Hardware Reserved and BIOS not recognizing all memory

Saltee · Feb 18, 2017

Solved: Missing CPU pin, replaced with cat5 wire and that fixed the Hardware Reserved issue

Update 2.20.17: I tried increasing DRAM Voltage in BIOS without fixing the issue. I think the underlying issue is that the memory is not being recognized as Dual Channel. Any theories are welcome!

I've been trying to solve this issue for a few weeks with no luck so now I'm turning to you all for help.

Resource Monitor shows that 8gb of my 16gb of installed memory is "Hardware Reserved" and my BIOS only shows 8GB of memory. Also, in CPU-Z it shows my memory is in Single Channel which should be Dual channel. Something worth mentioning is that if I only install 8gb of RAM the Hardware Reserved drops to 44mb.

PC Specs:
CPU: AMD FD8120FRGUBOX FX-8120 Processor (FD8120FRGUBOX)
Mobo: ASUS Sabertooth 990FX AMD AM3+ (SABERTOOTH990FX)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 16GB (4x4GB) (CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9)
PS: Corsair CMPSU-650TXV2 Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 Power Supply - 650 Watts (CP-9020038-NA)
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 04G-P4-3969-KR 4GB FTW GAMING w/ACX 2.0+
SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD

What I've tried so far:

1) Updated BIOS to current version 1604
2) Reseated and swapped memory modules around to different slots
3) Checked CPU for bent pins
4) Loosened watercooled CPU heatsink
5) Loaded optimized BIOS defaults
6) Installed a different mobo (ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0)
7) Installed brand new RAM
8) Tried 2 RAM modules with no issue

Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

Below are some screenshots of my setup

The_Staplergun · Feb 20, 2017

Use memtest86 to test each stick of ram in the primary slot for a quick pass to see if any big errors come up. Then take one of them and throw it through a single pass on each slot. Then do a pair and see what it says.

I had an issue where I couldn't do anything with my two B side slots because there was a bent pin on my cpu socket.
Probably not your issue, but test the ram.

Someone else might have another idea but that's how I test my ram to make sure the sticks aren't fault and the board isn't faulty.

Saltee · Feb 21, 2017

Ran Memtest and found no errors BUT memtest only showed half my RAM so I don't think it tested all of it.

However, I decided to give my CPU a closer look to see if any thermal paste was on a pin and found a pin is missing! Looking at the pin layout, it's labeled as VID[0] - "Voltage ID to regulator."

I'm guessing that's the issue. Looking for a place to repair it and will check back with an update.

The_Staplergun · Feb 21, 2017

Is it in the socket itself? Take a picture.

Probably is the problem. Mine looked like this:

Saltee · Feb 21, 2017

I couldn't see the pin in the socket, but I'll check again later after work and report back.

Saltee · Feb 21, 2017

It was the missing pin. I stripped a cat5 cable and put one of the wires into the socket and voilà it worked.

The_Staplergun · Feb 21, 2017

Wow. You must be some kind of crafty electrician. That's insane that that even worked for you.

Saltee · Feb 22, 2017

The_Staplergun :

Not even close! Just found a few guides online and it was a lot easier than you might expect. We'll see how long it lasts... Thanks for your help, The_Staplergun

The_Staplergun · Feb 22, 2017

Fair enough. That's good to know and I can definitely keep note for the future!

I'm glad you were able to fix it though. That's great.

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