RAM?
A 4 GB internal pagefile.sys ? (in ram rather than on disk?)

maybe boot memtest86 boot image and see if it can see your full ram.
(so that windows is not involved)

 

[daaveeHun]

First off sorry for not replying, I fell asleep because it was around 1 am when the e-mail notifyed me. Second I'll check that pagefile and will try to boot to memtest86.

 

[ubuysa]

Can you please open Task Manager, click the Performance tab, and then click on Memory in the list on the left. Post a screenshot of that display.

 

[daaveeHun]

Yes, of course. The only problem that might be with that is my hungarian windows. I'll post it in a few minutes.

 

[daaveeHun]

https://imgur.com/a/Fky56Ym

View: https://imgur.com/a/Fky56Ym


Here is the link to the screenshot

 

[Colif]

Have you tested the ram?
4gb hardware reserved. There it is...

Windows 10 is more likely to notice bad ram than BIOS is

Try running memtest86 on each of your ram sticks, one stick at a time, up to 4 passes. Only error count you want is 0, any higher could be cause of the problem. Remove/replace ram sticks with errors. Memtest is created as a bootable USB so that you don’t need windows to run it
its not the igpu as it can only use 1gb max - https://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/cpu-amd_a6_3500

 

[ubuysa]

That looks as though the BIOS has detected both sticks but Windows has not. Running Memtest86 (as above) is a good idea, but I would simply remove one RAM stick and see whether Windows will boot. I suspect that Windows will only boot on one stick and that one of them has gone bad.

 

[daaveeHun]

I have just completed the burning of the memtest iso to usb. I will come back when the testing is done

 

[daaveeHun]

Oh and also, yesterday before posting, windows booted with both ram sticks. I tried one in both slots, and the pc booted up in a matter of seconds. That is the same with thr other stick.

 

[daaveeHun]

Alright, here I go again. First ram tested ok, 0 errors, took 2 and a half hours. Will test the secind stick soon

 

[daaveeHun]

I think i found the problem! With the second ram stick the pc doesn't want to post. Neither does it work in the first or second slot. I thin it's safe to assume that the second ram stick is dead.

Thanks to everyone for helping me!

 

[daaveeHun]

But the problem still stands... I installed a mismatch(I know that i shouldnt do that) 1gb stick for a hp elite 8000. It recognized it but i can still use only 4 gb of ram. I have no clue still why that is the case

 

[daaveeHun]

And one more! After getting my 750 out of the build, now there is only 3,5gb usable(that half gb is normal because the igpu need s 512mb of ram) so it might actually not be the ram stick that is bad.

 

[Colif]

it might be the igpu after all.

This looks familiar - https://social.technet.microsoft.co...-only-shows-349gb-available?forum=w8itproperf

right click start
choose run...
type dxdiag and hit enter

I would make you save all information but this is where the Hungarian language barrier strikes again as export file is in your language... um,

click on the display tab and maybe take a screenshot and we can see if it tells us anything. upload to imgur again.

Mine tells me I doubt I ever use it all

 

[daaveeHun]

Hi! I will run the dxdiag, and will come back with the results in english. The link you included is describing exactly the same problem that i'm experiencing.

 

[Colif]

if you can do it in english, the save info button creates a text file. Just name it something logical and upload a copy to a file sharing website and show link here.

Sounds like CPU takes 4gb of ram and allocates it to the igpu. There might be a setting in the bios to use the pegi (external GPU) instead as if you have a GPU you don't need the igpu on.

go to the Advanced tab and select Integrated Graphics Configuration. Then, set the Initial Display Output to Disabled.

https://liquidsky.com/how-to-disable-your-integrated-graphics-in-msi/

 

[daaveeHun]

So first off, the bios does disable th igpu if there is a garphics card installed in the pci ecpress port. I can't get to my pc right now because i am at my grandmas, i will be back home in around a hour or so. I'll give you an update if i get back

 

[Colif]

take your time, its your question. We be here somewhere

 

[daaveeHun]

Alright, I got hom and ran dxdiag and these are the results

https://imgur.com/a/WUaEtuF

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

 

[daaveeHun]

Oh, and I almost forgot to post this aswell

https://imgur.com/a/rH0jdMo

https://imgur.com/a/ZFjdWWZ

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

View: https://imgur.com/a/rH0jdMo