W7 x64 4GB ram only 3.87GB useable w/ ATi HD5550?

Coup27

Platinum Member
Jul 17, 2010
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Intel i3 530 @ 3.6
Gigabyte H55M-UD2H
Corsair XMS3 2x2GB
W7 HP x64

Hi,

I have the above system and used to use the clarkdale graphics and in system properties my ram showed 4GB installed, 3.87GB useable. I was told that this was because the other 130MB was being use by the clarkdale gfx.

I recently bought an ATi HD5550 graphics card and installed it. I expected that as the GFX card has its own onboard 1GB of ram, that system properties would now show 4GB useable, but it doesnt, it hasn't changed.

Can somebody please explain whats taken the 130MB?

Thanks.
 

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
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The integrated Clarksdale graphics. I haven't used any Clarksdale systems, so I am not even sure the integrated graphics can be just shut down. You'll have to look in your systems BIOS and see if there is an option to turn off the integrated video. Until that happens, your integrated video will continue to use the "128MB" of memory from your system RAM. Or at least choose a lower memory usage setting, like 32MB or even 16MB, if there is no option to turn it completely off.
Anyone else have a Clarksdale can chime in here?
 
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Coup27

Platinum Member
Jul 17, 2010
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thanks for your reply.

the options in bios for onboard video read:

1) Disable when external PCI-E card is detected
2) Always disable

Either way it's disabled because it does not show up in device manager either and the right click desktop to open the clarkdale GUI option has gone too.
 

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
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^ What Bryan said. If you did and still losing that RAM,
well, pretty sure that is where your 128MB or RAM is going whether it shows up in the OS or not. You may have to live with sacrificing that bit of RAM if there isn't a way to TRULY shut off the onboard. Wish I could help more, but I think the only way out of this is to change out your CPU for an i7 of some sort. I wish I knew.
 

Coup27

Platinum Member
Jul 17, 2010
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ok ive just been back into my bios and made a mistake on what i originally put. the options are:

disable if PCI-E card is detected
always enable

Naturally it's on the first option. Also, there are no options relating to the amount of RAM you can allocate to the integrated VGA.

stumped. Is there a chance we're on the wrong scent and it's something else using that ram?
 

Coup27

Platinum Member
Jul 17, 2010
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Just been into resource monitor and found this:

If i hover over the grey block it says "Hardware Reserved: Memory that is reserved for use by the BIOS and some drivers and other peripherals".

hmm

ram.jpg
 

dualsmp

Golden Member
Aug 16, 2003
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My i3 530 does the same thing with 3.87 GB available. I have a discreet card as well, but the memory is never freed up. Not sure if there is any BIOS setting that can free it up either. Not too big of deal, but kinda annoying.
 

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
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Chances are that if you swapped out the Clarksdale for an i5 750 (if you had one) or the like, that would be reduced to about 5MB. Unless we are really missing something here, it's the onboard video inside the Clarksdale still holding on to that memory. If nothing else is found that could be the culprit, then I'd say you're stuck with that scenario. 128MB is not the end of the world though. You won't miss it.
 

Voo

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2009
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Just look for an option in the BIOS to remap hw address space above the 4gb address space, though lots of BIOSes don't have that option..
 

dualsmp

Golden Member
Aug 16, 2003
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Just look for an option in the BIOS to remap hw address space above the 4gb address space, though lots of BIOSes don't have that option..

Checked my BIOS for memory remap and it's a no-go. I'll just live with it, or maybe a BIOS update will include the option in the future.