Win 7 not using all 8GB of Ram

[Anthony Conner]

Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
CPU
AMD FX-8320 22 °C
Vishera 32nm Technology
RAM
8.00 GB Single-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz (11-11-11-24)
Motherboard
MSI 760GM-P34(FX) (MS-7641) (CPU1)
Graphics
HP S2031 (1600x900@60Hz)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650

Graphics has 1GB of it's own memory, and Win7 is still reserving 4GB of my 8 for Hardware when it shouldn't be. My MB supports up to 16GB max; I tried changing the RAM around, I've tried setting it in Advanced boot settings. Nothing works Any help?

 

[Kamab]

Do you have 2 sticks of 4GB RAM? If so try inserting one at a time. Check the RAM settings in the BIOS to the default.

 

[Anthony Conner]

Do you have 2 sticks of 4GB RAM? If so try inserting one at a time. Check the RAM settings in the BIOS to the default.

I have Two; when in bios it say's there's 8GB total, both sticks are working.Memory slots
Memory
Type DDR3
Size 8192 MBytes
Channels # Single
DRAM Frequency 667.3 MHz
CAS# Latency (CL) 11 clocks
RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD) 11 clocks
RAS# Precharge (tRP) 11 clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS) 24 clocks
Bank Cycle Time (tRC) 33 clocks
Physical Memory
Memory Usage 51 %
Total JEDEC #1Physical 4.00 GB
Available Physical 1.96 GB
Total Virtual 8.00 GB
Available Virtual 5.29 GB
SPD
Number Of SPD Modules 2
Slot #1
Type DDR3
Size 4096 MBytes
Manufacturer G.Skill
Max Bandwidth PC3-10700 (667 MHz)
Part Number F3-10666CL9-4GBRL
SPD Ext. EPP
JEDEC #4
JEDEC #3
JEDEC #2
JEDEC #1
Slot #2
Type DDR3
Size 4096 MBytes
Manufacturer G.Skill
Max Bandwidth PC3-10700 (667 MHz)
Part Number F3-10666CL9-4GBRL
SPD Ext. EPP
JEDEC #4
JEDEC #3
JEDEC #2

 

[memadmax]

MSI boards are sometimes goofy.
Try resetting your BIOS, (pull the battery, use the reset jumper, etc etc)...
Then run windows and see what you get.

 

[Anthony Conner]

MSI boards are sometimes goofy.
Try resetting your BIOS, (pull the battery, use the reset jumper, etc etc)...
Then run windows and see what you get.

It didn't work, still not allowing me to set boot with no max memory.

 

[memadmax]

Is the motherboard BIOS version > 17.9?
They did a memory compatibility update at BIOS v17.9
http://us.msi.com/product/mb/760GM-P34--FX-.html#/?div=BIOS
They did several compatibility updates in fact.

 

[Anthony Conner]

Is the motherboard BIOS version > 17.9?
They did a memory compatibility update at BIOS v17.9
http://us.msi.com/product/mb/760GM-P34--FX-.html#/?div=BIOS

How do i check my current BIOS version?

 

[Anthony Conner]

Is the motherboard BIOS version > 17.9?
They did a memory compatibility update at BIOS v17.9
http://us.msi.com/product/mb/760GM-P34--FX-.html#/?div=BIOS

How do i check my current BIOS version?

 

[memadmax]

When you first start the computer you will see the number in the top left or right corner, unless you have some silly full screen picture that covers everything the bios is doing during startup.

 

[Anthony Conner]

When you first start the computer you will see the number in the top left or right corner, unless you have some silly full screen picture that covers everything the bios is doing during startup.

It reactivated that when I reset the BIOS; I tried to just download the update and it said it wasn't compatible with my version of windows

 

[memadmax]

Or do this too to find ur bios version:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/tipstricks/ht/biosversysinfo.htm

 

[memadmax]

Easiest way to update ur BIOS is to take that file you downloaded and stick it on a flash drive/usb stick and restart into the bios and I believe if you pick the menu in your BIOS that is the far right hand one, it will show a menu that is "update bios" and you pick the file on the USB flash stick and it will update itself.

 

[Anthony Conner]

Or do this too to find ur bios version:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/tipstricks/ht/biosversysinfo.htm

It's the old version, sometime in 2012.

 

[memadmax]

Or follow this on the MSI site to flash ur BIOS:
http://us.msi.com/service/biosupdate/

 

[Anthony Conner]

Easiest way to update ur BIOS is to take that file you downloaded and stick it on a flash drive/usb stick and restart into the bios and I believe if you pick the menu in your BIOS that is the far right hand one, it will show a menu that is "update bios" and you pick the file on the USB flash stick and it will update itself.

Alright I'll try that

 

[memadmax]

Take the A7641AMS.HE0 file and stick it on a USB flash drive and restart into BIOS and go to Utility and M-Flash and it should find that file and update itself.

 

[Anthony Conner]

Take the A7641AMS.HE0 file and stick it on a USB flash drive and restart into BIOS and go to Utility and M-Flash and it should find that file and update itself.

I've updated it. It still say's 4GB usable; do I need to reset and try and give it specific boot instructions again?

 

[memadmax]

Yea reset BIOS settings again.

 

[Anthony Conner]

Yea reset BIOS settings again.

What settings in BIOS should I change for my MB to give memory like I need, like, specific settings?

 

[memadmax]

It should automatically give you the full 8gb and windows should see almost all of that, there wouldn't be any settings that you can change that would change how much RAM windows would "see".
The only other thing I can think of is one of the sticks of RAM was bad, or the RAM or motherboard is incompatible/doesn't like each other. Other than the BIOS update, there is little you can do but swap your RAM sticks out for different ones and see if that helps, if it doesn't then more than likely something is wrong with the motherboard.

 

[memadmax]

Almost forgot, you have onboard GPU right? and a second GPU video card right?
Try disableing the onboard GPU and use just the video card.

 

[Anthony Conner]

It should automatically give you the full 8gb and windows should see almost all of that, there wouldn't be any settings that you can change that would change how much RAM windows would "see".
The only other thing I can think of is one of the sticks of RAM was bad, or the RAM or motherboard is incompatible/doesn't like each other. Other than the BIOS update, there is little you can do but swap your RAM sticks out for different ones and see if that helps, if it doesn't then more than likely something is wrong with the motherboard.

It's all brand new; Motherboard, Ram, Graphics, PSU. Completely new build.
It see's the ram it's just setting 4GB of it for "Hardware"

 

[Anthony Conner]

Almost forgot, you have onboard GPU right? and a second GPU video card right?
Try disableing the onboard GPU and use just the video card.

Yeah it has Onboard but it automatically deactivated it when I put in the GTX 650; Nowhere to be seen unless i select the Primary display change to Internal Vs PSI-E/Mini HDMI

 

[Anthony Conner]

Almost forgot, you have onboard GPU right? and a second GPU video card right?
Try disableing the onboard GPU and use just the video card.

Still Say's only 4GB is useable..

 

[memadmax]

Hmm, that is strange.
Unfortunately I'm out of ideas, I can't find much on the boards that describe your problem either.
You can try swapping out different ram chips and see if that helps.
Other than that, bad motherboard.
Sorry I can't help you more.