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Windows 7 doesnt recognize all of my ram

Last response: in Windows 7
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i just installed win7 64-bit. i have a core i5 with 8GB RAM. the computer doesn't seem to recognize all 8GB. it says there is only 4GB installed. i thought that win7 could go way beyond the 4GB limit of vista. does anyone have any suggestions on how i can get my pc to recognize and utilize all my RAM?

another thing i noticed, is that win7 seems to run my GPU (Nvidia gtx 260) hotter. its running at idle with limited apps at ~38 C compared to vista which ran at 33-35 C. anyone know why win7 runs "hotter" than vista? i thought it was supposed to be more efficient?

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The hotter issue will be the driver.
You often see different drivers causing fluctuations in temperature.

Run msconfig, go to Boot -> Advanced Options, just make sure 'Maximum Memory' is not ticked.

Otherwise i have no idea. Win64 definately can see more than 4Gb (thats the point of it).
Windows 7 Authority

7 does not run "hotter" than Vista. Ignore minor temperature variances like that. If it's not going to make your CPU blow up, it's not worth worrying about.

Second, the 4GB limit is from the 32 bit architecture, not Vista. The next time you reboot your computer, go into the BIOS and check to see if it is reporting all 8GB.
Windows 7 Expert

Strange indeed. Are you positive that the W7 you installed is 64-bit? If it is, what about the RAM? Same brand? Same timings? What is the BIOS saying? Are all 8GB recognized there? If not, you could always try and unplug a couple sticks, fire the computer up, shut it off, and plug them back in and see what that does.
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buwish said:
Strange indeed. Are you positive that the W7 you installed is 64-bit? If it is, what about the RAM? Same brand? Same timings? What is the BIOS saying? Are all 8GB recognized there? If not, you could always try and unplug a couple sticks, fire the computer up, shut it off, and plug them back in and see what that does.



yes it is 64-bit W7. as for the RAM its all new. i got the pc 2 weeks ago. how do i check the BIOS to determine if it is recognizing it.

The_Prophecy said:
7 does not run "hotter" than Vista. Ignore minor temperature variances like that. If it's not going to make your CPU blow up, it's not worth worrying about.


He said GPU not CPU.
Different driver versions do have an effect on idle graphics card temps.
He's probably using a newer nVidia driver after installing Windows 7.
No doubt another will be out soon that reverse that side effect.

But it isn't anything to worry about. Load temps should still be the same.
Windows 7 Authority

Wow.... I totally misread the original message, sorry. I could have sworn he said CPU, but it seems I was mistaken.

In that case, yes different driver versions can make GPU's run slightly warmer when idle.

scj123solid said:
I have the same problem. My system see's 3 2GB sticks installed, but bios and Windows 7 see's only 4. And yes, I have the 64bit version.


Scj123solid,

What are the specs of your computer (i.e. Mobo, CPU, RAM type, GPU, etc.) If your BIOS is only detecting 4GB of RAM you may have a motherboard that is maxed out and can only support upto 4GB.

Also, what version of Windows 7 do you currently have installed?

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team

I have an Asus Rampage II Extreme Mobo, Intel i7 975 processor, 3 2gb 2000 Mhz OCZ Blade DDR3 Ram Chips, BFG 2 GB GTX 285 GPU, OCZ Vertex SSD 120 GB, Seagate Barracude 1TB. I am currently running Windows 7 64 bit.

scj123solid said:
I have the same problem. My system see's 3 2GB sticks installed, but bios and Windows 7 see's only 4. And yes, I have the 64bit version.

Are all 3 DIMMs identical, and are they all in the same coloured slots?
e.g. all black or all gray or all orange, and not alternating (if you got this wrong, there might be a chance it boots up running the first and third DIMMs in dual channel mode, ignoring the second, if they're in the correct order, it should run all three in triple channel mode).

Sorry if you knew that, just checking this wasn't a possible cause.

If you're running Windows 64, and maximum memory isn't set in your bootup config, then the problem is more likely to be hardware related.

How is the RAM configured?
e.g.
4 x 2Gb
2 x 2Gb + 1 x 4B
2 x 4Gb

Is the RAM voltage set correctly in the BIOS?

I had a similar problem. I have 3 2G sticks of RAM. Windows was only recognizing 4 of the 6G.
After removing all of the RAM, I reinstalled one stick at a time. I found that one stick didn't like being in the
#2 slot, but was quite happy to be in the third slot. Presto!!! All 6 are now recognized.

Don't know if that would work for you, but it might be worth the try.


Brad
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