Windows 7 64bit shows 3.73GB usable memory with 8GB installed

[Kirtaner]

I have two sticks of 4gb PNY RAM (8gb total) installed in an Asrock A75M FM1 motherboard with an A8-3850 APU, which supports 16GB of RAM. I've already updated my BIOS, thinking that may be it, but it didn't work.


Windows 7 as well as my BIOS show that 8GB of RAM is installed, but only 3.73 is usable. Another 4375MB shows up in Windows as "Hardware Reserved".


I've looked on the AsRock FAQ which says that on other boards there is a "BIOS / Advanced / Chipset Configuration / Memory Remap Feature", but this isn't in my BIOS (A75M P1.70).


How can I get the other 4GB of RAM to be usable?

 

[nikorr]

Hi there, do u have Windows x64bit version?

U need that to address more than 3.25GB RAM.

 

[nikorr]

Check your msconfig, make sure that max RAM size is enabled.

 

[amdfangirl]

Hi there, do u have Windows x64bit version?

U need that to address more than 3.25GB RAM.

He said so in the thread title...

 

[nikorr]

He said so in the thread title...

Thanx : )

 

[Kirtaner]

Check your msconfig, make sure that max RAM size is enabled.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg697/scaled.php?server=697&filename=image2bq.png&res=medium

I tried it both with the max ram size disabled (default) and enabled (8192MB). Neither setting worked.

 

[amdfangirl]

I might be a motherboard problem, update to your latest BIOS/EFI.

Also, I would recommend downloading a 64bit Linux live CD to determine whether it is an OS problem or a hardware problem.

http://spins.fedoraproject.org/lxde/#downloads

There is a task manager application in the "start" -like menu (big blue f)

You should see all your RAM there. If not it is a hardware issue most likely.

 

[nikorr]

I would also try this...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978610

 

[JamesGTRS]

You probably have your RAM installed incorrectly. I have the same board, and had the same problem. You probably have 1 4GB stick in a "blue' slot, and 1 4GB stick in a "white" slot. They both have to be in blue, or both have to be in white. Once I did that, I had all my RAM available.

 

[Kirtaner]

You probably have your RAM installed incorrectly. I have the same board, and had the same problem. You probably have 1 4GB stick in a "blue' slot, and 1 4GB stick in a "white" slot. They both have to be in blue, or both have to be in white. Once I did that, I had all my RAM available.

My board only has two RAM slots. I was able to get it fixed by switching the RAM around a couple of times (first time didn't work, second time did), so maybe they just weren't seated properly the first 2 times.

Thanks everyone for the responses.