memory problem maybe ?

chippy08 · 29 Dec 2009 at 13:19

Hi guys this is a question off a mate who has a Gigabyte ex58 ud5 board with six gig of memory installed can you answer the question below for him ?

it shows 6GB in CPU-Z and in system properties it shows 6GB (but only 4GB usable) as 2GB is hardware reserverd?

mmj_uk · 29 Dec 2009 at 13:26

Are you running a 32bit Windows? it can only address 4GB of memory maximum.

chippy08 · 29 Dec 2009 at 13:27

mmj_uk said:
Are you running a 32bit Windows? it can only address 4GB of memory maximum.

using 64Bit Windows 7

gillywibble · 29 Dec 2009 at 15:31

Some motherboards automatically reserve a proportion of memory for hardware functions.

domthecondom · 29 Dec 2009 at 15:35

This is my memory

It is reserving 2GB for hardware. Can this be turned off?

My other friend thinks it could be to do that I am running a Geforce 6600 at the moment

mmj_uk · 29 Dec 2009 at 18:40

How much memory is being detected during the BIOS post screen?

Does the Geforce 6600 have onboard memory or is it a Turboocache jobby?

domthecondom · 29 Dec 2009 at 19:10

in the bios it says 4GB :|

I think it has something like 128mb on board memory, but not 100% sure

mmj_uk · 29 Dec 2009 at 19:13

It sounds like one of your sticks isn't being picked up properly, seems to be fairly common with i7 memory.

What memory is it and are all the settings correct?

domthecondom · 29 Dec 2009 at 19:19

It's Patriot Viper 3 x 2GB. I set up all the default bios settings

CPU-Z picks it up as 6GB ram.

As you can see from the screenshots 2GB is hardware reserverd :| It says 6GB installed but 4GB available

mmj_uk · 29 Dec 2009 at 19:22

Try setting the memory to 1333 and see if that fixes it, it's not reserved it's just not being picked up properly.

domthecondom · 29 Dec 2009 at 19:55

I have set it 1333mhz and still 4GB, it does say 6GB (4GB usable) and only 2GB is reserved for hardware so thats what makes me think that, that is the problem!

*edit*

Just read this on the Gigabyte website "Due to standard PC architecture, a certain amount of memory is reserved for system usage and therefore the actual memory size is less than the stated amount"

and read on other forums about memory mapping and how it can be turned of in bios but I could not find anything like this in the bios

mmj_uk · 29 Dec 2009 at 20:44

I'm sure you've just got the old i7 bug where a stick of memory is not being picked up properly, when Gigabyte are talking about memory being reserved they mean a few megabytes not 2GB.

Look at this:
http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/gigabyte-ex58-ud5-sees-only-4gb-instead-6bg-29304/

Notice that his system only has 4093MB usable the same as yours and yet CPU-Z still detects 6GB.

Try lowering memory to 1066Mhz and loosening the timings etc. also maybe try removing all your memory and testing them one at a time in the different slots.

domthecondom · 29 Dec 2009 at 23:20

It just got worse :| I only have 2GB available and 4GB reserved :|

jimmy321 · 30 Dec 2009 at 00:07

After trying all the voltage settings etc i 'sort of' solved this problem be lossening off the MB mounting screws by a turn and the CPU cooler a bit (megahelms), but only 'sort of' as i can't run my ram at full speed to see 6gb. It was on an ASUS P6T.

mmj_uk · 30 Dec 2009 at 01:04

domthecondom said:
It just got worse :| I only have 2GB available and 4GB reserved :|

It got worse from changing settings or re-seating the memory?

You do have the memory populating the white slots right and not just all next to each other? (just checking)

domthecondom · 30 Dec 2009 at 09:59

yeah the white slots.....I added some gagdets to the windows 7 desktop and suddenly it had 4gb reserved lol.

I read on another forum that I could be because I am running a 6600 :| I am ordering my new GFX in January

domthecondom · 31 Dec 2009 at 16:48

is this where my Ram has gone?