Windows reporting less memory usable

Doesn't make sense to me. When we first started getting servers with that socket, me and a colleague did bend a few pins ona couple servers at first. Those things wouldn't even POST. And the way the pins bend, letting up pressure should make the problem worse theoretically because then you are airgapping those pins that were bent. Maybe that was a "Coincidental fix" for someone. You know how sometimes when trying to fix an issue, the simple fact of jostling something around "fixes" the issue, kind of like how Telcos fix a lot of problems by clearing the line to test it, report back "No Problem Found" and that magically clears the issue.

tw33k said:

I was having a debate about this issue and my friend suggested the problem could be that the heatsink is on too tight. I told him "That's ridiculous!" He pointed me to this site where it is listed as a possible solution to this problem. (see point 8 Asus X58 + 6/12GB memory overclocking - detecting less memory than installed - i4memory.com - different look at memory)

I've never heard of this and can't find reference to it anywhere else.

So my question is: Do you think this is a valid fix? Have you seen this fix the problem?

To be clear, the problem I mean is that in System Properties Windows reports, for example, 4GB RAM installed (3GB usable) in a 64bit OS.

If it were a hardware problem then it should show up as a deficit in installed RAM, not "Usable". "Usable" RAM is a Windows/BIOS memory management concept above the hardware.

Though I have heard of many weird things, this doesn't seem very plausible.

- Gene