Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 118933 2011-06-27 08:34:00 PC rebuilt - missing memory? Jayess64 (8703) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1212567 2011-06-27 08:34:00 About a month ago I rebuilt my desktop: Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD4-B3, 2x2GB DDR3 RAM. All seems to run OK, but I have noticed that the POST reports only 4080GB RAM, 16MB short. If I remove one stick at a time, POST shows 2032GB both times - once again 16MB short.

I have just run Memtest from the current PCW DVD. It gets through all tests without any errors, but it reports 4079GB total memory.

Do I have a problem, or is there something going on that I don't know about?
Jayess64 (8703)
1212568 2011-06-27 08:42:00 does your board have onboard video? Greven (91)
1212569 2011-06-27 10:30:00 does your board have onboard video?

No, I think that's the H67 board. I'm using a GeForce 9400 GT. Pretty feeble, I know, but OK for what I want. The MB does have on-board audio but I wouldn't have thought they would reserve that much RAM (could be wrong).

I should have mentioned the CPU is a Core i5-2400 and the RAM modules are
both Corsair XMS CMX4GX3M2A1600C8., DDR3-1333 according to Aida64 (which also reports 4079GB)
Jayess64 (8703)
1212570 2011-06-27 10:35:00 Is it 32 or 64 bit windows? Speedy Gonzales (78)
1212571 2011-06-27 10:43:00 Is it 32 or 64 bit windows?

64-bit Win 7 Premium. But does the POST know that?
Jayess64 (8703)
1212572 2011-06-27 10:52:00 Is there an option in the BIOS similar to memory remap feature?? If there is, is it enabled? Speedy Gonzales (78)
1212573 2011-06-27 11:25:00 Is there an option in the BIOS similar to memory remap feature?? If there is, is it enabled?

Getting past the limits of my competence here, but as far as I can see there isn't an option along the lines you suggest. However, the BIOS menu does have an entry headed 'MB Intelligent Tweaker' - this is an area I normally keep well away from. When I look into here, I see that the memory reported is what I would expect, 2 x 2048MB = 4096MB.

So, a thought occurs: can it be that at startup the BIOS loads something into RAM that stays resident, and it is the available RAM that is being reported? If that is right, I should shut up and stop wasting everyone's time.

But I wouldn't have thought of this without having my brain cells tickled by Greven's and Speedy's suggestions.
Jayess64 (8703)
1212574 2011-06-27 11:42:00 What slots did you put the ram in?

This may or may not help

www.xtremesystems.org
Speedy Gonzales (78)
1212575 2011-06-27 12:30:00 What slots did you put the ram in?

This may or may not help

www.xtremesystems.org

I haven't had the hassles that some of those guys had. The manual for the GA-P67A-UD4-B3 is clear about the slots you should use for Dual Channel RAM, and I have followed their recommendation. It looks as though the situation may be different for the -UD4 & the -UD4-B3 boards.

For the moment I am inclined to stick with my guess that I am seeing available RAM, not physical RAM. Interestingly, when I run Aida64 on my brand new Asus X73SV laptop (also a Sandy Bridge MB), it reports 4008MB RAM, even though the BIOS shows 4096MB. Some of that may be shared RAM for video, as Greven suggested. I suppose it all means that you should interpret the numbers you see with some caution.

Thanks for your comments.
Jayess64 (8703)
1212576 2011-06-27 20:27:00 So, a thought occurs: can it be that at startup the BIOS loads something into RAM that stays resident, and it is the available RAM that is being reported?


No. Even if it was - you still see total RAM. Have a look in the BIOS and see if there is anything to do with onboard graphics being used, that will be what it is. Make sure you have it choose to look for add-on card first, there's usually an option. It shouldn't matter, but try it and see what happens.
pctek (84)
1 2 3