[SOLVED] Windows recognizes second RAM stick, but won't use it.

[Tyranny777]

Issue: I have two sticks of RAM (16GB each) in my laptop, but windows will only utilize 16GB total, not 32GB. Because of this, I get a memory management crash whenever it attempts to use over 16GB.

Base Hardware:
Razer Blade 15", 2019 with RTX 2060 and 512GB SSD,
16GB Dual-Channel (8GB x 2) DDR4-2667MHz RAM

I replaced the 16GB RAM with 32GB RAM ( Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 2666 MHz DDR4 DRAM Laptop Gaming Memory Kit 32GB (16GBx2) CL16 BLS2K16G4S26BFSD ).
Windows recognizes 32GB of RAM in task manager, but it never uses more than 16GB at a time. The Blade 15 is compatible with up to 32GB of RAM so I don't think its a motherboard issue, and since the RAM is being recognized I don't think its a faulty stick.

Anyone have an idea why windows won't use all 32GB?

 

[anotherdrew]

@Tyranny777
When you say "crash" ... are we talking about a blue screen or a warning that your system is running low on memory?

If it's a blue screen then you might have faulty hardware or software corruption.

If you're getting an error message, that is more likely a setup issue (I would guess related to the size of your virtual memory).

 

[Tyranny777]

@Tyranny777
When you say "crash" ... are we talking about a blue screen or a warning that your system is running low on memory?

If it's a blue screen then you might have faulty hardware or software corruption.

If you're getting an error message, that is more likely a setup issue (I would guess related to the size of your virtual memory).

Complete blue screen crash, crash code Memory_Management. How can I determine whether that is a hardware or a software issue?

 

[anotherdrew]

@Tyranny777

The issue of only 16GB of the 32 is being used is not the issue. Because of the way the computer accesses memory it's accessing both sticks, even if it is only using 4GB at the time. It's just that windows has never been that good at utilizing high amounts of memory (like preloading software) unless you are working with super huge files (I don't know what you are doing with the computer).

So ... if you're getting this crash when accessing a certain program or a certain type of file, then it is likely a software issue. If you're crashing during intense things (like gaming), then it could be a heat related issue. If the crashes are totally random, then you might have a bad stick of memory or a stick is not seated correctly or something else going on.

Just to be sure ... you upgraded the RAM from 16 to 32. Before the upgrade the computer was working fine? If so, I might try removing 1 of the new 16 GB sticks and seeing if the problem goes away. I would also consider running memtest86 overnight to test the RAM.

 

[Tyranny777]

@Tyranny777

The issue of only 16GB of the 32 is being used is not the issue. Because of the way the computer accesses memory it's accessing both sticks, even if it is only using 4GB at the time. It's just that windows has never been that good at utilizing high amounts of memory (like preloading software) unless you are working with super huge files (I don't know what you are doing with the computer).

So ... if you're getting this crash when accessing a certain program or a certain type of file, then it is likely a software issue. If you're crashing during intense things (like gaming), then it could be a heat related issue. If the crashes are totally random, then you might have a bad stick of memory or a stick is not seated correctly or something else going on.

Just to be sure ... you upgraded the RAM from 16 to 32. Before the upgrade the computer was working fine? If so, I might try removing 1 of the new 16 GB sticks and seeing if the problem goes away. I would also consider running memtest86 overnight to test the RAM.

I use Solidworks daily, and it eats up RAM when working on large assemblies, so I meet the 16gb limit relatively often, hence upgrading to 32gb. Heating issues would make sense, the laptop does tend to get pretty hot. I'll install a temp measuring program and see if I'm going out of limits. I didn't think the heat was an issue because of the specific error code, but I see how it could cause a crash.
I'll try some of the ideas you gave to make sure its not the software. I upgraded it the day after I bought it, but I'll try running it using the 16gb it came with and see how it runs. I'll also run memtest86 and see what that turns up.
Thanks for the help!

 

[anotherdrew]

@Tyranny777

HWinfo is normally a good choice for monitoring temps ... I think the UI is overly complex, but it tends to be more accurate than others.