Installed memory: 8.00 GB (4.00 GB usable)

[shobuddy]

I have a 64-bit windows 10 desktop with 4GB (2x2GB) of memory. I purchased (2x2GB) more memory of the same brand/model/specs (literally just hit reorder from my original memory purchase) to bring the total up to 8GB but when I installed it, windows says 8GB is installed but only 4GB is usable. Furthermore, bios only recognized the 4GB. I removed the two new ones memory sticks that I purchased and went back to 4GB and it Windows now says 4GB installed and only 2GB usable. The bios also now recognizes only 2GB. I tried different slots on the MB but same issue. What gives!!!

Update: I reseated all the sticks and I'm now up to 8GB installed and 6GB usable.

 

[Rogue Leader]

I did a clean install of Win 10 and still getting 8GB installed and 6GB usable 🙁
Gonna look into the "hardware reserved" issue a bit more.

Did you try backing your personal data and doing a complete re-install with format?

I did a format on the "C" drive but the "D" drive was not touched. When Windows install process began, it said that if a Windows install is detected, it would back it up before doing the new install. I obviously had Windows installed and did not want the backup so I chose to format the C drive before install.

Ok yeah that should have done it.

As I mentioned earlier I'd check the CPU slot for bent pins.

 

[shobuddy]

My current bios is version F11. On the Gigabyte website there are two newer beta bios (although they are from 2010 and 2011). Is it worth the risk trying to flash the beta bios? Since they are so old, wondering why these beta versions never made it to final versions.

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-EX58-UD3R-rev-10-11#support-dl

 

[Rogue Leader]

My current bios is version F11. On the Gigabyte website there are two newer beta bios (although they are from 2010 and 2011). Is it worth the risk trying to flash the beta bios? Since they are so old, wondering why these beta versions never made it to final versions.

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-EX58-UD3R-rev-10-11#support-dl

Absolutely worth a shot.

 

[shobuddy]

Flashed to the latest beta BIOS but it didn't help. Flashed back to the latest stable release of the BIOS. Will keep investigating. The CPU pin is my last resort. Even thought I built the PC, removing the CPU makes me nervous and I would have to refresh my memory on how to take the CPU out.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Flashed to the latest beta BIOS but it didn't help. Flashed back to the latest stable release of the BIOS. Will keep investigating. The CPU pin is my last resort. Even thought I built the PC, removing the CPU makes me nervous and I would have to refresh my memory on how to take the CPU out.

Considering everything you did its the last thing that makes logical sense. But you never know.

 

[shobuddy]

Flashed to the latest beta BIOS but it didn't help. Flashed back to the latest stable release of the BIOS. Will keep investigating. The CPU pin is my last resort. Even thought I built the PC, removing the CPU makes me nervous and I would have to refresh my memory on how to take the CPU out.

Considering everything you did its the last thing that makes logical sense. But you never know.

What would cause the bent pins? Does it happen if too much pressure is applied when installing the DIMMS?

 

[Rogue Leader]

Flashed to the latest beta BIOS but it didn't help. Flashed back to the latest stable release of the BIOS. Will keep investigating. The CPU pin is my last resort. Even thought I built the PC, removing the CPU makes me nervous and I would have to refresh my memory on how to take the CPU out.

Considering everything you did its the last thing that makes logical sense. But you never know.

What would cause the bent pins? Does it happen if too much pressure is applied when installing the DIMMS?

No, they likely have been bent the whole time, and the problem hasn't shown itself until now that youve tried to upgrade the ram. Happened when you first put the CPU in.

 

[shobuddy]

I checked the CPU and MB pins and they look good to me. I've uploaded some pics to dropbox at the link below because I wanted to include the original high-res pics. Please let me know if you see any issues because I know even a slight bend in the pin can cause the issue.
Also, I didn't have any thermal grease so I put back the CPU as it was. There was a little bit of the original paste on there. Hope this doesn't cause an issue!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n83z2b916x7aj70/AAC0qNCCAgGZDZmLJW40fcQFa?dl=0

 

[shobuddy]

I ran "Speccy" diagnostic on the memory in below is a screenshot. You can see from the numbers which are the pairs. Anything in the number discrepancy between the pairs that would cause an issue. Even so, its odd that three of the modules would be usable. I would expect both the two new ones not to be usable, not just one?

http://i66.tinypic.com/35nbz1e.jpg

 

[shobuddy]

When I use one DIMM in DDR3_1 or DDR3_3, the computer won't even boot up.
When I use one DIMM in DDR3_2 or DDR3_4, the computer boots up.

 

[Rogue Leader]

couple things. First don't run your system without new thermal paste. Just stop now, go get some, or youre just going to make things worse.

Second speccy isn't a memory test. You need to download Memtest86 and run that.

Third your pins look fine, so thats not the issue

But the last thing- to me, sure sounds like you have a bad slot or bad channel on the motherboard. I mentioned this as a possibility a while ago.

 

[shobuddy]

couple things. First don't run your system without new thermal paste. Just stop now, go get some, or youre just going to make things worse.

Second speccy isn't a memory test. You need to download Memtest86 and run that.

Third your pins look fine, so thats not the issue

But the last thing- to me, sure sounds like you have a bad slot or bad channel on the motherboard. I mentioned this as a possibility a while ago.

I ran memtest and posted the results in a post above. It ran for 23 hours, no errors. I agree, probably a bad slot.

 

[Rogue Leader]

couple things. First don't run your system without new thermal paste. Just stop now, go get some, or youre just going to make things worse.

Second speccy isn't a memory test. You need to download Memtest86 and run that.

Third your pins look fine, so thats not the issue

But the last thing- to me, sure sounds like you have a bad slot or bad channel on the motherboard. I mentioned this as a possibility a while ago.

I ran memtest and posted the results in a post above. It ran for 23 hours, no errors. I agree, probably a bad slot.

Sorry, we got so far along from that I forgot you did it already. At this point exhausting all options, its gotta be the board.