It says 16GB on Windows, but using 8GB and on the BIOS it says 8GB but all the 4 DIMM Slots are used up by 4GB Sticks.

stephenkerr117

Prominent
Sep 10, 2017
4
0
510
Hey everyone! I have ran into an issue with my RAM, yesterday I installed an extra 8GB of DDR4 3000 Mhz RAM, it is Corsair Vengeance.

So, I was looking through the BIOS and wondered what the problem may be, it showed me 8GB's but under that is showed what DIMM slots that were being used up and through DIMM 1 to 4 It said 4GB's on each Slot, so I skimmed through my BIOS setting trying to figure out what may be the problem, perhaps a setting that I never noticed that I could easily just uncheck, but to no avail, I found nothing, so I went onto Windows and looked on task manager at the top it says 16GB, but underneath that it says 8GB and that is what my system is currently using, I looked all around the Internet for help but nothing has worked, maybe I never looked hard enough but if someone can help it would be greatly appreciated!

I will post my specs down below.

Motherboard: MSI A320M Bazooka AM4 Socket.
CPU: Ryzen 5 1600 Six Core, 12 Threads 3.2ghz
GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 3GB
RAM: 16GB DDR4 3000mhz Corsair Vengeance
PSU: 430W EVGA 80+ Certified
Case: Coolermaster Masterbox Lite 5
 
Solution
Memory manufacturers guarantee the rated speed and timings to be obtainable in the form the kit is sold in. If you are adding extra memory the rated specifications may not work due to the extra stress on the memory controller. Therefore, you need to relax frequencies/timings to get two kits of memory to work. Other options include raising DRAM voltage and lowering the CPU multiplier.

Since the old memory has never been tested with the new memory, there is no guarantee that they will work together or how they will work.
Some boards have difficulty with all RAM slots populated. It could be a RAM density issue. Are those RAM modules on the approved list for that board?
You can also try to lower your DRAM speed to 2667Mhz which is the highest speed 'officially' supported by that chip anyway.
 

stephenkerr117

Prominent
Sep 10, 2017
4
0
510
Hey, and I tried that too, but it is still not working- it keeps saying I have 8GB in the System Reserve, basically the BIOS is holding back 8GB's from me and I have no idea how to stop that
 

stephenkerr117

Prominent
Sep 10, 2017
4
0
510


I have tried everything now... All four RAM slots are recognised both on my OS and BIOS, but I can only use 8GB due to the OS telling me that 8GB's is being used by my BIOS or "Hardware Reserved" Use of the BIOS and other Drivers Ect. It is making me lose my mind to something that should be so simple to be absolutely difficult to figure out. I have a 64bit Windows Pro OS, so I can have up to a stupid amount of RAM, my Motherboard supports up to 64GB's and can have 4 RAM sticks on my motherboard... can I not just have my 16GB's and not be so freaking complicated? I have legit tried everything

Swapping RAM sticks around.
Checked for bent pins on the CPU. (Were none)
Checked each RAM stick individually in each slot.
Reset BIOS.
Tried booting with different amounts of RAM and then slowly adding more in over time.
Taking out the Battery, draining the power out the PC by holding the power button and then booting up once everything is back in.

It is so stupid, all I can think it could be is a driver in my system is stopping me from using all 16GB's but I'll have no idea where to begin...


 
Memory manufacturers guarantee the rated speed and timings to be obtainable in the form the kit is sold in. If you are adding extra memory the rated specifications may not work due to the extra stress on the memory controller. Therefore, you need to relax frequencies/timings to get two kits of memory to work. Other options include raising DRAM voltage and lowering the CPU multiplier.

Since the old memory has never been tested with the new memory, there is no guarantee that they will work together or how they will work.
 
Solution