problem adding RAM to HP Pavilion Gaming - Model number 15-ec0013dx

[Hugh_Lett]

I put another 8gb of RAM in the empty RAM slot in my  HP Pavilion Gaming - Model number 15-ec0013dx, ut when I go to settings it says I have 16gb of RAM but still only  5.88gb of usable RAM, same as when I have only 1 8gb stick in. it should say 15.88gb of available RAM now. Google's ai says that this model won't allow more than 1 8GB of RAM to be available, even if you put in a 2nd stick of 8GB RAM, and that HP was lying when it said it could be upgraded to 16 gb of RAM. But as often as Google's ai is wrong, I thought I better check on the HP boards. In the literature that cam with my HP Pavilion Gaming laptp, it said it was upgradable to 16 GB of RAM (might have even been 32gb, but I don't remember for sure, but it definitely said at least 16gb. I tried a 2nd stick of the same brand as the original, but it still says only 5.8 gb of the 16 gb is available, 
Does anyone knw the answer for this issue? Is the google ai right.

[NonSequitur777]

@Hugh_Lett,

Welcome back to our HP Community forum!

Well, Google's AI is completely wrong here -your HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0013dx officially supports up to 32 GB of usable RAM (2 x 16 GB). HP did not lie in your manual, and your laptop is definitely not capped at 8 GB.

Why It Still Says 5.88 GB Usable:

With a single 8 GB stick installed, seeing 5.88 GB usable is normal because the AMD Ryzen 5 3550H's integrated Vega graphics and system hardware reserve about 2.1 GB of memory. When you upgrade to 16 GB, your usable RAM should jump to roughly 13.88 GB.

When Windows sees all 16 GB installed but keeps you stuck at the old 5.88 GB limit, it means the entire second 8 GB stick is being dumped into "Hardware Reserved" (you can confirm this by opening Task Manager > Performance > Memory and looking at the Hardware reserved number -it will likely say around 10.1 GB).

On HP Ryzen laptops, this happens for two main reasons:

1. Mismatched RAM Specs (Most Common on HP Laptops):

HP consumer laptops do not have XMP or manual memory-tuning options in the BIOS, making them very picky about mixing RAM sticks. Even if the new stick is the same brand as your original stick, it can fail memory training and get locked out if the internal specs don't match:

Rank & Chip Density (1Rx8 vs. 1Rx16): Your original factory 8 GB stick is likely 1Rx8 (8 memory chips). Many newer 8 GB replacement sticks from the same brand are 1Rx16 (4 higher-density chips). Early Ryzen mobile controllers often refuse to run 1Rx8 and 1Rx16 sticks together.

JEDEC vs. XMP Timings: Gaming RAM (like Kingston Fury, Corsair Vengeance, or G.Skill Ripjaws) often relies on XMP profiles to hit its advertised speed, while falling back to different base JEDEC timings that clash with OEM HP memory.

Voltage: Both sticks must be strict 1.2V DDR4 SODIMMs (mixing 1.2V and 1.35V modules will cause HP systems to reserve the second slot).

2. How to Troubleshoot and Fix It:

1. Check the Windows msconfig Memory Cap:
   • Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
   • Go to the Boot tab and click Advanced options...
   • Make sure the Maximum memory box is unchecked. Click OK, Apply, and restart. (Sometimes Windows locks this cap to your old RAM amount after an upgrade.)
2. Test the New RAM Stick by Itself:
   • Shut down the laptop, unplug the power adapter, and remove the original factory 8 GB stick.
   • Put the new 8 GB stick into Slot 1 by itself and try booting up. If the laptop fails to boot, beeps, or shows abnormal usable memory, the new stick's specs/timings are incompatible with the motherboard.
3. Reseat Both Sticks & Update the BIOS:
   • If the new stick boots fine on its own, install both sticks again, ensuring each clicks firmly into the side latches at a 30-to-45-degree angle.
   • Visit the HP Software & Drivers page for the 15-ec0013dx and make sure you are running the latest BIOS version, as HP released BIOS updates to improve memory compatibility on this model.
4. Match the Exact OEM Part Number (If Returning/Replacing the Stick):
   • Look at the white sticker on your original factory 8 GB stick and search for that exact part number (for example, HMA81GS6CJR8N-VKor M471A1K43CB1-CTD) so both sticks are identical twins. Alternatively, replace both with a matched 2 x 8 GB (16 GB) Crucial or Kingston standard JEDEC 1.2V DDR4-2400 or DDR4-2666 SODIMM kit.

If you want to reply back with the exact part numbers printed on both RAM stickers, I can quickly verify if they are mismatched!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777