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Solve : Memory size discrepancy?

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Hi all.

Curious... the computer I built has 1G of memory. It shows up in the BIOS as the 1G (or 1024) installed, but says 960 useable. Why is that?

I've also noticed this same type of discrepancy on my laptop. When I purchased it, it was supposed to have 1G installed, but only says there is 766MB.

Can someone explain this to me?

Thanks The OS is probably using the rest of it. I have 256MB of RAM and yet my OS says it has 222MB RAM. That or the memory is corrupt.

-- edit --

You can run a memory test with memtest86 to see if the memory is corrupt.

Download it here: http://www.memtest86.com/
Tutorial: http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic62524.htmlI'm guessing the missing RAM is being used by onboard graphic cards. (I.e. a graphic card that is integrated in motherboard.) These usually take a portion of the main system RAM to use as video RAM.
If you post system specifications on the computers in question (or failing that brand name and MODEL numbers) we can tell you whether you've got onboard graphic cards.Quote from: Ravenne on January 10, 2008, 03:50:57 PM

Hi all.

Curious... the computer I built has 1G of memory. It shows up in the BIOS as the 1G (or 1024) installed, but says 960 useable. Why is that?

1024 - 960 = 64. This indicates your onboard video USES 64MB of your system RAM for video. Windows does not include that in the amount of system memory it reports in System Properties. And, most likely, it's the same thing with your laptop except it's allocating more memory to video.

For proof, run dxdiag (Start, Run, and enter dxdiag), select the Display tab, and see how much video memory is shown there.
The laptop;
Acer ASPIRE 5100
AMD Turion 64 MK-36 2GHz
766 MB
Windows Vista Home Premium

I know Vista is a resource hog, so I guess it makes sense to me now that it doesn't report the full 1G.
I just learned that Vista has a memory diagnostic tool (learn something new everyday ). I ran it for 2 passes on my laptop and 7 on my husband's. Both came up with no errors. Laptops only have integrated video, correct?


The other machine was built by me.

Motherboard is ASUS A8V-VM SE
AMD A64 3500+ 2.2Ghz
1G DDR SDRAM DDR400
Windows XP

I'm using the integrated video card, haven't added anything fancy to it.
I downloaded the Memtest program and am going to try it on this machine, just for giggles.

Thanks for your input everyone. It makes more sense to me now So both of them have integrated graphic cards... well there's your missing RAM. Like I said integrated graphic cards borrow a chunk of system RAM to use as video memory; this memory will not be reported by Windows because Windows has no access to it.
Like Soybean said, the integrated card on the desktop is using 64 mb and 258 is being used on the laptop. On a new laptop that is not uncommon.

The BIOS usually have a setting that lets you control the amount memory used by the graphics card. If you don't plan on using the computers for gaming you can reduce the amount of RAM reserved for the graphics card.Quote
I know Vista is a resource hog, so I guess it makes sense to me now that it doesn't report the full 1G.
It doesn't have anything to do with your OS. Others explained your "issue" pretty clearly. Well, when I mentioned Vista being a resource hog, I was talking about all of the pretty bells and whistles (transparent windows etc). I figured that's where the missing RAM is being used, to fuel all of that.
Or am I looking at this INCORRECTLY?
Is all that being used by the "missing RAM"?I thought, it was explained pretty well by previous posters, that you don't have any missing RAM.I know it's not "missing" (wrong choice of word perhaps ).
Since it's being used by on-board graphics, it's "in use".


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