8GB (3.96 USABLE) RAM ISSUE

[Joao Ferreira]

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, I'VE BUILD MY OWN DESKTOP http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/28WT6 BUT CAN'T USE ALL AVALABLE MEMORY.
RAM'S ARE ON POSITION 1 AND 4 ON MOTHERBOARD, IF I CHANGED THEM TO OTHER POSITIONS OR IT WON'T EVEN START OR ACT REALLY WEIRD.
CAN SOMEONE HELP ME FIX THIS PROBLEM?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP FROM YOU GUYS

 

[Shintaro]

Mate,

Please don't write the whole post with the caps lock on and it is probably not intentional, but it means that you are shouting.

First the RAM is NOT on the Gigabyte Memory Supported List for that Motherboard look here
Download the Manual for your Motherboard HERE

Look at the bottom of page 9.

When enabling Dual Channel mode with two or four memory modules, it is recommended that memory of the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used and installed in the same colored DDR3 sockets for optimum performance. For optimum performance, when enabling Dual Channel mode with two memory modules, we recommend that you install them in the DDR3_1 and DDR3_2 sockets

Look at page 4 the RAM Slots. (See attached pic)​

Please put the RAM in those positions and see how it goes.

Hope this helps

 

[Joao Ferreira]

Sorry about caps, i put ram's in 1st and 2nd position, hard disk and fans start but nothing else happens, it stays like that but windows doesn't start, right now i have them in position 1 and 4.
I used pc part picker to see if ram was compatible with motherboard.

 

[Shintaro]

So when the RAM is in position 1 and 4, how much RAM is showing on the boot screen?

Or get in to your BIOS and see what the Total Memory Size is. (Page 17 of the manual)

 

[Shintaro]

If you are only seeing half the RAM when the computer boots you need to find out the RAM stick is faulty or if the motherboard slot is faulty.

But first:
Page 27 of your manual. "Load Optimized Defaults" & reboot.
Put the RAM in slots 1 & 2.
Did it make a difference? Can you see the 8Gb in the BIOS?

If no change:
Try each stick of RAM in slot 1. Do they both work and show about 4Gb when the PC boots?
If they both work in slot 1, then most likely you have a faulty slot 2 on the motherboard.

If only 1 stick of RAM works in slot 1, then you have faulty RAM.

You can also try a single stick of RAM in the other slots to see if it will work. For example:
A stick of RAM that works in slot 1, try it in slot 3. Does it work? If it does try the other single stick of RAM in slot 3.
Then do the same for slot 4.

IF you can see the whole 8Gb of RAM but windows acts funny then it is possibly a timing problem.

Hope this helps.

 

[Joao Ferreira]

In position 1 and 4 it shows 8gb, position 1 and 2 windows doesn't start

 

[Shintaro]

what?
Where is it saying that only 3.98Gb is usable?

 

[TrainableMan]

Any chance you installed the (x86) 32-bit version of W7 instead of (x64) 64-bit?

 

[Shintaro]

So how did you go? Find the problem?

 

[clifford_cooley]

http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_ga-970a-ds3p_e.pdf

The four DDR3 memory sockets are divided into two channels and each channel has two memory sockets as following:

• Channel A: DDR3_2, DDR3_4
• Channel B: DDR3_1, DDR3_3

For optimum performance, when enabling Dual Channel mode with two memory modules, we recommend that you install them in the DDR3_1 and DDR3_2 sockets.

If the PC doesn't boot with slot 1 and 2 populated, I'd say there was a problem with one the RAM modules that effects dual channel capabilities. Especially when the system recognizes 4GB but list it as non-usable, while not in a dual channel configuration.