RAM not enterely used.

Commodore_1995# · July 2020

Can you send a screenshot of this setting?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/7c/i6iq8cmbthid.jpg

Archimede · July 2020

yes of course.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/3e/2eho32rlm5m8.jpg

Commodore_1995# · July 2020

Can you send some screenshots of the cpuz memory and spd tabs? I would like if all ram memories are ddr3 or ddr3L:

Archimede · July 2020

Here you are what you ask for...

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/1m/kpjuf88b5t06.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/ce/0se7zsf5mkaf.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/ik/121m8i4fg2ww.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/2f/m8o2ermbuhwa.jpg

aphanic · July 2020

I saw so many comments in the thread I decided to chime in as well haha

Could you run Thaiphoon Burner and post a scrennshot of all of the modules? I want to see if they share one common profile:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/5t/qpo6iaspg4jx.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/tz/s5bc2uzludto.png

I'm also interested to see if Linux sees the same (it would mean it's a hardware thing instead of being software related), but that will come later. I'll write you some instructions on how to do it with screenshots.

JackE · July 2020

@aphanic >>>>I'm also interested to see if Linux sees the same>>>>

Yes, me too. It would also be interesting to see what happens if the 8GB modules exchange sockets with the 4GB modules if not tried already.

Jack E/NJ

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/el/wwr0n1xt2eyx.jpg

aphanic · July 2020

Instructions for Linux, download and run Rufus and the latest ISO for Cinnamon of Linux Mint.
Open Rufus, insert an USB stick (everything will be deleted there, so save the important stuff somewhere else):

Settings populate themselves automatically, then click START and burn it as ISO, not DD:
Once it's done, make sure you have the Boot Menu enabled in the BIOS and I think you're OK with Secure Boot on, but just in case turn it off even if momentarily. You may need to set a supervisor password for that.
Then boot from the USB, you'll arrive at the Cinnamon desktop of Mint:
Next, open the System Information app and post a screenshot:

Alt+PrtSc takes a screenshot of the current window and once you release the keys you'll be presented with a dialog where to save it.
Also the System Monitor, another screenshot of the Resources tab:

It's just getting info for the sake of having data, but the next part is the relevant one.
Connect to the WiFi or networked Internet (the icon is next to the clock as in Windows), then open a Terminal (it's an app) and type the following commands:
```
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install i2c-tools

sudo dmidecode -t memory > Desktop/dmidecode.txt

sudo lshw -class memory > Desktop/lshw.txt

sudo modprobe eeprom
sudo decode-dimms > Desktop/decode-dimms.txt
```
There will be plenty of lines of output on the first and second commands, don't worry about it (as long as you're connected to the Internet everything will go according to plan.

Then you'll find some new files in the desktop: dmidecode.txt, lshw.txt and decode-dimms.txt

Upload them all somewhere or attach them to a post here, like I did.

And then we analyze the situation, hopefully knowing more about what's going on in there and why. By the way, don't hesitate to ask questions if you're lost at some point, I reckon I skipped some steps or screenshots.

JackE · July 2020

Does this V3 system have a mechanical HDD? I see some evidence that Windows could be reserving this as an HDD cache or RAMdisk to speed up access. Jack E/NJ

aphanic · July 2020

That's certainly a possibility @JackE, but that much?! I was surprised when I was seeing comments and comments in the thread so I entered to see what it was about and I was shocked.

I've seen RAM being reserved for hardware and peripherals, but never to this degree. Maybe some 512MB max. Even if you took into account SGX if it even was enabled, the maximum amount of RAM it can reserve is 128MB.

JackE · July 2020

The so-called hybrid mechanical HDDs typically use 8GB or more built-in cache. This compares to regular mechanical HDDs which usually are 256MB or less. So in effect, it might be simulating a hybrid HDD or an optane-enhanced HDD. If this is the case, I would expect some way to reduce the amount. Jack E/NJ

Archimede · July 2020

I have read with a lot of interest what you have written :

- a) I can't install Linux because I have a lot of stuff inside my PC and I don't have time to reinstall everything only to try.

- b) When I bought this PC, it had a mechanical HD. after few weeks I changed it to SSD Samsung. Now my PC inside have two SSD. The first is Samsung EVO 256 GB and the second one is Samsung SSD 850 PRO 128 GB.

- c) I have already tryed to exchange sockets with the 4GB modules but the result was the same.

I tryed :

socket 1 = 8 Gb

socket 2 = 4 Gb

socket 3 = 8 Gb

socket 4 = 4 Gb

Result : 8Gb = reserved and 16 Gb available

socket 1 = 4 Gb

socket 2 = 8 Gb

socket 3 = 4 Gb

socket 4 = 8 Gb

Result : 8Gb = reserved and 16 Gb available

That's all ...

aphanic · July 2020

Archimede said:

I can't install Linux because I have a lot of stuff inside my PC and I don't have time to reinstall everything only to try.

Ohhhh don't worry, we're not installing, just copying it to an USB stick, that's it. Your machine will remain as it was and you can format the USB stick after you're done to have it clean again. If that's your concern, rest assured that the internal disk won't be touched a bit (in fact, unless you tinker, Rufus only shows USB sticks not hard drives).

But please do try to follow those steps, Thaiphoon in Windows will show us all of the profiles each of the sticks support and we can check if there's at least 1 they have in common (timming-wise) and Linux will confirm if it's a Windows situation or it has to do with the machine somehow.

Archimede · July 2020

Thank you aphanic for your better explanation. My english is not so good as I wanted. I am italian.

Ok I will follow your instruction tomorrow evening. Now I have to go to bed because tomorrow morning I have to get up early.

Thank ou again. Tomorrow You will have surely some news from me.

aphanic · July 2020

Definitely, we'll be around, and remember that I can always rephrase or use different words in explanations so don't be shy to ask

Good night man! I'm hitting the bed in about two hours as well too (Spanish dude here)

Commodore_1995# · July 2020

It would be interesting to know, if when you disconnect only one ram, how much is still available for the hardware? In addition, I found this information in the service manual: