RAM only reading as 512 in SL

Hi there i have just bought 2x1GB of ram, i stuck em both in and there only reading as 512MB each, they are definatly 1GB. and the memory clock is 400MHZ but only reading 333MHZ so i clocked up up to 400MHZ, is that a good idea?

has anyone else had this problem in SL? or is it my crappy PC?

You need to find the answers to more questions. It is not enough that memory sticks will plug in, you also need to check that your motherboard and its chipset can support the type and size you bought. Hopefully you didn't go only on price, and chose a vendor that will guarantee compatibility with the hardware you told them you have.

Do you still have two old 512 Mb modules installed in the PC?

yeh, i have 2x512MB and 2x 1GB

As Viktoria suggest, you should consult the spec of your motherboard for confirmation it will take 1Gb sticks.

Also, I'd recommend to populate slots one and two with your new sticks alone to confirm.

Yup - that is right - and do not put the 512s back in.

so what's the total RAM that your system is reading then? 2 GB since you have 2x512MB and 2x1GB that are read as 512MB?

are they in the proper memory slots? Some motherboards are funky and require you to put RAM in certain slots. Are they the same clock speed? Are both sets DDR or DDR2? What motherboard are you using?

Don't some motherboards require you to populate slots 1 and 3 if you're using DDR or DDR2 RAM? I know that's how my motherboard works.

"RAM only reading as 512 in SL"

Where are you "reading" this memory information in SL?

I have now just the 1GB ram stick in, but its reading as 512MB. I was reading that flashing my bios will fix it, how do i do this?

Computer
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Service Pack Service Pack 2
Internet Explorer 6.0.2900.2180
Computer Name CHAOS-PC
User Name Administrator
Logon Domain CHAOS-PC

Motherboard
CPU Type Unknown, 2249 MHz (11 x 204)
Motherboard Name Unknown
Motherboard Chipset Unknown
System Memory 512 MB
BIOS Type AMI (09/22/06)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM1)
Communication Port Printer Port (LPT1)

Display
Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS (320 MB)
Monitor Gateway VX1100 (804026666)

Multimedia
Audio Adapter Creative SB Audigy 2 (WDM) [NoDB]

Storage
Disk Drive Maxtor 6L080M0
Disk Drive SAMSUNG SP2504C
Optical Drive TSSTcorp CD/DVDW SH-S182D

Partitions
C: (NTFS) 238464 MB (183748 MB free)
D: (NTFS) 39997 MB (20147 MB free)
E: (NTFS) 38154 MB (37653 MB free)

Input
Keyboard Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mouse HID-compliant mouse

Network
Primary IP Address 192.168.2.2
Primary MAC Address 00-16-17-D6-4D-95
Network Adapter NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller (192.168.2.2)

Peripherals
USB Device USB Human Interface Device

Oh I see. It's reading as 512MB in Windows, which means every application (not just SL) will assume there is 512MB of RAM.

To find a BIOS upgrade, you need to identify your motherboard. Unfortunately that information isn't available in those specs. Did a motherboard manual come with your computer? Or, is there a list of specs available for your exact make/model of computer? Perhaps at the manufacturer's site?

This is all the information you would need, but the details are not being reported to Windows. Look on the motherboard for markings with a brand and model number, Google that board and find some specifications, and pick memory that matches them.

Before you flash your BIOS, are you sure you cannot edit it or go into it and do an autodetect? I am guessing you have already done this because you talked about clocking up, but I just thought I would mention it just in case.

its not a make, its just a generic motherboard i think, 3 different programs are reporting it back as unknown and there are no obvious sings on the board itaselfl, well there NForce written on one of the chips but thats about it

ah its ok i did a bios check. the motherboard is

MSI MS-7207PVG

All motherboards are made by someone =) It may be hard to locate, but there is almost always a maker and some numbers printed on there somewhere. You really really want to find this if you can, otherwise you are working blind.

It was manufactured by _somebody_ and the company responsible will have given it a _model number_. I'd expect to see it in tiny print somewhere around the rim of the board (possibly on the underside).

Given that information, you should be able to find the latest BIOS file, and that may allow the system to detect the extra RAM. Does it detect the RAM OK on the POST screen? (On the black screen when you first switch on.)

Okay, you could do a search on the web for free diagnostics tools. Some might not be able to detect the make, but some will. SiSoft Sandra is pretty good. Also, there is a memory utility you could look for, I think it is called "CPU Mem" that will look at the motherboard and memory slots and tell you what can and can't go in there.

There is an alternative solution of course..... if it seems your PC is faster with the new modules (you could use a diagnostics program to check this), then given that your PC actually boots up with the memory on board (a fair sign of compatibility), you could just forget what Windows reports and stop worrying about it......

Aha! The MSI Live Update service should tell you if a BIOS upgrade is available:

http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=downloadindex

Please be aware that flashing your BIOS carries a risk of killing your motherboard! It's never happened to me, but you never know....

ok it's been flashed, and all works ok, wow i didn't know it could do it via windows, althou the new start up screen looked a little different (had 2 restart) but the memory is still reading 512MB as a posed to 1GB, this is infact in Bios aswell.

i guess buying my RAM off of ebay was a bad idea, proberly is only 512MB. oh well got some more of the exact same model (well the model it is supposed to be) coming in a few days from Toms hardware, hopefully that should work

ok i can't find the root cause of the problem

One thing is to google around for the RAM model itself and see what its specs are: the BIOS settings for the RAM may need to be tweaked to make all the timings compatible with the new memory clock speed (if you haven't already done that as part of setting the clock).

At the very least, this should establish for certain that the memory is indeed 1GB per module.

I looked at ebay when I was buying RAM, i bought my PC there and was happy so I gave it a shot. I'm not a total luddite, but not a geek either. It was just too tedious looking through ebay at all the entries. I went to crucial.com instead, typed in the computer info and ordered the right memory from there.

Good idea Qie !

Chaos - you could try putting the RAM into someone else's PC to test it, assuming that it is compatible.

I thought the only RAM number in the SL options was the Video Card ram ..

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Since you have to options to use less than the entire amount. That was added as a performance thing. They recommended you not use more Video RAM than half the system RAM and thus they added that selection area.