BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)

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  1. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
       #1

    BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)


    My wifes motherboard got fried. So i bought her a new one along with a slightly upgraded cpu. She has a gtx 960 2gb pci-e 16x dedicated card. But windows for some weird reason is seeing all 12 gb of her ram but only 3.96 gb is usable. I got her a motherboard that has no onboard video to avoid the memory sharing unless you switch it over to dedicated in the bios.
    With only 3.96 usable she can't run most of her games.
    Any way to fix this? I never ran into this problem in the decades i have been building pc's. Mine don't do this and her's didn't do this on her old msi motherboard. The only time i seen this was with onboard video since it shares the ram.

    Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P
    AMD FX 8350 Stock Clock
    MSI GTX 960 2GB Dedicated
    12GB ram.
    700 Watt PSU
    2TB WD Black 7200RPM drive for steam games.
    Windows 7 x64 Ultimate installed on an SSD

    Bios is upto date according to the list of bios on gigabyte's website.

    Running stock speeds on Ram and CPU. Fresh install of windows 7 x64. I always do a fresh install on a major hardware change like motherboard and or cpu. Ram i don't. Bios sees all 12 GB of ram.

    Tested all her 4 sticks in my pc and my pc seen all 12GB and all 12GB was usable. Her bios sees 12GB and windows sees 12GB but only 4GB usable. After messing around i did get it to go up to 9.96gb usable.

    This is what i tried so far.

    I installed the 2x4GB sticks in a1 and a2.

    Then installed the 2x2GB sticks in a3 and a4 according to the manual for dual channel.

    Tried them one at a time and checked each was read at their stated size and windows did also.

    So i put one stick of the 2x4 sticks and stuck it in a1 and the other 2x4 in slot a2. Turned on the pc and bios and windows seen 8gb full usage.

    Turned the pc off and took 1 stick of the 2x2 sticks and stuck it in a3. Turned on the pc and bios and windows seen the full 10GB.

    Turned the pc off one last time to put the final stick of the 2x2 into slot a4. Turned the pc on and bios and windows both see the 12GB but now windows says 12GB (9.96GB Usable).

    I tried switching on XMP profile in bios, only one option Profile 1. So i enable that saved and rebooted and no change. Windows sees 12GB (9.96GB usable).

    In BIOS i even switched from other os to Windows 8 and still no change.

    Looked at msconfig under boot tab and advanced and the maximum memory check box was unchecked.


    I'm stumped about what could be causing this. I even reinstalled windows 7 x64 and still the same problem.


    I'm attaching pictures of her bios and the log file and pictures of HWinfo in case you need them to help with my problem. I also attached a picture of the CPU. I don't see a bent pin but maybe a more keener eye can see what i don't see.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)-bios-memory-status.jpg   BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)-ram-stick-one.png   BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)-ram-stick-2.png   BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)-ram-stick-3.png   BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)-ram-stick-4.png  

    BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)-cpu.jpg  
    BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable) Attached Files
    Last edited by SnakeFist; 10 Dec 2018 at 18:43.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 6,021
    Win 7 HP SP1 64-bit Vista HB SP2 32-bit Linux Mint 18.3
       #2

    Hi SnakeFist,

    Can you edit your post and make the text Black instead of Grey as it is very hard to read and will put people off answering you!

    Thanks.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Paul Black said:
    Hi SnakeFist,

    Can you make the text Black instead of Grey as it is very hard to read!

    Thanks.
    It did that when i copied it over from notepad++. I'll try and make it black.

    Edit: I fixed it.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 9,746
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit sp1
       #4

    Changing the motherboard means you will have to reinstall Windows. The motherboard is the heart of the computer & no doubt it has a different driver & set up configurations that does not match what you have on the old version of Windows on the SSD.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Ranger4 said:
    Changing the motherboard means you will have to reinstall Windows. The motherboard is the heart of the computer & no doubt it has a different driver & set up configurations that does not match what you have on the old version of Windows on the SSD.
    I already did a fresh install.
    Last edited by SnakeFist; 11 Dec 2018 at 16:03.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 7,100
    W7 home premium 32bit/W7HP 64bit/w10 tp insider ring
       #6

    Hi

    from first post

    After messing around i did get it to go up to 9.96gb usable.
    MSI GTX 960 2GB Dedicated



    9.96 + 2 for dedicated graphics = 12.

    Your fine


    Roy

    according to your specs no AntiVirus, assuming your gaming using P2P you need one
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
    Thread Starter
       #7

    torchwood said:
    Hi

    from first post

    After messing around i did get it to go up to 9.96gb usable.
    MSI GTX 960 2GB Dedicated



    9.96 + 2 for dedicated graphics = 12.

    Your fine


    Roy

    according to your specs no AntiVirus, assuming your gaming using P2P you need one
    I think you are confusing dedicated to onboard graphics. Her motherboard don't have an onboard videocard. She is only using the one she plugged into the PCIe-x16 slot. Which don't share memory like onboard video card does. So no that is not the problem.
    The specs you see here on my profile is the specs for my pc not her's. The specs in the OP is the ones from her pc. She don't do p2p she only plays steam games and only SP games.

    Just for reference i have a dedicated graphics card no on board video and this is what mine says. And if that was the case that it's sharing memory even with a dedicated pcie card then mine should only be 12GB usable.
    Here is a pic.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)-my-system-properties.png  
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 7,100
    W7 home premium 32bit/W7HP 64bit/w10 tp insider ring
       #8

    Hi

    I referenced 2 different OS's yours/hers.

    The graphics card details YOU posted Show as 2gb dedicated, thats why i did it in blue, is removed from the total RAM available, your para1 in the last post is irrelevant, if its there it takes it.
    Its NOT sharing its allocated against your total RAM
    open search type MSINFO32, look at the detail on the right, (for both), then you will see total/available RAM, graphics cards ALLWAYS take RAM, integreted or dedicated, otherwise they wouldn't work

    The screenshot of System details does NOT account for this
    NOTE this value can be changed, but its not advisable

    The peer to peer, P2P, relates to you. No AntiVirus


    Roy
    Last edited by torchwood; 11 Dec 2018 at 20:31.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
    Thread Starter
       #9

    torchwood said:
    Hi

    I referenced 2 different OS's yours/hers.

    The graphics card details YOU posted Show as 2gb dedicated, thats why i did it in blue, is removed from the total RAM available, your para1 in the last post is irrelevant, if its there it takes it.
    Its NOT sharing its allocated against your total RAM
    open search type MSINFO32, look at the detail on the right, (for both), then you will see total/available RAM, graphics cards ALLWAYS take RAM, integreted or dedicated, otherwise they wouldn't work

    The screenshot of System details does NOT account for this
    NOTE this value can be changed, but its not advisable

    The peer to peer, P2P, relates to you. No AntiVirus


    Roy
    But games that she plays that require 8 gb of ram fail to play with an error not enough system memory. Steam only sees 6gb. Her old mobo never had this problem. What system properties said was 12 gb and that was it. And she is using the same video card same ram and same version of windows 7 x64. The only difference is the mobo and cpu which i'm going to switch out to her 8320 to see if it does it still. But see the thing is this didn't have no problem before her mosfet blew up and had to buy a new mobo. Her system properties said 12gb no usable. Till i got her a new mobo and cpu. Which i'm thinking one or the other is a bad part and needs sent back to newegg for an exchange.

    I don't play p2p games. As all MP games like cod or fortnight people cheat into much so i avoid them. I play SP games and i only got 1 co-op game l4d2 that i haven't touched in over a year. I only play FPS or TPS games. I also know how to use the internet and know not to open e-mail attachments or downloads files from unknown sites. i also don't use any kind of torrent sites or torrent programs. So i don't think i need an antivirus when i only go to msn yahoo and a few sites i buy stuff from like newegg or staples or bestbuy.

    Here is a pic of what it said before taking the ram out and putting it back in to get the 9.96 gb usable.

    Also if both onboard video and dedicated graphic cards share system memory then why don'y my system properties that i posted in the pic have the same thing. even in msinfo32 it says a full 16gb for me on my system. And like my wifes mobo i have no onboard video. I bought them like that on purpose since we both had video cards and to avoid the memory sharing.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)-image-specs.png  
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Here is my msinfo 32 screenshot.
    If you take what windows processes are using in task manager plus what is available in msinfo32 and do the math it will equal 16gb. Nothing is being shared with my video card. Cause it adds up. If i open up more programs, then the available ram in msinfo32 will go down, then back up when i close them out.
    Yes i don't have a page file i turned it off to save reads and writes on my ssd. I was told by a pc repair tech that a page file is only needed when you have 8gb of ram or less.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails BIOS sees 12GB Windows 7 x64 sees 12GB (9.96 Usable)-my-ms32-information.png  
      My Computer


 
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