Laptop only recognizes 3GB ram and has two 2GB memory modules

Jimbo18
Jimbo18 Posts: 2,334
in The Clubhouse
Just wondering if anyone knows how this can happen. I have an old HP Pavillion DV2200 laptop that had only 1 GB memory. I bought two used modules off eBay that are 2GB's each.

The laptop has two slots and at first I only put one of the 2GB modules in place, and the laptop showed 2.5 G because I left one of the 512 MB one in place. Then when I removed that one and put the other 2GB in, it now shows only 3GB when I check the System in the Control Panel.

I am sure they are both 2GBs, so how can that happen? I don't have the original manual, so don't know what the specs are for the memory, but it seems like it should be showing 4G. It's running Vista and is about 8 years old.

Not a big deal, just curious how it can recognize the second module but not all of the memory on it.
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,334
    Okay, so never mind. I got out the magnifying glass. I ordered 2 GBs twice, the first time I got what I ordered, the second time, it looks like they sent only a 1GB module.

    Even I can work out the math on that one.
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    IIRC 32-Bit Vista can address a maximum of 3.5Gb of RAM.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,334
    Nightfall wrote: »
    IIRC 32-Bit Vista can address a maximum of 3.5Gb of RAM.

    I tried to find something about it on the web, (kinda wasted effort now that I know the issue) but couldn't. 3G is a lot better than it was, and the laptop is seldom used, I just wanted to boost it up a bit.

    My friend had a spare 128G SSD and he installed that for me. Much faster, quieter and not as hot, of course.

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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    edited August 2015
    You might be seeing 3Gb instead of the maximum 3.5Gb because your laptop is reserving some of the RAM for video memory.

    Edit: Maybe not if you had 2.5Gb in and it showed the full 2.5Gb. Not real sure then.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,334
    Nightfall, sorry, you didn't see my second post. I apologized because I hadn't checked the memory. They only sent me a 1GB module with my second order. It was only $1.99 and they messed up and had free shipping so they lost money on the sale. Kinda hard to complain when it was basically free.
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    edited August 2015
    That's strange that post never showed up for me until just now.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,334
    Vanilla? :wink:
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  • CoolJazz
    CoolJazz Posts: 570
    Jimbo18 wrote: »
    Vanilla? :wink:

    No...Chocolate! >:)
    A so called science type proudly says... "I do realize that I would fool myself all the time, about listening conclusions and many other observations, if I did listen before buying. That’s why I don’t, I bought all of my current gear based on technical parameters alone, such as specs and measurements."

    More amazing Internet Science Pink Panther wisdom..."My DAC has since been upgraded from Mark Levinson to Topping."
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