Question Memtest86 tells me I have 32GB RAM but my BIOS thinks there's only 4GB. Where do I go from here?

[Railgun_SSBM]

Hello, everyone

I'm new to this forum, and for probably the same reason as many users, they've tried everything they could think of and haven't gotten results.

CPU: Ryzen 7950x
CPU cooler: Cooler Master Master Liquid ML120L
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strict X670E-I
Ram: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 5200MHz 16GB x 2
SSD/HDD: Seagate Barracuda Compute 8TB 3.5" Hard Drive
Crucial BX500 2 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Team Group MS30 M.2 2280 1TB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - TM8PS7001T0C101
GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
PSU: Corsair RM750 - 9 months old
Chassis: Thermaltake Tower 100 - Racing Green
OS: Windows 11 Home - Ver. 10.0.22621 Build 2261
Monitor: 2x Sceptre 35 Inch Curved UltraWide 21: 9 LED Creative Monitor
XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro Drawing Pen Display


So, here's my problem.

I have a PC that I've been using for about 3 years, and I have upgraded a couple times when components fail. Recently my motherboard died, and I decided it would be more convenient to purchase a new motherboard, CPU, and RAM as an upgrade rather than buying the one I had and waiting a month to get it. So I purchased an Asus ROG Strict X670E-I, A Ryzen 7950X, and 32GB of G-Skill Trident Z5 (2 DIMM x 16GB). I received the parts and disassembled and reassembled my computer with the new parts.

After a couple hours of frustration, I came to terms with having received a DOA board from Amazon. So I reordered and tried again. Also, a DOA board. Decided Amazon is mistreating these boards. So giving up on Amazon, I ordered from B&H Photo. I recieved the new board and gave it another go. Powered it on, and to my relief, I got fan noise and lights.

Next, I got a yellow code from the motherboard. So I took the RAM out and replaced it. Nothing, I did this 3 more times still nothing. Decided I'd had enough of this and ran out to the store to see if Amazon had messed up again. So I purchased some Corsair Vengeance DDR5 - 5200MHz in the same 16GB x 2 configuration. Got home, slotted it in, and finally had boot. Installed the drivers I needed for the new motherboard. And then windows decided it was going to update from 10 to 11 not sure if I did something to prompt this, but it did.

I then decided that I would check the system information to see that everything checked out. Only to see that windows thinks I've only got 4GB of RAM. Okay, probably not a big deal. I unplug everything, open it up and reslot the RAM and open the BIOS. The BIOS thinks I've got 4 as well, despite it being the current BIOS and all default settings.

So off to Google trying to find a similar problem and various solutions. Everything I found was, "I've got 32GB, but my computer thinks I've got 16," or "I've got 8, and my computer thinks I've got 4" The closest I found was a guy saying I've got, "64 and my computer thinks I've got 4" which I thought great this is probably what I'm looking for. He said that he tried all the typical advice, so I did all the same stuff. Nothing.

The general advice at this point was to try Memtest86, so I downloaded and prepared it and set my computer to run the test. It completed after 5 hours passed easily, and it said 31.1GB of memory. I'm feeling very reassured my RAM isn't broken and my motherboard isn't broken.

But here I am now with absolutely no clue what to do next because most people we're not seeing all their RAM in memtest86, so it was a more straightforward something might be wrong with your RAM or with your motherboard. But I couldn't find a case where the everything checks in memtest86, but no other solutions have worked.

So I'm reaching out to you lovely people. And I really hope someone has a good idea of what might be up.

Side note my Operating system is on a 2.5-inch SSD, and my M2 I use for design work isn't detected either though I figured that was a drop in the bucket compared to my computer not functioning well due to low RAM and high specs.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Please list full specs of your final build.
You replaced a lot of parts. Can't understand, what are resulting parts.

Please show screenshots from

Task Manger - Performance/Memory and​

CPU-Z - memory and spd sections.​

(upload to imgur.com and post link)

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, it's customary to include your full system's specs. Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
Please include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model.

Since you're able to get into BIOS, which BIOS version are you currently on for your motherboard?

Got home, slotted it in, and finally had boot. Installed the drivers I needed for the new motherboard. And then windows decided it was going to update from 10 to 11 not sure if I did something to prompt this, but it did.
Did you reinstall the OS after the platform migration?

 

[kerberos_20]

that is quite odd number, indeed
is ram slotted in A2 and B2 slots?

 

[Railgun_SSBM]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, it's customary to include your full system's specs. Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
Please include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model.

Since you're able to get into BIOS, which BIOS version are you currently on for your motherboard?

Got home, slotted it in, and finally had boot. Installed the drivers I needed for the new motherboard. And then windows decided it was going to update from 10 to 11 not sure if I did something to prompt this, but it did.
Did you reinstall the OS after the platform migration?

CPU: Ryzen 7950x
CPU cooler: Cooler Master Master Liquid ML120L
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strict X670E-I
Ram: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 5200MHz 16GB x 2
SSD/HDD: Seagate Barracuda Compute 8TB 3.5" Hard Drive
Crucial BX500 2 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Team Group MS30 M.2 2280 1TB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - TM8PS7001T0C101
GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
PSU: Corsair RM750 - 9 months old
Chassis: Thermaltake Tower 100 - Racing Green
OS: Windows 11 Home - Ver. 10.0.22621 Build 2261
Monitor: 2x Sceptre 35 Inch Curved UltraWide 21: 9 LED Creative Monitor
XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro Drawing Pen Display

The motherboard bios is ver.0613

 

[Railgun_SSBM]

that is quite odd number, indeed
is ram slotted in A2 and B2 slots?

I have a Mini ITX board that only has two slots.

 

[Railgun_SSBM]

Please list full specs of your final build.
You replaced a lot of parts. Can't understand, what are resulting parts.

Please show screenshots from

Task Manger - Performance/Memory and​

CPU-Z - memory and spd sections.​

(upload to imgur.com and post link)

Unfortunately the computer doesn't like to cooperate much right so I can't take screenshots really. So I took a couple photos. And in checking after several more restarts the computer is seeing the 32GB but only using 2.5 of them.

https://imgur.com/a/7ZXgtpp

View: https://imgur.com/a/7ZXgtpp

 

[Lutfij]

GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
PSU: Corsair RM750 - 9 months old
You might want to view this.

 

[kerberos_20]

right, so its hardware disabled, that means mainboard doesnt read most of your ram

you can try reseating your ram modules and reset cmos aswell to do new mem training, if that doesnt help, try reseating CPU as memory controller resides on CPU which could affect ram detection if its not seating properly

 

[Railgun_SSBM]

GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
PSU: Corsair RM750 - 9 months old
You might want to view this.

I really appreciate you bringing this to my attention. What I'm seeing is that I need a heftier power supply just in case.

 

[Lutfij]

You didn't answer my other question though.

 

[Railgun_SSBM]

right, so its hardware disabled, that means mainboard doesnt read most of your ram

you can try reseating your ram modules and reset cmos aswell to do new mem training, if that doesnt help, try reseating CPU as memory controller resides on CPU which could affect ram detection if its not seating properly

Wow, I thought I was gonna be lost trying to solve this problem for longer. I guess I got lucky the computer decided to notice the RAM but because of this reply I was able to just uncheck maximum memory in system configuration to solve the issue.

I'm very grateful for your help and everyone else on this issue.

 

[kerberos_20]

I was able to just uncheck maximum memory in system configuration to solve the issue.

reusing windows from old platform, that can explain alot, but it doesnt explain why bios was detecting just 4GB

 

[Railgun_SSBM]

You didn't answer my other question though.

Apologies I've been doing responses on my phone. I read it before and must've not seen it again.

I didn't directly reinstall windows 10 after swapping out the parts. It's just shortly after getting new drivers for WiFi, Bluetooth, and the like I was told Windows 11 was being installed.

 

[Lutfij]

You now know why things are upside down. Reinstall your OS from scratch!

 

[fesg]

Hello.
There is a combination of factors with the new AM5 platform that causes these failures. I take the opportunity to tell my experience and to support this user who I understand is desperate as I was.

SOLUTION: Users tried to change the Gskill memories for another brand, Corsair for example and the problem was solved, others did not. There are lot users with similar problem ...
IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM IN SOME COMBINATION OR SERIES OF BOARD, PROCESSOR, MEMORY, ETC. THAT CAUSES THIS PROBLEM.

All new in my system:
ASUS CROSSHAIR X670e HERO
AMD Ryzen 9 7950x
Custom liquid cooling, with EKW and EK-Quantum Velocity 2 D-RGB water block special for AM5
Corsair RM1000i
GSkill Tridcent Z5 NEO EXPO 2x16 GB 6000 Mhz CL 36 (approved by ASUS and GSkill for this board)
Samsung 990PRO 1TB
MSI Suprim X RTX 3080 Ti
Win 11 PRO clean install
Etc...
After installation, BIOS is updated, Clear Bios, etc. EVERYTHING fully updated. This was 2 months ago...
VERY SUMMARY problem:
With windows running (memories in EXPO in Bios, without any OC, etc, all in "initial" state), suddenly the system "only sees" 18 GB total of the 32 installed (not half of 32, but 18 GB) . Sometimes it even only sees 4 GB, the system slows down a lot and starts throwing away the SSD like virtual memory. In the best of cases I restart manually and most of the time the PC shuts down by itself.
When you reboot and go to the BIOS, you only see those 18 GB there, and no EXPO profile appears, just "manual" and "auto", but no more than 18 GB. You have to turn off with the switch and when you restart again everything is OK, EXPO profiles etc. As if starting from scratch again.
What has been tested and contacted with ASUS and GSkill?
Clear Bios again an reinstall again last Bios -> Does not solve anything
They changed the memory modules for other equal ones, even for third equal ones with CL of 32 -> It does not solve anything
The Power Supply is changed for another one and all its wiring -> It does not solve anything
Windows is reinstalled -> It does not solve anything.
Windows is reinstalled on a SATA SSD -> Doesn't solve anything
Windows is reinstalled on a 6TB Seagate HD -> Doesn't fix anything
The microprocessor is reinstalled in its socket. All contacts (looked at with a magnifying glass) are all perfect -> It doesn't solve anything
The main MSI graphics is removed, only the graphics incorporated in the microprocessor remains and ALL THE ABOVE is tested -> It does not solve anything
The system already crashes just by booting and doing nothing else leaving it on the desktop. It can be two hours or a few seconds, what has been said happens, only 18 GB, sometimes 4GB, the system goes "crazy" (ME TOO...) and turns itself off.
At this point I felt like throwing it out the window. ASUS no longer knew what to tell me or GSkill. I found users on the internet with the same problem and the same system and some SOLUTION.

SOLUTION: Users tried to change the Gskill memories for another brand, Corsair and the problem was solved, not others.
IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM IN SOME COMBINATION OR SERIES OF BOARD, PROCESSOR, MEMORY, ETC. THAT CAUSES THIS PROBLEM.

Since I was in a position to reverse "economically" much of everything, I opted for the best. ASUS let me return the board and GSkill the memories. I directly bought myself an ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO, i9 13900K, Kingston Fury Renegade DDR5 2x16 GB 6400 CL32. A marvel working perfectly from the first moment.