Need help with mainboard and Windows 7

[chris08]

Hi all,
I am using Windows 7 Ultimate X64 and an Asus P5L-VM 1394 and have 4 GB of RAM installed, but only 3,25 is usable.
I think that this mainboard should support up to 8 GB, but only 3,25 is usable.
Any ideas?
Many thanks for any help!

 

[bassfisher6522]

I found out...here you go.

 

[bassfisher6522]

So, basically you mobo only supports 4 gig and due to board architecture some of the RAM is used for the system...hence only showing 3.5 gigs of usable RAM. Heres the quote.

Memory4 x240-pin DIMM, Max. 4 GB, DDR2 667/533/400 Non-ECC,Un-buffered Memory
Dual Channel memory architecture
* Due to general PC architecture, a small amount of memory is reserved for system usage and thus the actual memory size is less than the stated amount.

 

[stormy13]

Unless there is a memory remapping option in the bios, this (same applies to Windows 7),

The system memory that is reported in the System Information dialog box in Windows Vista is less than you expect if 4 GB of RAM is installed

is why you have less than 4 GB available.

 

[chris08]

Hi and many thanks for your replies!
Well, I haven't found any memory remapping feature in the bios, so then it may be worth changing mainboard and CPU also and skip this board.

 

[Sub Styler]

When it says reserved for system use it is usually referring to the memory which is "shared" with (stolen by) the on-board graphics. This can sometimes be overcome when using a discrete GPU. You may be able to change the difference by adjusting the BIOS option: VGA Share size/ VGA RAM.

I'm not saying go out and buy a GPU if you dont already have one.