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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  • Latest Post Latest Post by murlan murphy
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.

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