RAM slots acting strange

spaull3

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Oct 5, 2015
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Hello, my instruction manual for my motherboard (990fxa-gd80) showed that I should have my RAM in slots 1 and 3, or 2 and 4 (color coded clips)

Well when I do that, my system info shows 8GB installed, but only 4 available. The other 4 is "reserved"

I eventually switched the RAM sticks to slots 1 and 2, which I thought would result in just 4GB of RAM being read.

But now it seems my computer has all 8 GB for use, with only 56MB reserved. Is this bad to have both RAM sticks directly next to each other? or is it normal?
 

Tradesman1

Legenda in Aeternum
What CPU cooler? if too tight in a corner or side, then pins may not be getting full contact which often affects the MC (memory controller) and while it can 'see' the DRAM, it can use it. Might also be from bent broken pins. Another possible is just a bad channel on the mobo
 

spaull3

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Oct 5, 2015
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The cooler is off to the side so nothing is pressing on the sticks, and I switched the slots and checked the BIOS which showed RAM in each slot correctly. For some reason though CPUZ still shows my RAM in single channel mode and theres no way for me to manually change it.

Do you think I will lose performance having both sticks directly next to each other (as in different colored slots?) When i did that my computer was able to "use" all 8GB of RAM and only have 56MB reserved, but I feel like using them both single channel would take up more power and reduce performance?

If its worth anything I am also running with a 970 graphics card, maybe my system is reserving RAM for that? It shouldnt be, but i dont know any other reason
 

spaull3

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Oct 5, 2015
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No it doesnt seem tightly attached, its a corsair liquid cooler so its basically on top of the CPU and doesnt seem to be too tight or uneven.

I did find some info online saying how if the RAM is native 1600 then I have to drop it down to 1333 in order to use Dual channel, otherwise the motherboard can only use single channel.

Should I go into the BIOS and change the RAM to 1333 (or how would you even go about doing that) in order to get dual channel, or would it be better to have both sticks on separate channels but both running at 1600?
 

spaull3

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Oct 5, 2015
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oh no you have been a great help!

I tried changing the frequency to 1333 but that didn't work so gonna call MSi tomorrow and find out whats up
 

spaull3

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Oct 5, 2015
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As in... take it off and put it back on?

The only reason I think its not the cooler messing stuff up is because if i leave my first RAM stick in slot 1, and move the other to slot 2 (directly next to it, different color) my computer recognizes both sticks but separate channels. If i move the stick in slot 2 to slot 3 (which is farther away from the cooler) it results in the weird "reserved 4gb"

I thought it had to do with 1600 vs 1333 because AMD cpu's sometimes are only set to 1333, but that didn't fix it either.