I'm running into an issue with my PC, which is getting a bit old but I've recently upgraded some parts, adding two 8GB RAM sticks for a total of 16GB. However, in the settings, it shows that I have 16GB of RAM installed but only 8GB is usable. I've tried several troubleshooting steps like changing the maximum memory in msconfig, updating my BIOS, and reseating the RAM sticks in different slots but nothing has worked. Does anyone have suggestions on how I can resolve this issue? Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
It sounds like your Task Manager is reporting 16GB installed but only 8GB usable, right? That's often due to hardware reserving memory for system processes. It might help to check if the RAM sticks are mismatched in speed. They should match for optimal performance!
First off, you might want to check what motherboard chipset you have. Some older motherboards can only support a maximum of 8GB of RAM, which could explain why you're stuck there. Getting the model number can help figure that out!
I have the m5a78l lx plus, yeah it’s really old!
Before diving deeper, can you confirm if both RAM sticks are of the same speed and specs? Mismatching can lead to issues like this. Also, sometimes the BIOS needs tweaking to recognize the full amount, so double-check those settings too.
Yeah, that's exactly what I'm seeing! Half is hardware reserved.