6 GB Installed (3 GB usable)

Well your need to know something about the motherboard since that's where you'll have to look for your RAM issue, at least the BIOS.

I'm guessing this might be your system - Dell Studio XPS 8000 Desktop Details | Dell ???

@derekIMO - Thank you much! I appreciate it!

System Info: Motherboard Infos:

Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
Name: Base Board
Product: 0X231R
Version: A01 (BIOS had the same number, till I upgraded it to A03)
Serial Number:..CN73,etc,etc.
Removable: False
Replaceable: True

Your system isdesigned to take 2 or 4 memory sticks - i5-750 CPU as opposed to a i7-900 series CPU which uses a tripple channel memory configuration - 3 or 6 sticks of memory.

Basically I think you have the wrong memory configuration for that system seeing that you say you have 6gig when you should either have 4 or 8gig. (in a nutshell)

An i5-750 only runs in dual channel configuration - Intel® Core)

So, they just gave me too much RAM? The only thing's I've added to it are a PSU and a new GPU. Everything else is stock. The mobo has 4 slots, and each slot is filled. Did they just put the wrong mobo in it or something? A system designed for 2 slots, gets a mobo with 4 slots, but can only utilize 2 of them? Huh. Funny.

On a side note, when I was taking out the GPU, I scratched some of the paths on the mobo putting it back in, so, heh, I *might* be in the market for a new mobo anyway. . . Know any reputable dealers??

***Edit: Even the i7 processor that would work with this board only has 2 memory channels which means---I'd need a new motherboard AND processor to use the memory that came with it. . . Ahh heck with it, I got one more GB of RAM, if I get picky, I'll just buy a 4-GB stick and call it good. I've been playing Just Cause 2, Oblivion, Fallout 3 AND New Vegas, and Duke Nukem: Forever with just what I got, I didn't miss it before, probably won't now.***

I don't know what Dell did. It seems strange that they would have gave you 6gig of memory in a dual channel'd system (i5-750), but then again I've been seeing some strange things from PC makers lately with regards to memory so....

Anyway you need to find the owners manual on link to it so that we can see what you memory configuration IS supposed to be. And I asked you a question that you haven't answered.....

sygnus21 said:

Well your need to know something about the motherboard since that's where you'll have to look for your RAM issue, at least the BIOS.

I'm guessing this might be your system - Dell Studio XPS 8000 Desktop Details | Dell ???

ShouldaGotLinux said:

***Edit: Even the i7 processor that would work with this board only has 2 memory channels which means---I'd need a new motherboard AND processor to use the memory that came with it. . . Ahh heck with it, I got one more GB of RAM, if I get picky, I'll just buy a 4-GB stick and call it good. I've been playing Just Cause 2, Oblivion, Fallout 3 AND New Vegas, and Duke Nukem: Forever with just what I got, I didn't miss it before, probably won't now.***

Which is why I question the amount of memory in that system??? And you don't necessarily need a new motherboard and processor; you could simply just remove one of the sticks, or reconfigure them to work correctly. Or yeah, you could buy another stick of RAM.... but before going through all of that, let's just remove a stick first and see what happens.

sygnus21 said:

I don't know what Dell did. It seems strange that they would have gave you 6gig of memory in a dual channel'd system (i5-750), but then again I've been seeing some strange things from PC makers lately with regards to memory so....

Anyway you need to find the owners manual on link to it so that we can see what you memory configuration IS supposed to be. And I asked you a question that you haven't answered.....

sygnus21 said:

Well your need to know something about the motherboard since that's where you'll have to look for your RAM issue, at least the BIOS.

I'm guessing this might be your system - Dell Studio XPS 8000 Desktop Details | Dell ???

Yes, that is my system.

Documentation

This is the service manual.

I just restarted and looked through all the options in BIOS, and none of them related to memory except for the System Info option which informed me I had 4096 total installed and 4088 available. Looking at the documentation, they really believe I ought to have 4 memory slots in there, at any rate.

If you remove your original memory module(s) from the computer during a memory upgrade, keep them separate from any new module(s) that you may have, even if you purchased the new module(s) from Dell™. If possible, do not pair an original memory module with a new memory module. Otherwise, your computer may not start properly. The recommended memory configurations are:
Matched memory module(s) installed in DIMM connectors 1 and 2 and another matched memory module(s) installed in DIMM connectors 3 and 4.

In my rooting around in the case, I altered the layout; the two 2-GB sticks are now located in slots 2 and 4.

ShouldaGotLinux said:

Documentation

This is the service manual.

Yeah, I just found it. Found this as well - Documentation

So why how does your system have 6gig of memory?

- Do you you have 2 2gig modules and 2 1gig modules?
- Do you have just 3 modules?

And BTW Why is this thread marked solved?

Anyway I'm out for now. Later

Sorry, kinda got excited when I saw the amount of total RAM I had go up to 3.99 after I moved the 2X2 GB modules to locations 2 and 4 on the diagram, which was an improvement over the 2.99 it was at. Seems there is a bit more troubleshooting to consider, so I un-Solved it. I appreciate all the help, by the way.

My system has 2X2 GB sticks and 2X1 GB sticks. I have 4 modules.

Aaand, I live in Virginia, too, soo---yeah, G'Night, heh. :) Got work next two nights, so seeya Monday? Thanks again for all the help!