Please help I have 6gb ddr3 ram but only 1.75 usable

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  1. jmike7707
    Posts : 5
    window 7 home premium
       New #1

    Please help I have 6gb ddr3 ram but only 1.75 usable


    I have a compaq cq5700y desktop with windows 7 64bit operating system it came with 2gb ddr3 1333 ram installed. I bought a 4gb ddr 1333 stick to use in the second slot. It shows up in the system as 6gb ram installed only 1.75 usable and I cant figure out why. I have tried switching slots that didn't work. I checked msconfig and the full memory box is not checked so I checked it restarted and unchecked and restarted again still nothing. In the bios setting it shows up as full memory 6gb but only shows the 2gb slot as installed. I have no setting for memory remapping. Someone told me its my operating system so I did a reset to factory settings still nothing. I was also told that I cant use 2gb with 4gb ram sticks that I should have a matching pair but I have not tried that yet. I read that I should do a bios update but I can't find one anywhere on hp website or anywhere else for that matter. Someone please help!

    update: today 11/14/15 I did a wipe and clean install of windows 10 still same issue. Please help
    Last edited by jmike7707; 15 Nov 2015 at 00:47.
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  3. cyclops
    Posts : 543
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       New #2

    jmike7707, if you are sure it's win7 x64 it should be able to take up to 16gb. go on line google search the model number like I just did and HP has all of the guides on there for how to do it and you may need to change a setting in the BIOS. Find out what version BIOS you have because it states in there what version can take how much
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  4. jmike7707
    Posts : 5
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       New #3

    I did that and still found nothing that will help
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  6. cyclops
    Posts : 543
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       New #4

    Have you tried checking what happens when you have only the 4gb stick plugged in?
    By the way, it is common practice to use only matched sticks if you want optimum performance.
    Matched RAM sticks are used in order to allow the motherboard to run the RAM in dual or triple channel (if supported). This effectively means that you gain a little speed between the CPU and the RAM due to a higher 'bandwidth' or bus, so that more data can travel faster.
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  7. jmike7707
    Posts : 5
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       New #5

    cyclops said:
    Have you tried checking what happens when you have only the 4gb stick plugged in?
    By the way, it is common practice to use only matched sticks if you want optimum performance.
    Matched RAM sticks are used in order to allow the motherboard to run the RAM in dual or triple channel (if supported). This effectively means that you gain a little speed between the CPU and the RAM due to a higher 'bandwidth' or bus, so that more data can travel faster.
    Ok so I tried only the 4gb and it would not even boot. Does that mean its a bad stick?
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  8. derekimo
    Posts : 17,322
    Win 10 Pro x64
       New #6

    Can you post a link to that one you bought?

    Here's some tech specs for your computer,

    HP Support document - HP Support Center

    HP Support document - HP Support Center
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  10. cyclops
    Posts : 543
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       New #7

    derekimo and jmike, it's beginning to smell like bad RAM
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  11. jmike7707
    Posts : 5
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       New #8

    really? think so
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  12. derekimo
    Posts : 17,322
    Win 10 Pro x64
       New #9

    Can't hurt to post a link though.
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  13. jmike7707
    Posts : 5
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       New #10

    I bought it off a local computer guy im my area. Ill have to take it back to him
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