8GB in BIOS, 3.13GB useable?
Hey folks!
I'm running CentOS (x86_64) with an old windows laptop and can only use 3.13GB RAM, despite the BIOS seeing 8GB. Code:
[root@highhigh ~]# uname -a First off, please note that I'm aware the onboard graphics is most likely nabbing around 512MB!! :) Unable to flash the bios, the bios updates are only available as .exe files from Lenovo. Using "sudo lshw" we can see the memory: Code:
[root@highhigh ~]# sudo lshw We can see here that only some of the memory is currently useable: Code:
[root@highhigh ~]# free -m The board is PAE compatible, from the looks of below: Code:
[root@highhigh ~]# grep -i pae /proc/cpuinfo |
Can you use top on console?
It might be nessecary to flash the Bios. |
Quote:
My original post was using stats from htop to easily find the viewable RAM size. :( Quote:
Thanks for the reply, Keruskerfuerst. Any other suggestions? :) |
.exe files are often just containers designed to unzip into a specific Windows directory, and their contents accessible using your favorite distro's unzip extractor.
|
8GB in BIOS, 3.13GB useable?
Update through windows PE
|
A couple of thoughts:
* You should only update your BIOS if you're sure that will fix the problem - it's not clear to me that doing that will fix it. * If you're using a 64-bit version of CentOS and therefore your machine must be a 64-bit machine, if it's working, then; that can't be the problem that you're machine is only a 32-bit machine. If you were using a 32-bit system, then it will only be able to use 4GB of RAM and not 8GB of RAM. * On my CentOS 7.4 system (that has 8GB of RAM), 7.7GB is usable and not the whole 8GB of RAM - because some of it is reserved by the hardware for it's own use and therefore is not available to the OS. * It seems strange to me given the above that your machine's BIOS see's the 8GB of RAM, but the OS only see's 3.13GB of RAM. So, a couple of suggestions: Are you sure that the OS is only seeing 3.13GB of RAM? Have you had a look at another utility to make sure that IS the case? Have you ran memtest on your machine to see if there ain't any problems with the installed RAM, that maybe stopping the OS seeing the rest of the RAM installed? Bear in mind that it's quite normal that at least some of the RAM will be unavailable to the OS for it's use and therefore, the OS will not be able to address the whole 8GB of RAM. Also bear in mind that exactly how much is available to the OS, will most probably vary depending on your hardware. |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Appreciate the input and time taken to give help on all the above posts. Thank you! |
Quote:
I'll try some memtests before proceeding.. |
Quote:
Code:
[root@highhigh ~]# memtest-setup |
Try running it off a live CD/USB instead. As, it can't test memory in use by the OS (or memory the OS does not have access to) while CentOS is running.
https://ask.fedoraproject.org/en/que...-support-uefi/ |
Thanks for the advice.
As the bios likely needed flashing and I also struggled to format a decent memory tester onto a USB from my Mac I've taken a strange route but, we're getting there.. - installed some light MSDOS OS, just to test and see if i could get some memory checks / bios flash running. ..no luck - downloaded windows 8.1 (as this version matches the Lenovo drivers on their support website). - attempted to install windows 8.1 using three USB's as HDD's. Who knew, it doesn't like that! - attempted to use an external drive, needed to be GPT format.. had to remove all my wonderful content to format the drive :( - found out then that windows wont accept external drives as main HDD, did I format for nothing? - Not to be defeated. I pulled apart the external drive, removed the disk and frame. - found an adapter, mounted external disk inside the faulty laptop. - booted (after many bios hurdles and more reboots than you could count) and installed 8.1. when loading 8.1, device info says something like: RAM: 8GB (3.24GB usable) ..argh! - transferred the bios flash to this new setup. - flashed bios. - rebooted. - checked 'MSCONFIG' > advanced options > maximum memory. - rebooted. - unable to use more than 3.24GB. - downloaded MemTest86+. - flashed a USB into a bootable memory tester. - running MemTest, computer just turned itself off, I assume due to heat? no errors were found YET, but ill place it on some books and try again. I did take it apart a few days back and give the heatsink and board a very good clean, as well as poke a few larger exit vents for that hot air.. it should be fine on some books, we hope! I'll check back with updates, thanks for your help so far. MemTest (like everything else) see's the RAM but the OS's cant. There is no memory restriction options in the BIOS either. Remember I have swapped the sticks about: If i remove one stick of RAM it sees 3GB, i swap for the other and it sees 3GB. I use either on the other RAM slot individually, same problem.. SO, it seems one stick is not at fault, nor is the individual slot at fault. WHY OH WHY?! :( :( :( :( |
Quote:
That is NOT normal. If that's true, then you have a hardware problem that cannot be fixed with software. I'd say based on that your RAM is faulty or a over-heating problem. Try determine which one it is. If your machine has not just "turned itself off" before running memtest, then I'd say it's faulty RAM that's the issue. |
memtest86 v7.4 (not memtest86+) burned to CD WFM on Gigabyte 1151/Kaby Lake (DDR4).
|
https://i.imgur.com/BwqlyrJ.jpg
running MemTest86+ quite successfully now. I can see the two RAM sticks at 4096 MB each at the bottom yet at the top it states: Memory: 3508M. Any ideas? I'm assuming if this is not normal maybe PAE is not being invoked properly? Unsure, haven't used MemTest before.. |
Quote:
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:25 AM. |