RAM doesn't add up

[JosefStalin]

Hello. Long time zeropaid.com visitor, first time poster.

I added a gig of RAM today. Previously, I had 512mb of RAM.

So I check my system information and it says I have 1279mb of RAM installed.

Why isnt it 1512 or so? Should I have taken the 512 RAM out and put the 1gb RAM in that slot? And then put the 512 RAM in the second slot? Or is this just the normal amount of RAM that gets displayed?

[DigitalJunkie]

I don't think you can one 512mb stick & one 1gb stick, both should have same size of RAMs.

[w31n3r]

I don't think you can one 512mb stick & one 1gb stick, both should have same size of RAMs.

nope, doesn't work that way...you're confusing it with dual channel mode.

unless your new ram is defective, it should report properly. are you using the onboard VGA controller? if so, check your bios settings to see how much RAM is reserved for it. this is the likeliest cause of your issue.

if thats not it, try re-installing both modules. use the cmos jumper on your motherboard to clear the nv ram (check your mobo manual on how to do that). if it's still reporting the same, install one module at a time and check to see what your bios (NOT windows) says.

if the new ram reports less than it's capacity when its installed on its own, while the older one reports correctly, you probably need to have it replaced. but make sure you've tried it on all slots just to make sure.

[carpefile]

Its also possible you've exceeded the amount of ram your motherboard will accept. I ran into this when trying to squeeze a little more life out of an older p3 1ghz system. It had 3 128mb ram chips and would dog majorly when trying to do simple multitasking, like run winamp and firefox at the same time.
I popped in 3 512mb chips thinking this would help a ton. It booted, but read something odd, like 680mb of ram. After digging about I found the board's limit was 3 256mb ram chips.

[JosefStalin]

Thanks. I was about to open it up and start messing about with it, but then I saw this thread:

http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=938210&topic=39143408

The guy seems to have done the same thing I did -- add a gig of RAM. And he says he got 1278 RAM now. I assume he had 512mb before. Or...maybe he did have 250 something. Anyway, I dont want to send it back because its a pain and it wasnt that expensive and its only short changing me on 230 megs or so.

Im pretty sure I didnt exceed anything though, because I was using information found in this thread:

http://forum.packardbell.com/en/viewtopic.php?t=47037&highlight=&sid=655d335e8ac6f6ef134f61f0c0e1191d

The guy asking the question there has the same computer I have, the same amount of RAM, and hes looking to buy the same amount of RAM. So maybe its just like how your listed CPU speed is never the same speed its advertised as.

[Mels_Smileys45]

Its also possible you've exceeded the amount of ram your motherboard will accept. I ran into this when trying to squeeze a little more life out of an older p3 1ghz system. It had 3 128mb ram chips and would dog majorly when trying to do simple multitasking, like run winamp and firefox at the same time.
I popped in 3 512mb chips thinking this would help a ton. It booted, but read something odd, like 680mb of ram. After digging about I found the board's limit was 3 256mb ram chips.


If you have 3 slots its not always a good idea to fill all three slots with ram. If youre using DDR, putting a stick in the third slot negates the dual channel support so your RAM is half as fast as it should be.

I would always use 2 sticks of the same size. Using two sticks that are not the same size will not use DDR either.

[slavik19]

RAM dose add up only u have to check ur bios and make sure they r the same speed!

[CCSDUDE]

If you have 3 slots its not always a good idea to fill all three slots with ram. If youre using DDR, putting a stick in the third slot negates the dual channel support so your RAM is half as fast as it should be.

I would always use 2 sticks of the same size. Using two sticks that are not the same size will not use DDR either.
yep built my pops system with a pair of corsair 512's and upon him adding another better stick of the same brand his onboard sound started getting choppy as fuck and usenet decodes made the system crawl

pull the stick and suddenly at 1 gig instead of 2 it was moving fuckloads faster

kinda sucks since neither of us have use for the extra stick lol basically a backup now incase either cheap 512 fails

to the OP..post your mobo model and make if thats not the problem you may have a bad stick either by default or by your actions (IE static or whatever)

[Excrement_Cranium]

My bet is on the onboard VGA discounting your RAM.... which you will be able to do nothing about if you are running off of your onboard.