Windows no longer utilizes 8GB. Now only uses 4GB

[mojobone]

This is odd. I have had my system now for just under a year and all of a sudden, my system is not utilizing 4GB of the 8GB on board.

Steps I have taken:

* Replaced all of the RAM.
* Replaced the motherboard.
* Checked BIOS settings.

Been building my own PC's since 1993 and I have never seen this. My parts supplier is stumped. Microsoft support is useless.

System Specs:

*Intel DQ67SW Motherboard
*Intel i5 650 3.2 GHz 4MB Cache
* 4x 2GB DDR2 PC6400 SODIMM Modules
* NVidia GTX480 1.5GB Video Card
* Intel 30GB SSD Hard Drive (boot)
* Western Dig 350GB Hard Drive (apps)
* Western Dig 1TB Hard Drive (data)
* Liteon Blu Ray Player/ DVD&CD Burner
* Cisco AM10 USB Wireless Adapter

I am defintely . Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[cluberti]

Very interesting indeed. What specific motherboard, CPU, and RAM combination are in that machine specifically?

 

[mojobone]

*Intel DQ67SW Motherboard
*Intel i5 650 3.2 GHz 4MB Cache
* 4x 2GB DDR2 PC6400 SODIMM Modules

I hope this helps.

Thank you in advance!

(PS - I tried the MSCONFIG trick - did nothing)

 

[Shadowjk]

The 3.93GB Usable seems to be a possible problem ... Not 100% Sure

Are you using Onboard Graphics? Clearly Not

Have you checked your BIOS for a RAM Remap as this could help

 

[Sub Styler]

I havent got one but read that the i5's on chip memory controler can handle 2 channels,AFAIK dual channel mode negates the fact that there 4 modules as it's installed as 2 channels of 2, Is dual channel mode enabled in the BIOS.

I'm a little confused though as you have changed the Motherboard and the RAM, i'm assuming you have re-installed the OS.

SODIMMS? Are you sure these fit in this motherboad.

 

[mojobone]

Checked the bios, step by step. The bios is seeing all 8GB. There is not the ability to remap RAM in the BIOS. I am really stumped. I am about ready to pull out a spare HDD and do a clean install and see what happens.

 

[mojobone]

I havent got one but read that the i5's on chip memory controler can handle 2 channels,AFAIK dual channel mode negates the fact that there 4 modules as it's installed as 2 channels of 2, Is dual channel mode enabled in the BIOS.

I'm a little confused though as you have changed the Motherboard and the RAM, i'm assuming you have re-installed the OS.

I took the unit over to the parts supplier and we put in a new Intel DQ67SW MB, and tried with the old RAM and NEW RAM, with no joy.

I have not done a clean install yet. Way too much work to do right now to have my system down for a couple of days...

At least right now, the machine works.

 

[Sub Styler]

using this post will probably be of great benefit to your situation to use sysprep to reinstall the OS and keep most your files and settings.

 

[Elan]

On the Task Manager window (performance tab), click on 'Resource Monitor' and select the memory tab... It might help you figure it out...

 

[Shadowjk]

Also try refreshing your Windows Experience Index. I found that this got rid of my (X.YZ Usable) Label

 

[search53]

I concur that you might want to take a look at the task manager's resources window. I was shocked the other day when a program (I forget which one) was eating up 4GB of memory all on its own for no apparent reason. It was something stupid like the Intel Turbo Boost program sucking all the RAM.

If I hadn't been running Process Explorer at the time, I never would have suspected anything. I just happened to notice its memory window was telling me that just about all of my 6GB had been allocated.