Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

[coolcurrent]

I just formatted compaq 6735s from Vista to winXp, and Ram is reduced to 744.

I have installed all the necessary drivers, but no success.

Have you encountered this issue before?

any help please

thanks

[gerg]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

how much memory is in the system? how much memory does it see on the loading screen ?

[dood]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

How much RAM are you expecting? Sounds like you have 768mb total, with shared video?

[mockingbird]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that model use GMA 950 graphics? Update the bios, then check it for a setting to dynamically allocate shared memory to the video. Disable it, and then give the video something like 16-32MB, because GMA950 can't do anything with more than that, and quite frankly, I'd be surprised to see it make use of even more than 8MB.

[coolcurrent]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

@dood: the system has 1.0GB of RAM, but sees just 744MB

[coolcurrent]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that model use GMA 950 graphics? Update the bios, then check it for a setting to dynamically allocate shared memory to the video. Disable it, and then give the video something like 16-32MB, because GMA950 can't do anything with more than that, and quite frankly, I'd be surprised to see it make use of even more than 8MB.

i'll try this out and get back to you. I hope upgrading bios isn't risky business

[MixMasta]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

You at least know how to get into the bios setup when the computer boots right? It should tell you the full amount of ram regardless of how much ram is being dedicated to the onboard graphics (or detected by windows)? Does this number really say something close to 1 gigabyte?

[yyonline]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

That model uses AMD CPUs and ATI integrated graphics.

Is this the factory ram, or did you add some?

Some computers are picky about memory density. If you install high-density memory in a computer that only supports low-density memory, sometimes it will see half the capacity. If one of the sticks is reading half capacity, you would end up with 768MB memory. Allocate a bit for onboard video, and you get the figure you're seeing.

I've also seen the integrated memory controller on an AMD CPU go bad. In my case, it made one of the memory slots appear dead in any motherboard the CPU was installed in. So, that is another possibility.

Definitely follow the earlier suggestion of entering the BIOS setup and seeing how much RAM is reported there.

[coolcurrent]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

You at least know how to get into the bios setup when the computer boots right? It should tell you the full amount of ram regardless of how much ram is being dedicated to the onboard graphics (or detected by windows)? Does this number really say something close to 1 gigabyte?

the bios indicate 1024MB RAM (1GB)

[NxB]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

The rest is going to video. There should be a setting to reduce the amount.

[coolcurrent]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

That model uses AMD CPUs and ATI integrated graphics.

Is this the factory ram, or did you add some?

Some computers are picky about memory density. If you install high-density memory in a computer that only supports low-density memory, sometimes it will see half the capacity. If one of the sticks is reading half capacity, you would end up with 768MB memory. Allocate a bit for onboard video, and you get the figure you're seeing.

I've also seen the integrated memory controller on an AMD CPU go bad. In my case, it made one of the memory slots appear dead in any motherboard the CPU was installed in. So, that is another possibility.

Definitely follow the earlier suggestion of entering the BIOS setup and seeing how much RAM is reported there.

how did you solve your issue, there is no where in the bios that i can modifiy video settings.

most of the options is either enabled or disabled.

[coolcurrent]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

please a little correction i just confirm that its 768MB not 744MB as i mentioned ealier.

I just upgraded the bios, and there is little or no changed than the former.

it dosent solve the problem either

[MixMasta]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

Yup it's all there then, like NxB says, there should be a way to adjust how much ram your video card will use. Also, found this on intel.com:

Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 Graphics Core

256-bit graphics core running at 400MHz
Up to 10.6 GB/sec memory bandwidth with DDR2 667 system memory
1.6 GPixels/sec and 1.6 GTexels/sec fill rate
Up to 224 MB maximum video memory
2048x1536 at 75 Hz maximum resolution
Dynamic Display Modes for flat-panel, wide-screen and Digital TV support
Operating systems supported: Microsoft Windows* XP, Windows* XP 64bit, Media Center Edition 2004/2005, Windows 2000; Linux-compatible (Xfree86 source available)

Looks like you are using the very maximum. There is probably no point with integrated video like that. Try a setting like 128 megabytes or something. Also, my guess is that your free ram is closer to 774 instead of the 744 you reported (typo maybe)...

[ratdude747]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

but it is ATI integrated video, not the intel. the cpu isn't even intel. that info is irrelevant.

[MixMasta]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

I don't know someone said it had GMA 950 graphics. You want me to look everything up about this damn computer on HP's website first?

In any case, who cares, it's the integrated graphics using the ram. If there really aren't any options to change that in the bios, then you could check for a bios update that might enable an option like that (if he is even willing to install one), or I guess this guy is SOL.

[yyonline]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

This is expected behavior. There is no problem to solve.

You have 768MB installed. 24 of that is allocated to video. It was probably the same with Vista.

Most of the integrated video chips dynamically allocate memory on an as-needed basis. I haven't seen many recent laptops with a bios option to change how much is allocated. Desktops are another story, and the option is common there.

So why the difference? When you view system properties in Vista SP1 or later, it reports the amount of memory installed in the computer. When you view system properties in XP, it reports the amount of memory available for Windows to use. So, you don't have any less memory than before, rather, it's reporting two different things. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946003/ for more information.

This change occurs because Windows Vista with SP1 reports how much physical memory installed on your computer. All versions of Windows NT-based operating systems before Windows Vista Service SP1 report how much memory available to the operating system. This change in Windows Vista SP1 is a reporting change only.

[coolcurrent]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

You have 768MB installed. 24 of that is allocated to video. It was probably the same with Vista.

My system has 1024 MB (1GB) RAM installed

[mockingbird]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

This is a Radeon HD 3200 IGP.

Check the ATI Catalyst Control Center if it allows you to determine how much memory it can use.

I think the memory is dynamically allocated with this IGP, so it might relinquish some back to the system when it's not in use or the system requires it.

Make sure to download the latest version from AMD's site.

[yyonline]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

I thought you corrected yourself to say you had 768MB instead of 1GB. So, if I now understand correctly, you have 1GB installed, and 768MB available. Is that correct?

According to this:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/ATI-Rad...00.9591.0.html

The Mobility Radeon HD3200 uses "up to 512MB" of shared RAM. So if you have 1GB installed, its probably using 256MB of memory for video. From what I'm reading, it is not possible to limit this amount in the bios setup. If you go into BIOS setup, do you see that you have 1GB of ram installed? If so, your computer is likely working as expected.

[coolcurrent]

Re: Help! Installing WinXp on compaq 6735s reduced Ram to 744

ok guys, thanks for all you help, i appreciate it very much.
I confirmed the answer from HP

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...ctID=c00241765