[SOLVED] Single stick of 16GB RAM showing up as 2 x 8GB sticks on Asus laptop ?

[stephenboston]

I have a battered ASUS Zenbook N501VW with good RAM 16GB and 500GB SSD NVME that I'm thinking of plugging into a barebones mini.

The RAM module is a single chip but dmidecode shows memory as two 8GB units ?

I don't understand. Can someone please explain what's going on and what consequences I'm looking at for reusing this chip?

 

[Colif]

can you share the codes on the stick so we can check?
its possible its dual rank and mb seeing it as 2 different sticks

screenshots might help too though I don't know linux that well.

 

[stephenboston]

https://imgur.com/a/MjHXAb7

View: https://imgur.com/a/MjHXAb7


There are no markings on the stick itself but here's a shot of a tag pasted above the slot.

Here's the dmidecode output for memory. Perhaps you can make sense of it.

:> dmidecode -t memory
# dmidecode 3.3
Getting SMBIOS data from sysfs.
SMBIOS 3.0.0 present.

Handle 0x0017, DMI type 16, 23 bytes
Physical Memory Array
Location: System Board Or Motherboard
Use: System Memory
Error Correction Type: None
Maximum Capacity: 64 GB
Error Information Handle: Not Provided
Number Of Devices: 4

Handle 0x0018, DMI type 17, 40 bytes
Memory Device
Array Handle: 0x0017
Error Information Handle: Not Provided
Total Width: 64 bits
Data Width: 64 bits
Size: 8 GB
Form Factor: SODIMM
Set: None
Locator: ChannelA-DIMM0
Bank Locator: BANK 0
Type: DDR4
Type Detail: Synchronous
Speed: 2133 MT/s
Manufacturer: Samsung
Serial Number: 00000000
Asset Tag: 9876543210
Part Number: M471A1K43BB0-CPB
Rank: 1
Configured Memory Speed: 2133 MT/s
Minimum Voltage: Unknown
Maximum Voltage: Unknown
Configured Voltage: 1.2 V

Handle 0x0019, DMI type 17, 40 bytes
Memory Device
Array Handle: 0x0017
Error Information Handle: Not Provided
Total Width: Unknown
Data Width: Unknown
Size: No Module Installed
Form Factor: Unknown
Set: None
Locator: ChannelA-DIMM1
Bank Locator: BANK 1
Type: Unknown
Type Detail: None
Speed: Unknown
Manufacturer: Not Specified
Serial Number: Not Specified
Asset Tag: Not Specified
Part Number: Not Specified
Rank: Unknown
Configured Memory Speed: Unknown
Minimum Voltage: Unknown
Maximum Voltage: Unknown
Configured Voltage: Unknown

Handle 0x001A, DMI type 17, 40 bytes
Memory Device
Array Handle: 0x0017
Error Information Handle: Not Provided
Total Width: 64 bits
Data Width: 64 bits
Size: 8 GB
Form Factor: SODIMM
Set: None
Locator: ChannelB-DIMM0
Bank Locator: BANK 2
Type: DDR4
Type Detail: Synchronous
Speed: 2133 MT/s
Manufacturer: SK Hynix
Serial Number: 39154764
Asset Tag: 9876543210
Part Number: HMA41GS6AFR8N-TF
Rank: 2
Configured Memory Speed: 2133 MT/s
Minimum Voltage: Unknown
Maximum Voltage: Unknown
Configured Voltage: 1.2 V

Handle 0x001B, DMI type 17, 40 bytes
Memory Device
Array Handle: 0x0017
Error Information Handle: Not Provided
Total Width: Unknown
Data Width: Unknown
Size: No Module Installed
Form Factor: Unknown
Set: None
Locator: ChannelB-DIMM1
Bank Locator: BANK 3
Type: Unknown
Type Detail: None
Speed: Unknown
Manufacturer: Not Specified
Serial Number: Not Specified
Asset Tag: Not Specified
Part Number: Not Specified
Rank: Unknown
Configured Memory Speed: Unknown
Minimum Voltage: Unknown
Maximum Voltage: Unknown
Configured Voltage: Unknown

 

[Colif]

So the QR Code on ram just repeats the QCC code again. I can't track that back to anything.

both "sticks" have the same made up asset tag

Asset Tag: 9876543210

1 stick - https://www.amazon.com.au/Samsung-M471A1K43BB0-CPB-PC4-17000-DDR4-2133MHz-Unbuffered/dp/B07KGG3W35 - 8gb
the other one - https://www.ramcity.com.au/products/ddr4-2133-sodimm-hma41gs6afr8n-tf
both are 8gb sticks.

photo of chip would be interesting too.

it seems strange they in different channels too, the Samsung is channel A & SK Hynix is channel b
I know its normal for different ram in laptops but thats cause one is normally soldered onto mb.

 

[stephenboston]

So the QR Code on ram just repeats the QCC code again. I can't track that back to anything.

both "sticks" have the same made up asset tag

1 stick - https://www.amazon.com.au/Samsung-M471A1K43BB0-CPB-PC4-17000-DDR4-2133MHz-Unbuffered/dp/B07KGG3W35 - 8gb
the other one - https://www.ramcity.com.au/products/ddr4-2133-sodimm-hma41gs6afr8n-tf
both are 8gb sticks.

photo of chip would be interesting too.

it seems strange they in different channels too, the Samsung is channel A & SK Hynix is channel b
I know its normal for different ram in laptops but thats cause one is normally soldered onto mb.

Yes indeed. You nailed it there.

I pulled the chip and restarted the laptop. It came up fine -- with 8GB.

I don't see another stick there, or a slot so it must be soldered in deep in the MB???

 

[Colif]

it is indeed soldered on - https://www.memorystock.com/memory/ASUSZenbookN501VW.html

so you can only take one stick out