Ram not fully utilized

LinuxIsBetter · August 25, 2024

Hiya folks.

I have a Windows 10 PC that isn't utilizing all 16GB of RAM, showing "16 GB installed (3.97 GB usable)" and when I attempt change it to in System Config's boot options, it doesn't change/save it on reboot. I have tried changing advanced settIngs in boot options to "0" value, I tried leaving the "maximum memory" box unchecked and I've changed the "0" to "16384" (highest possible value). All of the RAM shows up in UEFI settings and it shows up with TechPowerUp's CPU-Z. I feel like I'm missing something. It's possible that it could be infected with malware, but I regularly scan it. I got this problem after installing a 2TB HDD for file/data storage that wasn't recognized until after I initialized it and formatted it with Disk Management. I assumed that the 2TB hard drive was inert until after formatting it. Also, maybe Windows doesn't like the mix of RAM. All thermals look good; usually running close to ambient/room temp.

Specs:

•Mobo: AsRock 970 Extreme3

•CPU: AMD FX-8370 (no built-in graphics on mobo or in CPU).

•BIOS: 1.81 (AMI)

•RAM: 4x 4GB DDR3 running at 1600; a pair of Team Group Vulcan 4GB DDR3-2133; Ripjaw 4GB DDR3-1600; Mushkin Essentials 4GB PC3-12600 (DDR3-1600).

•GPU: Strix GTX 980 Ti 6GB [dedicated]

•Windows 10 (Home?) 20H2 (temporarily on a HHD; will be cloned to SATA3 SSD)

•PSU: Corsair CX600 [600W]

•Storage: 256GB HDD0 (Windows OS); 256GB SSD (formerly had installed Linux Pop! OS on it); 2TB HHD1

Haswellx86 · August 25, 2024

Task Manager > Performance Tab > Memory. Read the memory configuration in the bottom right. Tell how many slots does Windows says you have, and what is the value of Hardware reserved.

If you make sure that msconfig is fine, and all your RAM is detected in UEFI, then there could be some problem with the settings of the UEFI. You could try a CMOS reset first.

Also if your name contains Linux, that you might as well see in that.

edit - Also try running memtest86+.

monopoly_hater · August 25, 2024

To add to @Gat Pelsinger, try reinstalling Windows.

dreamcast4599 · August 25, 2024

54 minutes ago, LinuxIsBetter said:

Hiya folks.

I have a Windows 10 PC that isn't utilizing all 16GB of RAM, showing "16 GB installed (3.97 GB usable)" and when I attempt change it to in System Config's boot options, it doesn't change/save it on reboot. I have tried changing advanced settIngs in boot options to "0" value, I tried leaving the "maximum memory" box unchecked and I've changed the "0" to "16384" (highest possible value). All of the RAM shows up in UEFI settings and it shows up with TechPowerUp's CPU-Z. I feel like I'm missing something. It's possible that it could be infected with malware, but I regularly scan it. I got this problem after installing a 2TB HDD for file/data storage that wasn't recognized until after I initialized it and formatted it with Disk Management. I assumed that the 2TB hard drive was inert until after formatting it. Also, maybe Windows doesn't like the mix of RAM. All thermals look good; usually running close to ambient/room temp.

Specs:

•Mobo: AsRock 970 Extreme3

•CPU: AMD FX-8370 (no built-in graphics on mobo or in CPU).

•BIOS: 1.81 (AMI)

•RAM: 4x 4GB DDR3 running at 1600; a pair of Team Group Vulcan 4GB DDR3-2133; Ripjaw 4GB DDR3-1600; Mushkin Essentials 4GB PC3-12600 (DDR3-1600).

•GPU: Strix GTX 980 Ti 6GB [dedicated]

•Windows 10 (Home?) 20H2 (temporarily on a HHD; will be cloned to SATA3 SSD)

•PSU: Corsair CX600 [600W]

•Storage: 256GB HDD0 (Windows OS); 256GB SSD (formerly had installed Linux Pop! OS on it); 2TB HHD1

check to see if your os is 32 or 64bit? the 32 bit version of win 10 home only supports a max of 4gigs of ram where as the 64 bit supports 128 gigs

LinuxIsBetter · August 25, 2024

14 hours ago, Gat Pelsinger said:

Task Manager > Performance Tab > Memory. Read the memory configuration in the bottom right. Tell how many slots does Windows says you have, and what is the value of Hardware reserved.

If you make sure that msconfig is fine, and all your RAM is detected in UEFI, then there could be some problem with the settings of the UEFI. You could try a CMOS reset first.

Also if your name contains Linux, that you might as well see in that.

edit - Also try running memtest86+.

Slots used: 4 of 4
Hardware reserved: 12 GB

I haven't tested the CMOS battery for over a year; so it could need replacement. I'll test and reset and/or replace. Then I'll switch all UEFI settings to default.

Finding my Linux USB drive and figuring out which of one of my hard drives has Linux set up for this machine is another problem that I don't want to add. I just now added an old 512MB USB for Windows Readyboost. That should help temporarily.

Memtest: I'm not sure why I didn't think to do that. Probably lack of sleep. I'll run that and respond.

LinuxIsBetter · August 25, 2024

13 hours ago, dreamcast4599 said:

check to see if your os is 32 or 64bit? the 32 bit version of win 10 home only supports a max of 4gigs of ram where as the 64 bit supports 128 gigs

64 bit. I apologize; I forgot to add that into machine specs.

Haswellx86 · August 26, 2024

13 hours ago, LinuxIsBetter said:

Hardware reserved: 12 GB

This shows Windows can detect all the memory, but is just not using it.

13 hours ago, LinuxIsBetter said:

I haven't tested the CMOS battery for over a year; so it could need replacement. I'll test and reset and/or replace. Then I'll switch all UEFI settings to default.

If you think its dead, then for now, you can just remove it entirely. Then you just need to keep applying your UEFI changes after every boot or don't turn off your computer. And now you can also try manually resetting all firmware settings to default in the UEFI itself.

13 hours ago, LinuxIsBetter said:

Finding my Linux USB drive and figuring out which of one of my hard drives has Linux set up for this machine is another problem that I don't want to add.

On 8/25/2024 at 1:32 PM, LinuxIsBetter said:

•Storage: 256GB HDD0 (Windows OS); 256GB SSD (formerly had installed Linux Pop! OS on it); 2TB HHD1

Wait, you currently have Windows installed on your HDD? Why? You can setup both Windows and Linux on your SSD. Windows will benefit more by being on an SSD instead of Linux. And you only have 3 drives, how hard is it to know which one has Linux installed? And if you boot loader was setup, then you can already just boot into it.

13 hours ago, LinuxIsBetter said:

I just now added an old 512MB USB for Windows Readyboost. That should help temporarily.

A 512 MB USB drive??? I don't know if that is a physical drive, or you are referring to a partition. If that indeed is a 512 MB USB drive, then I don't even want to know the read/write speeds on it. If you at least have Windows installed on an SSD, then Readyboost is pretty much useless, especially with a really slow USB drive.