DV6000t 4GB Ram Recognition Problem

Hello everyone.
I just received my 4GB G.SKILL Set (2x2GB) 667MHZ. However I am not able to utilize the whole 4GB of the memory.
I am using Ubuntu 7.10 64Bit, Vista Ultimate 64Bit, and Mac OS X Leopard 64Bit and none of them were able to recognize my two 2gb sticks as 4GB of ram.
In Windows Vista the displayed memory is 3070 MB, in Ubuntu is around 3GB as well. However Leopard is displaying that the installed memory is 4GB, but when I checked in the System Monitor the available free memory shown was only 2.6GB (this is because the system was using aroung 300MB and other services were using 200MB, which is totaling about 3GB and something of memory again).
I checked the BIOS and I saw that the BIOS recognizes all the memory, which was about 4096 or something.
So I am wondering if any other Pavilion user out there has experienced the same problem like me.
Thank you in advance!

 

It is illegal to run Leopard on that computer.

 

Sounds like you are using 32bit windows...you need 64 bit to recognise the full 4GB.

 

How did you do it?

 

yea... not a good idea to say anything bout OSX...... ummm, sounds like maybe your MOBO has a limit to how much ram.... or maybe dont pirate software.... that may help too

 

Please don't be offended, but are you *sure* you installed the 64-bit versions? What you describe sounds exactly like 32-bit OS behavior. No 32-bit OS can utilize an entire 4GB of RAM, and most systems will top out somewhere between 3GB and 3.5GB, depending on hardware and drivers installed.

Barring that, I wonder if the BIOS has a large memory setting, or a problem supporting more then 3GB. Unfortunately I'm not an HP user so I'm no help there, I just saw this post in the "Latest Laptop Discussion" list and figured I'd respond.

 

Guys please do not talk about illegal stuff on NBR it is against forum rules...

 

The DV6000t uses the Mobile Intel 945(G)M . You will never be able to see/use 4GB even with a 64bit OS.

However, the Dv6500t(Mobile Intel 965M chipset) can as long as you have a 64bit OS and the correct BIOS.

Read more here(MS KB article)

Also please end the discussion of MAC OSX on a "Non-apple" computer. Even though its possible, it is against the EULA.

Thx
Kdawgca

 

Thank you all for your suggestions!

I am running 64Bit versions of the OS's. dmorris68 I'm not offended in any way, one can never be too sure right? Thank you for responding. Here is a screenshot from Vista.


Kdawgca, I thought about that there might be an issue with the motherboard chipset, however I've read posts from users with the same chipset that were able to utilize the whole 4GB of memory. What I am guessing is that the current BIOS for Pavilion DV6000t (F.29) does not support memory remapping or atleast I don't see it anywhere in the BIOS configuration menu.
Please, if there is someone with the Mobile Intel 945 chipset that has 4GB of ram, post your experience with bypassing the 4GB threshold.

 

OK, quick update. Just saw on Intel's website more information about my chipset (i945PM). Intel claims that the i945PM chipset can recognize and utilize 4GB of ram without a hitch. I am guessing that HP's BIOS is not written to support that much ram, especially without the memory remapping feature in the BIOS.
Link to Intel Website: http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/945pm/index.htm
Does anybody know the proper way to contact the BIOS development team without the redundant need of going through all the investigation from HP Customer Support?

Here is another great website showing more information about the chipset and the difference between Centrino and Centrino Duo (scroll down to the comparison chart)
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/mobile/print/centrino-duo.html

 

Yeah its support 4GB but it needs to have 8GB address space(like Intel 975X
,Intel P965 or Intel 955X on Socket 775). Reason for the 8GB address space is mentioned in the note in the KB article:

The 945 has a 4GB address space so when you install 4GB it gets used by "PCI configuration"(other hardware) resulting in less available memory. For the DV6000t, its ~3GB, for the Alienware Area 51 m9750 its around ~2.5GB(more hungry hardware).

AFAIK, No BIOS update will solve this issue since its a limiting issue with the chipset.

Besides most people dont use all of the 4GB memories so i doubt you will notice the difference between 3GB and 4GB

 

Kdawgca I understand what you are saying, however there is no mobile chipset that recognizes and allocates 8GB ram locations. Check the comparison chart of PM965 and the older 945PM intel chipset ( Intel Comparison Chart ).
Ive checked reviews in NewEgg and I noticed that there were a couple of persons with older chipsets that reported full 4GB memory support! What I am guessing here is that the issue still remains with the BIOS and the memory remapping feature.

 

Try flashing the BIOS with the latest firmware from HP's support site.

 

I am currently using the latest one F.29. I am thinking of reporting it to HP, but HP always keep claiming that the laptop supports only 2GB of ram which is obviously false information.

 

The latest bios for my 6000 is past .29. I have F.3 D. You might want to look for another update.

 

As far as I know the F.3D BIOS update is currently only available to users with AMD processors. Can you give me a link to the F.3D Intel based BIOS update, if you have it?

 

F.3D is AMD only, at least that is what I remember hearing from the HP customer support representative on this board, also you might want to try the F.25 bios its the first bios that addressed the 2 x 2GB RAM configuration, it wouldn't be the first time that one bios update undid something enabled in another.

 

Well I tried going back to F.25 but still no success.
Hoping someone with i945 chipset will post a success story.

 

you need to install the service pack vista sp1 rc v.668 and the laptop will see 4GB!

 

Actually, no it won't. The Vista SP just adjusts the amount reported as installed, because many people were complaining after installing 4GB and not understanding why Windows was saying only ~3GB was installed. No 32-bit OS can address the entire 4GB, for the aforementioned reasons, and the SP doesn't change that. It's just a cosmetic thing, really.

 

Well, I guess it will only show 4GB ram like in Leopard, but it will only use 3

 

if you install X64 you will use all your memory, with 32 bit OS the limit is 3GB whatever is the installed memory.

 

ummm no read the earlier posts...he has already for that