Member Avatar for Eku

I just bought (2) 512MB sticks of Corsair RAM for my HP Pavilion a420N, which ships with a single stick of 512MB RAM in it (or so it says in the documentation). But it hasn't arrived yet.

Meantime...I looked at the properties today, and it tells me I have 448MB of RAM. WHA...? That's not possible, is it?

I just downloaded Everest 2.01 to check into it, (I'm on my work computer now) but in the meantime, if one of my slots has gone bad, is there anything I can do, or should I count on having to send it for repair? Remove/replace the sticks, or just wait for my new RAM and hope?

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The exchange between and rightly identified shared/reserved memory as the likely cause; for readers who find a few megabytes “missing” (for example seeing 128MB reported as 120MB), here is a concise, practical checklist to confirm the cause and rule out other issues.

  • Check what the OS reports vs BIOS: open System Information (msinfo32) or Task Manager/Resource Monitor to compare Installed vs Available/Hardware Reserved memory. BIOS/UEFI should show the raw installed amount; if BIOS shows full but OS shows less, the OS is reporting reserved/usable differences.
  • Look in BIOS/UEFI for integrated-video options (UMA/IGD frame buffer size, Primary Display, or Disable Onboard Video) and for a Memory Remap/Above 4G setting. Reduce or disable the integrated GPU allocation, or set primary video to PCIe/AGP if you add a discrete card.
  • Isolate sticks and slots: power down, discharge, ground yourself, then test one stick at a time in the primary slot. If a single stick is only partially recognized or fails in both slots, run an extended memory test.
  • Run a thorough memory test (MemTest86 is the standard) to catch DIMM or controller errors. If MemTest86 reports errors on a single stick or only in one slot, that points to a bad module or motherboard slot.
  • Consider OS/addressing limits: 32‑bit systems and some OS/kernel settings can limit usable RAM even when physically present. For modern Windows memory limits and details, refer to Microsoft documentation.

If reseating, BIOS changes, and testing point to a bad slot or persistent errors on a module, it’s reasonable to RMA the board or the DIMM. When adding/removing modules, take basic ESD precautions and update the motherboard BIOS if the vendor recommends it. For running MemTest86 and reading BIOS options, the official MemTest86 site is a good source of tools and instructions: https://www.memtest86.com/

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Member Avatar for Zachery

Chances are you video card steals some of your onboard ram :)

Member Avatar for Eku

aha...I just took the old malfunctioning vid card out. When it was in, it registered 512MB. Now, after I took it out to work off the old mobo onboard, it says 448MB . Thief! :)

My new card is coming UPS in the same box as the new RAM. So, what your saying is I shouldn't worry. Thanks!

Member Avatar for murlan murphy

I'm new at this stuff. I have a similar problem. The machine has 128mb installed, but the system profile shows only 120mb working. Someone else advised me it may be a video problem. I don't know how to approach this. How did you do it?

Member Avatar for Eku

As Zachery implies above, if you have "onboard" graphics (meaning, your motherboard has integrated video), it will steal some of your RAM in order to function. If you install a video card in the motherboard's AGP, PCI, or PCIe slot, you probably won't see this problem...IF that's indeed what's going on. If there are other issues at work, I'm not the fellow to ask - lots of great advice is available from the "gurus" on this site!

(BTW: if you do decide to install a graphics card, make sure to search the forum or the web on the issues with compatability, and with regard to disabling the onboard video.)

Member Avatar for murlan murphy

As Zachery implies above, if you have "onboard" graphics (meaning, your motherboard has integrated video), it will steal some of your RAM in order to function. If you install a video card in the motherboard's AGP, PCI, or PCIe slot, you probably won't see this problem...IF that's indeed what's going on. If there are other issues at work, I'm not the fellow to ask - lots of great advice is available from the "gurus" on this site!

(BTW: if you do decide to install a graphics card, make sure to search the forum or the web on the issues with compatability, and with regard to disabling the onboard video.)

Thanks. Very helpful.

Member Avatar for murlan murphy

thank you, very helpful.

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