Asus P5B-E not seeing all 4GB of memory

[nanaki333]

I bought an extra 2GB of memory for my machine to bring the grand total to 4GB. However, the motherboard is only seeing 3GB total. I tried both sticks separately in each slot and it reads as 3GB. When I put all 4 in, it still only reads as 3GB. I have the latest BIOS revision. The memory is the same exact crap as what I originally had in there.

Anybody else have an issue with this board not seeing 4GB of memory?

 

[vailr]

When running a 32-bit O.S., the maximum memory that the system can access is limited to about 3.2 GB.
To use all 4 GB, you need to use a 64-bit O.S.
To maximize the amount of memory when using a 32-bit O.S., put in alternate slots: 1 GB, 512 MB, 1 GB, 512 MB sticks. Thereby: still enabling "dual-channel memory".

 

[nanaki333]

uhhhh.. the max is 4GB and it's the BIOS that's only seeing 3GB, not just windows. this is before the OS even loads.

windows actually reads it as 2.93GB

 

[Fallengod]

Seems like a moot point anyways. Windows can only use 3gb, whats the point of the bios even seeing more.

Anyways, it sounds like its a mobo issue. Over 2gb is a big waste anyways so bleh... If you are upgraded to the latest bios, well that sucks. Sounds like youre out of luck? Motherboard hardware issue maybe?

 

[nanaki333]

big waste... hah.. that's what they said about 1GB, and 2GB, and now, 4GB. and guess what? the same will be said for 8GB in a few years.

 

[nanaki333]

nevermind. google saved me in the meantime. memory remap fixed it

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: nanaki333
nevermind. google saved me in the meantime. memory remap fixed it

Memory remapping is only effective when the operating system supports more than 4GB via 64-bit or 36-bit PAE.

The BIOS may be reporting only what it is making available to Windows, not the total installed RAM. Half dozen of one and six of the other.

Seems like a moot point anyways. Windows can only use 3gb, whats the point of the bios even seeing more.

Windows can use as much RAM as the BIOS makes available to it, minus about 256MB. There are older systems running with 3.5 ~ 3.75 GB in use by Windows 32-bit just fine.

The BIOS and chipset decide how much memory the operating system will get to use. There is no "3GB" limitation by Windows, period.

 

[nanaki333]

anyway, i'm running vista x64 so yeah, it more than supports it.

 

[Praetor]

Wow. Why did everyone assume that he was running a 32-bit OS? I'll have to keep the memory remapping in mind. I'm waiting for the Egg to deliver my P5b-Deluxe and 4G of ram.

 

[krotchy]

Upgrade your bios then play with the memory remapping feature. Look for something commented about 32 bit OS's in the bios and set it to whatever the bios says provides 64 bit support. (Depending on the bios writer, sometimes it can be worded funny, so its not a guarantee enable or disable every time)

Depending on how old your bios is, this may not appear, but a simple update should bring it about.

I had this issue on an older P5W-DH that we had removed from a computer to put in a P5WDG2 (we needed a PCI-X Slot for an HD-SDI capture card). When I installed it in another computer I was building, we put in a Q6600 and 4 Gigs of ram, needless to say the older bios didn't have the ability to disable the remapping, nor did it recognize the new processor. I burned a CD-RW quickly popped it in for a bios flash and I was good to go.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: Fallengod
Seems like a moot point anyways. Windows can only use 3gb, whats the point of the bios even seeing more.

Anyways, it sounds like its a mobo issue. Over 2gb is a big waste anyways so bleh... If you are upgraded to the latest bios, well that sucks. Sounds like youre out of luck? Motherboard hardware issue maybe?

over 2GB is not a waste...not when you're running Vista

 

[nanaki333]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: Fallengod
Seems like a moot point anyways. Windows can only use 3gb, whats the point of the bios even seeing more.

Anyways, it sounds like its a mobo issue. Over 2gb is a big waste anyways so bleh... If you are upgraded to the latest bios, well that sucks. Sounds like youre out of luck? Motherboard hardware issue maybe?

over 2GB is not a waste...not when you're running Vista

that was going to be my original response, but i didn't think he'd get it if he never ran it anyway.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: nanaki333

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: Fallengod
Seems like a moot point anyways. Windows can only use 3gb, whats the point of the bios even seeing more.

Anyways, it sounds like its a mobo issue. Over 2gb is a big waste anyways so bleh... If you are upgraded to the latest bios, well that sucks. Sounds like youre out of luck? Motherboard hardware issue maybe?

over 2GB is not a waste...not when you're running Vista

that was going to be my original response, but i didn't think he'd get it if he never ran it anyway.

He sounds like the type of person who says "we don't need multiple cores" "we don't need 64bit" "we don't need..."