Gateway MT3707: Detects only 1GB RAM?

Hi all, I am new here but I've been having issues with getting this laptop to recognize the new RAM I have installed.

I purchased a 1GB Crucial Memory PC2-5300 stick as recommended per their website. After installing it alongside a 512MB Samsung stick that came with the laptop, both my BIOS and Vista only detect 1GB (or ~958MB on the BIOS) of memory.

However, when I run CPU-Z it is able to detect both the 1GB and 512MB sticks perfectly, amounting to a total of 1536MB. The laptop also boots up and operates normally with just the 1GB stick so I don't believe it's faulty. The laptop was running 2 x 512MB Samsung sticks before I upgraded, so I don't believe it's a problem with the motherboard either.

I haven't been able to find any place in the BIOS relating to RAM (for information's sake it is PhoenixBIOS 83.08), it's rather limited and doesn't really show me anything hardware related. Nor have I found anything on Google or Gateway's site relating to my problem.

Does anyone have any idea how I can get my laptop to recognize all the memory? Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!


**(Trying to help myself ahead of time, the following is the dump from CPU-Z about my laptop):

Code:

-------------------------
  CPU-Z version 1.49
-------------------------

Processors Map
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of processors	1
Number of threads	2

Processor 0
    -- Core 0
        -- Thread 0
    -- Core 1
        -- Thread 0


Processors Information
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Processor 1 (ID = 0)
Number of cores		2 (max 2)
Number of threads	2 (max 2)
Name			Intel Pentium T2060
Codename		Yonah
Specification		Genuine Intel(R) CPU           T2060  @ 1.60GHz
Package			Socket 479 mPGA (platform ID = 7h)
CPUID			6.E.C
Extended CPUID		6.E
Core Stepping		D0
Technology		65 nm
Core Speed		798.8 MHz (6.0 x 133.1 MHz)
Rated Bus speed		532.6 MHz
Stock frequency		1600 MHz
Instructions sets	MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
L1 Data cache		2 x 32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
L1 Instruction cache	2 x 32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
L2 cache		1024 KBytes, 4-way set associative, 64-byte line size
FID/VID Control		yes
FID range		6.0x - 12.0x
max VID			1.213 V
Features		XD

Chipset
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Northbridge		ATI RS400/RC400/RC410 rev. 01
Southbridge		ATI SB400 rev. 80
Memory Type		DDR2
Memory Size		1536 MBytes
Channels		Single
Memory Frequency	266.5 MHz ()
CAS#			4.0
RAS# to CAS#		4
RAS# Precharge		4
Cycle Time (tRAS)	12


Memory SPD
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIMM #1

General
Memory type		DDR2
Module format		SO-DIMM
Manufacturer (ID)	Micron Technology (2C00000000000000)
Size			1024 MBytes
Max bandwidth		PC2-5300 (333 MHz)
Part number		8HTF12864HDY-667E1
Serial number		E31BA358
Manufacturing date	Week 33/Year 08

Attributes
Number of banks		2
Data width		64 bits
Correction		None
Nominal Voltage		1.80 Volts
EPP			no
XMP			no

Timings table
Frequency (MHz)		200	266	333	
CAS#			3.0	4.0	5.0	
RAS# to CAS# delay	3	4	5	
RAS# Precharge		3	4	5	
TRAS			9	12	15	
TRC			12	16	20	

DIMM #2

General
Memory type		DDR2
Module format		SO-DIMM
Manufacturer (ID)	Samsung (CE00000000000000)
Size			512 MBytes
Max bandwidth		PC2-5300 (333 MHz)
Part number		M4 70T6554EZ3-CE6 
Serial number		F70EA642
Manufacturing date	Week 12/Year 07

Attributes
Number of banks		2
Data width		64 bits
Correction		None
Nominal Voltage		1.80 Volts
EPP			no
XMP			no

Timings table
Frequency (MHz)		200	266	333	
CAS#			3.0	4.0	5.0	
RAS# to CAS# delay	3	4	5	
RAS# Precharge		3	4	5	
TRAS			9	12	15	
TRC			12	16	20	

 

Try swapping RAM slots first.

 

I had tried that already, as well as swapping out the 512 stick for the other one that came with it. Forgot to mention that, sorry!

 

You might try resetting the BIOS to the default settings next.

If that doesn't work, I'd try that new stick of RAM in a different laptop.

 

Just tried resetting it, but that didn't do anything.
Unfortunately this is my only laptop, so I have nothing else to try it in.

Also, I decided to burn a bootable cd of Memtest86+, and some weird things happened.

On the 1st run, it recognized the 1GB stick that I had purchased, which was in the first slot. However, it thought the 2nd slot was completely empty, even though it has a 512MB stick in it! But, after taking out the 1GB and rebooting it shows the 512 in the second slot and nothing in the first, which is correct.

So I think this rules out a theory of a faulty RAM slot completely, it must be something with the BIOS (which I can't do anything related to RAM in, besides UMA buffer, so I am at a loss!)

It seems for some reason my system is outright refusing to use more than 1GB, even though it's supposed to be expandable to 2GB.. any ideas?

 

What does CPUz say about your installed memory capacity when you boot with only the 1GB stick installed?

 

It'll show the proper information, 1024MB in slot#1, the second being empty. I read on another forum that supposedly Vista doesn't "like" amounts of memory that aren't typical, like 1024 or 2048

 

Well if your BIOS is reporting only 1GB when you have both the 1GB and 512MB stick installed, I doubt Vista has anything to do with the strangeness you are seeing.

With the 1GB and 512MB stick installed, what does the Performance tab of Task Manager say for Physical Memory Total?

 

Under Phyical Memory:
Total 893
Cached 386
Free 34

The strangeness of 893 is attributed to me changing the UMA buffer to 128MB, I'm sure. But again, it doesnt noticed the 512MB stick.

 

Man, that is bizarre. Without actually being in front of it I am out of ideas