8gb shows as 6, 3.5 usable. 64bitOS wtf??

[Chevalr1c]

Originally Posted by Hood

Because it's AMD. Intel systems let you designate RAM for iGPU but it's still available to the CPU as well. AMD, not so much. That's why Intel parts cost more and perform better, their architecture is much more efficient and evolved. AMD is all about the graphics, and if all you do is play games, that's fine. But if you want fast number crunching, Intel is far and away the better choice. If AMD doesn't get busy, the gap will widen after Haswell debuts next year. I like the new A10-5800K, it's a step in the right direction, but still falls way short on the computing side.

Lolwhat? Someone's RAM is not properly detected and adressed by the person's mobo/OS and you spit out this? Try to help or STFU & GTFO.

Originally Posted by Lionheart

This has happened to me before but my problem was related to the RAM's voltage settings, when I'm messing around with the settings I forget to set my RAM voltage to 1.5v when the bios defaults it to 1.65v and when I boot up in windows it doesn't show all my RAM, so I restart, change the voltage settings, boot up and it's back to normal Not sure if this will help your issue but its worth a shot

Indeed, best check the voltage settings and if "memory remapping" is available in the BIOS. Also, never put anything that is RAM related on "auto" but manually enter the settings (or at least those things listed in the specs like voltage, clock freq. and the first 4 latency values).

[qubit]

Originally Posted by Chevalr1c

Indeed, best check the voltage settings and if "memory remapping" is available in the BIOS. Also, never put anything that is RAM related on "auto" but manually enter the settings (or at least those things listed in the specs like voltage, clock freq. and the first 4 latency values).

Indeed. I do normally leave it on auto, but I discovered to my cost what happens if you do, with an old Abit AN8 Ultra mobo when I tried upgrading the 2GB RAM in it to 4GB a while back. It just never ran completely stable until I set the RAM settings to manual and even then it was debatable, lol. Proper hair puller this one.

[eidairaman1]

Originally Posted by qubit

Indeed. I do normally leave it on auto, but I discovered to my cost what happens if you do, with an old Abit AN8 Ultra mobo when I tried upgrading the 2GB RAM in it to 4GB. It just never ran completely stable until I set the RAM settings to manual and even then it was debatable, lol. Proper hair puller this one.

ever since Intel came out with XMP things have been like throwing a wrench in the gears. SPD was enough.

But Ya ever since I learned about overclocking ive set my stuff to manual, even my brothers machine

[Chevalr1c]

Some modules do not have a decent SPD (e.g. DDR2 Crucial Ballistix).

[OneMoar]

noobs again.......
check the vram size in the bios

[eidairaman1]

Originally Posted by Chevalr1c

Some modules do not have a decent SPD (e.g. DDR2 Crucial Ballistix).

wouldnt most DDR 2 modules drop to 667/800 with SPD where as DDR 3 would drop to 1333? Aka JEDEC?

[OneMoar]

Originally Posted by eidairaman1

wouldnt most DDR 2 modules drop to 667/800 with SPD where as DDR 3 would drop to 1333? Aka JEDEC?

most boards will kick ddr2 all the way down to 533 if it detects something is wrong
and by wrong I mean with some board/dimm combos the spd can get misread

[eidairaman1]

Ya SPD was to simplufy configuration just like IRQs in windows since 98SE. XMP too. I say automatic works about 95% of time...

Originally Posted by OneMoar

most boards will kick ddr2 all the way down to 533 if it detects something is wrong
and by wrong I mean with some board/dimm combos the spd can get misread

[Derek12]

Originally Posted by Cruise51

Well... I tried looking through the bios for the memory thingy but couldn't see anything like it. Eventually I tried the following:

Removed 1 4gb Patriot stick and replaced with a mushkin 2gb stick.
Windows saw 4gb and used 1.5gb.

Then I removed the second Patriot 4gb stick.
Windows saw 2gb and used 1.5gb.

Then I swapped out all ram for a 2x4gb mushkin kit.
Windows saw 8gb (yay!) and used 7.5gb.

So I'm guessing this means one of the Patriot sticks is bad??? Should I test them in another system or just throw em in the trash?

Yes the second one is bad (or dirty, even new, did you clean the contacts?) do you use a onboard video card? if so configure RAM assignment to GPU in BIOS to a lower value (I think you have now 512 MB) if the -512MB bother you.

[cdawall]

It honestly sounds like windows is kicking memory to the GPU I am pretty sure my mother-in-laws AMD kicks out the same thing in windows with the iGPU and ram...

Normal non-iGPU AMD rigs do not kick that out...

[Derek12]

Originally Posted by cdawall

It honestly sounds like windows is kicking memory to the GPU I am pretty sure my mother-in-laws AMD kicks out the same thing in windows with the iGPU and ram...

Normal non-iGPU AMD rigs do not kick that out...

http://img.techpowerup.org/121012/Capture018.jpg

Yeah here you will know

[Chevalr1c]

If it is IGP related than the BIOS should have a way to set the amount of VRAM lower.

[cdawall]

Originally Posted by Derek12

Yeah here you will know

Yup that is one of them fancy memory sharing cards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TurboCache