Why is Windows 7 64 bit only recognizing 2 gb

dawei · Dec 25, 2011

I have 3x 1gb sticks of memory in my mobo. CPU-z correctly identifies 3072 mb of memory installed, but when I go to the Windows system info, it says I only have 2.00 gb.

I am running Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. Mobo is a Gateway TBGM01. Any idea appreciated....

(this is not the same pc that I have the specs listed for in my profile)

I am just concerned because I want to upgrade to 8 gb but I want to make sure I'm not for some reason going to be limited to 2.00.

Thanks

Jstn7477 · Dec 25, 2011

Try re-seating the RAM and blowing out the slots (dust may have gotten in there). Have you touched the CPU cooler at all (as in put a new one on or re-pasted the old one)? Sometimes installing an aftermarket cooler too tightly on an LGA 1366 processor can cause socket issues and one or more RAM slots disconnecting.

Also, if that is an X58 motherboard, you should use either 3 or 6 identical sticks (2 identical triple-channel kits or 3 identical dual channel kits) for the best performance.

Is this your board?
http://www.techpowerup.com/80615/Gateway-TBGM-01-MATX-X58-Motherboard-Pictured.html

dawei · Dec 25, 2011

Thanks Jstn. That is indeed my board. I already tried reseating the sticks, didn't help.

I went ahead and got 2 4gb sticks for a good deal on newegg. If they don't work I can return them, I am hoping i wont have issues though.

lilhasselhoffer · Dec 25, 2011

Simple questions, have you consulted the motherboard book? If you've got two slots populated correctly, and the third populated incorrectly then the motherboard might only recognize 2 of the 3 sticks. Specifically, populating all three channels on one side is an example of incorrect population...

Second question, how do you get to 8 GB of ram on an x58 motherboard? You need to populate slots evenly, so you can either have 3 or 6 RAM slots populated.

Additionally, populating the mobo with differently sized RAM sticks (3x1GB and 3x2GB or something similar) is a big no-no.

dawei · Dec 25, 2011

lilhasselhoffer said:
Simple questions, have you consulted the motherboard book? If you've got two slots populated correctly, and the third populated incorrectly then the motherboard might only recognize 2 of the 3 sticks. Specifically, populating all three channels on one side is an example of incorrect population...

I'm just using the OEM sticks that came with the PC, they are all identical and all in the original slots.

Second question, how do you get to 8 GB of ram on an x58 motherboard? You need to populate slots evenly, so you can either have 3 or 6 RAM slots populated.

Additionally, populating the mobo with differently sized RAM sticks (3x1GB and 3x2GB or something similar) is a big no-no.

I have to have 3 sticks? I can't fill 2/3? I've never heard of that before...

And I wasn't planning on mixing different sizes, just the two 4gb sticks.

BeepBeep2 · Dec 25, 2011

type
"msconfig" into your Start Menu Search Bar. Hit enter.

Select the boot tab. Look down near the middle to the left, click Advanced Options.

What does "Maximum Memory" say?

dawei · Dec 25, 2011

BeepBeep2 said:
type
"msconfig" into your Start Menu Search Bar. Hit enter.

Select the boot tab. Look down near the middle to the left, click Advanced Options.

What does "Maximum Memory" say?

It was grayed out. I checked it and 2048 appeared. It would not let me increase it, only decrease it.

Interesting. What is controlling this?

Black Panther · Dec 25, 2011

Do you have a feature called like "Memory Remapping" in your bios?

I'm saying because by default mine is disabled and I would see only 2.4GB of memory. If I set it to 'enabled' I'd see all 4GB of RAM.

dawei · Dec 25, 2011

Black Panther said:
Do you have a feature called like "Memory Remapping" in your bios?

I'm saying because by default mine is disabled and I would see only 2.4GB of memory. If I set it to 'enabled' I'd see all 4GB of RAM.

Not sure. I tried to get into bios and I couldn't. It says to hit F2 to enter, but I think the keyboard is disabled while it's booting up. I hit it and hit it but it doesn't enter bios, just loads windows.

Batou1986 · Dec 25, 2011

does it have onboard video ?

Black Panther · Dec 25, 2011

dawei said:
Not sure. I tried to get into bios and I couldn't. It says to hit F2 to enter, but I think the keyboard is disabled while it's booting up. I hit it and hit it but it doesn't enter bios, just loads windows.

Try hitting the "Del" button instead of F2..

dawei · Dec 25, 2011

Black Panther said:
Do you have a feature called like "Memory Remapping" in your bios?

I'm saying because by default mine is disabled and I would see only 2.4GB of memory. If I set it to 'enabled' I'd see all 4GB of RAM.

OK was able to get into bios with a different keyboard; didnt see the option for memory remapping, thanks anyway.

The bios says i only have 2048 too.

Black Panther · Dec 25, 2011

I don't know if this is relevant..

Cold Storm · Dec 25, 2011

How about going into (RUN)MSconfig>Boot>Advanced Options. See if there is a check mark stating the "maximum Memory".

Also try

Go to control panel>system and security>system
Click on advanced tab
In the performance section click on settings
Again click on Advanced > click on Change in the Virtual Memory section
Change the virtual memory [pagefile size]
restart your computer

newtekie1 · Dec 25, 2011

dawei said:
I have to have 3 sticks? I can't fill 2/3? I've never heard of that before...

And I wasn't planning on mixing different sizes, just the two 4gb sticks

No, you can use just 2 out of the 3 slots, the board will just use dual-channel mode(heck you can use just 1 stick and get single-channel mode). However, dual-channel mode will have a slight performance penalty(though not really noticeable in most cases), single-channel will give a very noticeable performance decrease though.

Wasn't there an issue with CPU heatsinks on the X58 boards being too tight and warping the boards causing one of the memory channels to not be properly recognized? Maybe that is happening here.

dawei · Dec 25, 2011

newtekie1 said:
No, you can use just 2 out of the 3 slots, the board will just use dual-channel mode(heck you can use just 1 stick and get single-channel mode). However, dual-channel mode will have a slight performance penalty(though not really noticeable in most cases), single-channel will give a very noticeable performance decrease though.

Wasn't there an issue with CPU heatsinks on the X58 boards being too tight and warping the boards causing one of the memory channels to not be properly recognized? Maybe that is happening here.

The board was recently replaced by a PC repairman. The hypothesis was that the original board got overheated and fried. I don't know enough to say if that was true or not, and there is no telling where he got the replacement board from.

It does seem like it's just one of the slots not being recognized. Weird though that CPU-z would see the 3 gb, but nothing else would.

Anyway good news that it can accept 2. We will see when the new sticks get here if I can put them in and get the 8 gb and just forget about whatever was causing this issue. Fingers crossed

OOZMAN · Dec 28, 2011

Keep us posted!

H82LUZ73 · Dec 28, 2011

you could try moving the ram to the three white slots if they are in the blue ones .....could be a slot bad.

LiveOrDie · Dec 28, 2011

Onboard Video? if it a old board look for memory mapping in the bios.

Static~Charge · Dec 30, 2011

Live OR Die said:
Onboard Video?

Onboard video wouldn't eat an entire gig of RAM.

Static~Charge · Dec 30, 2011

I vaguely remember seeing a BIOS setting on some machine to limit the amount of memory during an OS installation. Check the BIOS settings on your Gateway, maybe under the boot > advanced section.

Solaris17 · Dec 30, 2011

Static~Charge said:
Onboard video wouldn't eat an entire gig of RAM.

sure it can. You could adjust how much it uses in the bios. If its a prebuilt of a repair man tried to "speed up" the system for a quick buck he could have bumped it up so the machine seemed faster.

Static~Charge · Dec 30, 2011

Solaris17 said:
sure it can. You could adjust how much it uses in the bios. If its a prebuilt of a repair man tried to "speed up" the system for a quick buck he could have bumped it up so the machine seemed faster.

I've never seen an onboard video RAM setting that goes higher than 256MB. Is 1GB an option on some of the newer boards? That's insane (if you want that much video RAM, you should buy a dedicated GPU instead).

Jstn7477 · Dec 31, 2011

An X58 motherboard would never have onboard video.

robn · Dec 31, 2011

I'm with Jstn7477 and others' suggestion of re-seating RAM and CPU. I know you have already tried the RAM, but it can take a few goes to get good contact - and X58 is *really* sensitive about it.

What's worked for me before: unclipping each RAM stick and gently "chopping" it up and down in the slot to clean the surface of the brass contacts.

I had exactly the same symptoms of CPU-Z reading the sticks' built-in spec data, but the system refusing to actually use some of them. The tell-tale signs are entire sticks worth of memory missing - as opposed to odd amounts which are lost due to memory mapping / integrated video / etc. Also lowering RAM timings and upping voltage (in BIOS) should get them working, but that's not a good solution.

As for CPU, well since your board has only recently been setup by a repairman, then it could need seating better. Try the RAM a few times first though because it's easier.

Of course why not take it back to the repairman if it isn't working fully?

PS: if your keyboard is USB you need to have "USB legacy keyboard support" enabled in the BIOS for it to work.

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Why is Windows 7 64 bit only recognizing 2 gb

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