Bios with half physical memory and Windows that doesn't run smoothly at claimed speeds
Bios with half physical memory and Windows that doesn't run smoothly at claimed speeds
I recently purchased parts for my Ryzen system and found that over half of the memory (8.1 GB) is already reserved by hardware. I looked up the issue and discovered it's a frequent problem, with some suggestions like checking the maximum memory limit via MSConfig. A few users reported rearranging RAM modules on the Mobo and it resolved the issue, though I've tried that multiple times without success. Others mentioned it might be related to the x32 OS, but my Windows is x64 as well. I noticed my RAM sticks operate at lower speeds (2400 MHz) than their rated 3200 MHz. In the BIOS, I used XMP profiles and manually overclocked them, but they didn't boot properly with those settings. After resetting the BIOS, it still showed 8 GB of physical memory but detected memory in both slots. I attempted manual overclocking, but nothing above 2400 MHz worked. I also tested running only one stick, which performed well with XMP profiles. It seems the two challenges might be linked, though I'm not sure. My specs include an R5 1600 AF CPU, MSI X470 motherboard, T-Force Delta RGB DDR4 16GB (2x8GB) at 3200MHz, and an MSI RX 580 Armor 8G GPU.
Early Ryzen models can manage faster memory rates, though this build isn’t officially approved by the board. @daniyal—have you attempted adjusting the memory speed manually instead of using XMP? Raising the voltage to around 1.35 might assist. What if you start with only half the RAM?
I adjusted the settings myself using the DRAM calculator with 'SAFE' timings. I increased the voltage beyond 1.35 and it worked, even with an 8GB stick. The XMP profiles at 3200 MHz also functioned without needing a voltage change. It’s puzzling why higher speeds work for one stick but not another, and why the 8.1 GB slot is reserved despite the QVL listing 2400 MHz. My thought is the BIOS might not support dual-channel at those speeds, or Windows could be the issue.