Comp not seeing memory!

[exponent]

Hi all.

I have 4 sticks of 1024mb mem installed in my comp but when i boot up it only recognises 2554mb!

Can anyone tell me why this would happen.

It does however say that 4gb is installed but the memory test only goes up to 2554.

Is this a fault or is it common?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mike.

 

[Eviltwin17]

my guess is that either some of your memory is bad like you got a bad set since you have 4 sticks. My other guess is that you may have gotten ECC registered memory for one or two of the sticks possibly and that it is not seeing hte memory properly because of it. I had that problem a while back and had to rma the memory because i didnt know it was ECC. Also, make sure all the ram is seated properly as some boards you have to basicly shove the ram in as hard as you can to get it to work.

 

[maury73]

What reported by POST is right for the way the BIOS must allocate memory for the 4GB limit and if it doesn't support the reallocation for 4GB+ memory you can do nothing.
As you should know, 4GB is the total memory limit for 32bit systems (RAM + ROM + I/O memory-mapped registers), not the maximum amount of RAM.

If you don't have a 64bit OS this is your limit, you can at least try to gain some MB by doing this: enter the BIOS and search for the "4GB memory" setting. It works on my standard A8N-E w/o SLI, but I don't know if there is that setting and if it works on your specific model.

 

[exponent]

I thought the memory was bad at first thats why I sent it all back straight away with the same result when I got the new sticks!! mad huh! (the memory is designed to work best on my particular mobo) CMX-1024-3500LL PRO.

I am also aware that 4GB is the max but i wasnt expecting such a hit in the amount of memery being read! (POST does recognize all of the 4GB but only checks up to 2554) which i assume is the "useable" amount.

I will have a look in the BIOS and see if there is a 4GB setting (which now i think about it im sure there is)

Thanks for your input to the pair of you! I appreciate it.

(sometimes it takes another persons point of view for things to sink in)

Thanks, Mike.

 

[badge]

Sounds like a vey fast rig you have. You may want to download CPUID tool and run it. I would recommend the PC wizard download also. These are useful tools I have loaded on all my computers. Very small programs, try them, it may help.

http://www.cpuid.com/

 

[The_Abyss]

You are using Win XP right?

 

[fainis]

4 gb is the limit for win32....
first try a bios update...


good luck

 

[exponent]

Yeah it is a stupidly quick set up but im waiting to see games that are optimized for SLI and dual core processors then I should really see the benefits!! (bloody well hope so)!

Im running XP Pro SP2 all up to date.

Ive never heard of CPUID? what is it??

I have also found an updated BIOS for my mobo so am gonna install that asap. hopefully there will be some extra settings i can tweak around with?!

Have found a setting within bios that specifies using 4gb or more and have altered that. It now sees 3756mb which is an improvement!!

 

[maury73]

Nice I was not sure of this setting on your mobo, but if it's there in my A8N-E, no reason for they missing it on the -32 SLI
3.7GB is exactly the same amount reported from my mobo, so now you reached the 32bit OS limit

 

[exponent]

Excellent!

Do you think its worth updating my BIOS then??

Also, I have just found a new driver for my FX-60 on the AMD website.
Is it worth downloading or will it not bring any gains in performance or otherwise??

 

[badge]

Yeah it is a stupidly quick set up but im waiting to see games that are optimized for SLI and dual core processors then I should really see the benefits!! (bloody well hope so)!

Im running XP Pro SP2 all up to date.

Ive never heard of CPUID? what is it??

I have also found an updated BIOS for my mobo so am gonna install that asap. hopefully there will be some extra settings i can tweak around with?!

Have found a setting within bios that specifies using 4gb or more and have altered that. It now sees 3756mb which is an improvement!!

Fanis has likely hit on what may fix your problem...a BIOS update.

CPUID is referred to often in Tom's articles and forums like this. CPUID is a system monitoring software (small program) which lets you get a quick read out of processor(s) speed, SPID RAM frequencies, and other system information. It's easy to install and won't interfere with anything. PC Wizard is a benchmarking software (again very samall program). Quick benchmarks of your processor, RAM, video, etc.

 

[fainis]

same 4,29gb is in theory the max addressable limit of a 32 bit cpu.....including all types of memory like RAM (sistem) ROM, i/o addresses etc......

if your card reports same 3,75..i think that`s the limit ....you`re looking good so far...

good luck....

 

[exponent]

I would like to thank everybody who made a comment.

You were all very helpfull!!

Comp runnin like a dream now, so thanks guys!

See ya around!