Computer Related > RAM only partially recognised Miscellaneous
Thread Author: FocalPoint Replies: 13
View Threaded 

New Tue 8 Jun 10 15:14 
 RAM only partially recognised - FocalPoint
I bought my computer with 4 Gb RAM ready installed, as an upgrade. But only 3 Gb is recognised. Wondered if the video card was somehow commandeering some of the memory.

Thoughts?

System: MS Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit SP1
Intel Core2 CPU E7400 @ 2.80Ghz, "3.1GB RAM" (it says!)
ATI Radeon HD 3400 Series

Thanks in advance. Chris
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 15:43 
 RAM only partially recognised - Falkirk Bairn
Vista is32 bit o/s only sees approx 3Gb. Windows 7 can be 32 /64 bit o/s
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 15:58 
 RAM only partially recognised - Zero
If you have vista 64 bit it should be seeing all of it

Ah the radeon 3400 is a mobile chip! This is a laptop. It could be taking the memory.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 8 Jun 10 at 16:01
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 16:04 
 RAM only partially recognised - Focusless
>> Ah the radeon 3400 is a mobile chip! This is a laptop. It could be
>> taking the memory.

If true (there are 3400 series cards for desktops) then it's taking a heck of a lot of memory - wouldn't expect it to take more than 512Mb.
Last edited by: Focus on Tue 8 Jun 10 at 16:04
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 16:00 
 RAM only partially recognised - Focusless
>> Vista is32 bit o/s only sees approx 3Gb. Windows 7 can be 32 /64 bit
>> o/s

OP says Vista 64 bit
www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/compare-editions/64-bit.aspx
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 16:15 
 RAM only partially recognised - FocalPoint
Yes, definitely dual core + 64-bit.

But NOT a laptop. "I'm a PC!"
Last edited by: ChrisPeugeot on Tue 8 Jun 10 at 16:15
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 16:17 
 RAM only partially recognised - Focusless
>> Yes, definitely dual core + 64-bit.

Sorry Chris - you're definitely running 64 bit Vista, and not just running 32 bit Vista on a 64 bit chip?
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 16:19 
 RAM only partially recognised - Focusless
Also, is it a separate graphics card or is the 3400 chipset built into the motherboard? If the latter then as Z suggests that might be taking 512Mb.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 16:22 
 RAM only partially recognised - FocalPoint
"you're definitely running 64 bit Vista, and not just running 32 bit Vista on a 64 bit chip?"

Yup, 64-bit Vista. Bought with dual core so I could access a large amount of memory used with the Sibelius music programme, which is memory-hungry when dealing with large scores and many sounds.

It seems strange I can't access all of what I thought I was getting.

And yes, separate graphics card.
Last edited by: ChrisPeugeot on Tue 8 Jun 10 at 16:23
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 16:34 
 RAM only partially recognised - Focusless
>> It seems strange I can't access all of what I thought I was getting.

Try running SiSoft Sandra on it - gives lots of useful info including what RAM chips are fitted. Might help.
www.sisoftware.co.uk/
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 16:34 
 RAM only partially recognised - The Nut
I'm not sure with pci express graphics cards but with AGP cards there would be an option in the computers bios called something along the lines of "AGP Aperture size" which is the amount of system memory that is allocated to the graphics card.

Does the bios report the same amount of memory as windows?
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 17:08 
 RAM only partially recognised - Zero
>> I'm not sure with pci express graphics cards but with AGP cards there would be
>> an option in the computers bios called something along the lines of "AGP Aperture size"
>> which is the amount of system memory that is allocated to the graphics card.

Thats a very old setting thats no longer included. And it never had any effect on AGP cards either.

Can you get into the bios? change the bios so it does a memory diag count when it boots, and see ho wmuch it counts

Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 19:47 
 RAM only partially recognised - MD
Go to crucial.com and upgrade it. I used to have more RAM when I was younger.

M
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 8 Jun 10 19:49 
 RAM only partially recognised - Tooslow
Not much point if pc doesn't see it!

JH
Reply to this message | Report message
       
Latest Forum Posts