4GB RAM Installed, 2GB Usable

AIZ-Mayune

Honorable
Nov 10, 2013
8
0
10,510
I've had this problem for quite some time, and the fact it's bugging me already because it felt like I'm running a 1GB RAM Windows 7 all over again made me want to solve this problem already.

A few months ago, my graphics card was removed because I thought it was dead. (Only got it fixed by the old-school style of eraser) A few days later, I noticed that my computer is starting to get slower, so I checked my PC info and realized that only half of the memory was usable and the remaining was on Hardware Reserved. So I searched online for solutions and none of them worked.

I tried several things to get my Memory checked, here are the results:
BIOS: 2 GB
- Frequency read "667MHz (half of that is one RAM stick), Single-Channel"
Windows: 4GB (2GB usable)
- Tried looking at Windows 8 64-bit, 32-bit and Windows 7 32-bit. Same result.
Linux: 2GB
Speccy: 2GB
CPU-Z: 2GB

Specs:

OS: Windows 8 Professional 64-bit
Motherboard: ECS A740GM-M v7.0
CPU: AMD Athlon II X3 440
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4600 Series (4650 specifically)

Solutions I tried:
- msconfig, unchecked the Maximum Memory.
- Lowering the Memory Voltage to 1.8V (returned back to 1.85V afterwards)
- Exchanging the RAM sticks' slots.*
- Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, no errors reported (If I remember correctly, only 1 RAM stick was detected)

* - As far as my memory can tell, the result was the same; 2GB usable.

As I installed and checked my specs on Speccy and CPU-Z, only Slot 1 was read while Slot 2 was not detected at all.

My RAM was bought in pairs, same thing, so it could not be mismatch problem. I also tried removing Slot 1 (Unintentionally. Because I couldn't figure out which one was Slot 1 or Slot 2 that time. And I was blind enough to miss that they were identified in the motherboard in white letters) and CPU-Z was able to read Slot 2, so faulty memory is kind of out of the picture.

If there's anything I need to tell about my specs, please go ahead.

Any help is appreciated, thank you. :)
 
Solution


No need to be afraid; I have done it many times on my pc's and what I have heard from other flashing the bios (updating it) is hazel-free.

AIZ-Mayune

Honorable
Nov 10, 2013
8
0
10,510
Used to be 3.7 GB usable on Windows 7 and 8 32-bit, but showed up 2GB usable on all OS I installed.

My setup is 1x1 2GB RAM sticks.

A bit of update, I also did reset CMOS, to no avail.
 

AndyC53

Honorable
Oct 31, 2013
463
0
10,960


If I were you i would just get a new RAM module and test it out. I am almost sure that it must be a faulty module thats in your PC.
 

AIZ-Mayune

Honorable
Nov 10, 2013
8
0
10,510
Time for some revelation.

Anyway, I didn't go to a PC store to buy a RAM stick. Because I am stubborn that way that I have no faulty RAM stick, which can be a good sign sometimes.

I fiddled with my CPU a few minutes ago, removing both sticks and put the stick that was installed on the second slot - the result was okay, it was working fine.

Then I experimented for a while putting a RAM stick to the second slot ONLY, the result is, nothing happened. As in it didn't start at all.

The conclusion for this is that a faulty DIMM slot.
 

Valentin_N

Honorable
Mar 24, 2013
425
0
10,810


Have you updated the BIOS of the motherboard?

You could try to use your ram on a friend's pc to assure that both are working
 

AIZ-Mayune

Honorable
Nov 10, 2013
8
0
10,510
No, I haven't updated the BIOS since I kind of scared updating it myself.

I tried using both RAM sticks in the Slot 1 of the DIMM slot and are working in perfect condition.
 

Valentin_N

Honorable
Mar 24, 2013
425
0
10,810


No need to be afraid; I have done it many times on my pc's and what I have heard from other flashing the bios (updating it) is hazel-free.
 
Solution