16 GB Installed physical memory - 2.88GB Total physical memory

[Frick]

That's weird. Was it refurbished?

No, I think they are doing things differently in different markets. Here you could choose which OS to use, it has licenses for both 7 and 8, or however it works. One is the primary OS, the other is called secondary. I have no idea if there are install media for both versions or not.

 

[btarunr]

Even if it's 64-bit, some mobile CPUs cap out at either 8 GB total, or 4 GB per module.

 

[Kursah]

My Dell 3540 shipped with Windows 8, and came with a 7 disc. The windows 8 key is in the UEFI BIOS. I upgraded to 8.1. So that isn't too far fetched to have happened. But I will state that when I look at my 3540's info on Dell's site, it states Windows 8 x64. I still have my doubts about that OS being x64 or not.

 

[Frick]

Even if it's 64-bit, some mobile CPUs cap out at either 8 GB total, or 4 GB per module.

Not this one.

Been a crappy weekend, we'll see if we can sort it out the next few days.

 

[Frick]

MSCONFIG under windows 8.1 lets me adjust the maximum RAM, maybe check that?

It was this. I can't imagine why it was set to 4GB, it's definitely nothing he has touched at any point.

 

[Aquinus]

It was this. I can't imagine why it was set to 4GB, it's definitely nothing he has touched at any point.

Which would also mimic the effects of a 32-bit OS as you still run out of usable physical memory as you still have to map stuff like VRAM and other memory mapped I/O devices into memory address space. Just saying. Glad you figured it out.

 

[Mussels]

It was this. I can't imagine why it was set to 4GB, it's definitely nothing he has touched at any point.

hah, yay for random thoughts!

fwiw i came up with that idea at 4am that night, high on painkillers. its a miracle i could even type.

 

[Samwise]

My Google Fu pointed me over here because I recently acquired a 6470b ProBook and came across a very similar issue. Mine was more related to SODIMM set matching. From whichever end of the HP horse you consider appropriate, allow me to present the service manual: http://h20628.www2.hp.com/km-ext/kmcsdirect/emr_na-c03564727-1.pdf for both models in question (mine being the second)...

Bookmark the fact I'm running Win 10 x64 Technical Preview (and don't jump to conclusions just yet).

...complete with part numbers, pictures and everything. Having checked all the same things y'all did already, I was trying to figure if this particular genus and species of HP laptop was finicky when it comes to RAM. Seems so. What the service manual doesn't tell you: the 12800 DDR3 x 2 x 8 gigs has to be an exact match to achieve 16 gigs total. BIOS tells all. If they are not, dark OEM magic happens creating weird math. In my case, the two Corsair 10600 DDR3 8 gig SODIMMS produced 6 gigs total (4 x 2) with a 5.17 gigs usable in Windows. My knee-jerk reaction was to swap them and see if the problem followed. It didn't. But I didn't get what I wanted either... BIOS showing 4 gigs installed with 3.88 gigs usable in Windows. At that point I started swearing at the RAM. I rolled the HP down to 4 x 4 10600, installing two Samsung sticks- no issues. BIOS agrees, Windows agrees, 7.87 gigs usable. I tested the 16 gig set in a Dell Mobile workstation running Win7 x64 and it was flawless.

At this point I start swearing at the OS and giving the DIMM slots a sideways leer. For giggles, I ran the HP OEM OS recovery disk on the laptop in reinstalled the original Win7 x64 baseline. Same same with the OEM dark magic + RAM after multiple swaps...

I downloaded previously-noted service manual, read it and rummaged around for 8 x 2 of DDR3 12800. Finding what I needed and installing it I could very faintly hear a flourish of miniature HP trumpets sounding a successful configuration match. NOW my Probook runs several different x64 OS platforms at 16 gigs available 15.34 usable (<-- don't question it, it's working). For x86 platforms the limitation is the OS. The BIOS shows 16384 across the board.

 

[Pehla]

dude... i have no idea what did you just sad!!!i get the problem...,but im missing the solution..,i think we alll want to know for the future sake..,how did you manage it to work as it should with 16gb
thnx..

 

[Aquinus]

BIOS showing 4 gigs installed with 3.88 gigs usable in Windows.

NOW my Probook runs several different x64 OS platforms at 16 gigs available 15.34 usable

That loss of usable memory is being dedicated to the Intel HD 5000 graphics as it uses system memory as video memory. When you look at the device in Windows, you should see that missing amount of memory show up at "System video memory" in this window.

 

[Samwise]

Maybe I can redeem some of my half drunken ramblings from the other night by summarizing with a few clear sentences. First thanks Aquinus for clarifying the memory dedicated to shared resources (Intel HD 4000 GPU). I knew this going in; I was surprised it was so little of an allocation from 16 gigs available knowing the Intel will use as much as a gig.

My original point was it's just as important to pay attention to the speed of your RAM sticks as it is the total quantity of RAM. Use the BIOS as an indicator. On the ProBook, even with both slots occupied with 8-gig sticks the system will come up with some weird numbers if it doesn't like the speed of the RAM.

An update to my story: I was going to use the ProBook for a (portable) virtual lab, but the absence of dedicated graphics and native resolution pushed me to using an 8460P EliteBook with a 2nd gen i7 chipset and dedicated AMD graphics...

 

[kn00tcn]

it might not be the speed, it could be that the 'quality' corsair ones used both sides of the pcb or similar tricks (forgot what the term was)

 

[Mussels]

it might not be the speed, it could be that the 'quality' corsair ones used both sides of the pcb or similar tricks (forgot what the term was)

single and double bank IIRC, but usually just called single or double sided.

some chipsets have limits to the amount of banks they can use, so you can get weird results.

 

[TheMailMan78]

hah, yay for random thoughts!

fwiw i came up with that idea at 4am that night, high on painkillers. its a miracle i could even type.

Back when I was addicted to pain killers I was far more creative.......and thinner. Doesn't surprise me in the least you had a correct random thought high. Sober you would have had him run memtest.