I have 16 GB of RAM but only 6.94 GB usable?

I had a look at my system information and I noticed that I only have 6.94 GB usable RAM but 16 GB is installed.

I recently decided to overclock my PC from 3.70 GHz to 4.19 GHz, I thought that was the issue, but I'm not sure why I thought overclocking would affect usable RAM. I tested it out anyway and there was no change.

Before I upgraded my GPU I had more "usable" RAM but I can't exactly remember how much it was. It was definitely over 8 GB.

Screenshot by Lightshot

Specs:
Motherboard: A88X-G45 (MS-7900)

CPU: AMD A10-7850K APU

RAM: Kingston HyperX FURY (4x4 GB, 16 GB total)

OS: Windows 10

GPU: Radeon RX 480 GDDR5 8 GB


Resource Monitor shows the space for "Hardware Reserved" physical memory is 9277 MB.
Screenshot by Lightshot

Here are some screenshots of CPU-Z Memory tab and SPD tab.

Memory tab:
Screenshot by Lightshot

SPD tab:
Slot #1 - Screenshot by Lightshot
Slot #2 - Screenshot by Lightshot
Slot #3 - Screenshot by Lightshot
Slot #4 - Screenshot by Lightshot

Or booting with only one stick at a time.

NavyLCDR said:

Or booting with only one stick at a time.

Sure enough, I tried all four sticks of RAM separately and on the very last one, my computer was powered but there was no display. Does this mean the stick is faulty?

AntyCrix said:

Sure enough, I tried all four sticks of RAM separately and on the very last one, my computer was powered but there was no display. Does this mean the stick is faulty?

More than likely.

Thank you all for your help.

The CPU-Z images displayed single channel.

The motherboard has dual channel capability.

The RAM in use is Kingston and the SKU does not match the RAM listed on the QVL.

Consider using RAM on the QVL so that you can use the dual channel capability of the motherboard.

zbook said:

The CPU-Z images displayed single channel.

The motherboard has dual channel capability.

The RAM in use is Kingston and the SKU does not match the RAM listed on the QVL.

Consider using RAM on the QVL so that you can use the dual channel capability of the motherboard.

What is QVL? What is SKU? How can you tell which kind of RAM has dual channel capability? And can you point me in the right direction on which RAM would work for my motherboard?

I'm tech savvy when it comes to computers but lack education in hardware and what works and what doesn't.

Would this RAM be compatible? Robot Check

The MSI website lists the vendors and their model numbers (SKU).
This list is the Qualified Vendor List (QVL)

What is Stock Keeping Unit SKU? Webopedia Definition
Support For A88X-G45 GAMING | Motherboard - The world leader in motherboard design | MSI USA

When replacing RAM if the RAM is not on the QVL there can be performance problems.
These could include unexpected shutdowns and restarts, BSOD, etc.

Always use RAM with the same SKU.
The exceptions are when you purchase the computer from a major manufacturer such as Dell, or HP and they guarantee compatibility.

For example the computer I'm using to type this post has two different pairs of RAM. The first pair came with the computer.
The second pair is a different manufacturer and was selected by HP as compatibility had been tested.

Crucial may guarantee compatibility:
Crucial System Scanner | Crucial.com


Single channel: Screenshot by Lightshot
QVL: Support For A88X-G45 GAMING | Motherboard - The world leader in motherboard design | MSI USA

AntyCrix said:

Would this RAM be compatible? Robot Check

What did you find?
(hoping it's ok to put you on the "spot")