OT: Compaq Proliant "loses" memory when more PCI cards installed???

[Thomas Cameron]

All -

I have a newish Proliant ML110 (P4 3.0GHz HT, 4GB memory, 3x36GB 10K RPM
Ultra320 drives on an LSI Ultra320 controller) with what appears to be a
plain old Phoenix BIOS (not HP server BIOS) on a regular ATX
motherboard.  It's a workgroup/departmental server, not an enterprise
class machine, I think that's why it uses a COTS motherboard.  It does
not have any AGP slots, only PCI-X slots.

I got it for really cheap so I decided to put in a decent PCI video and
sound card and use it for a workstation.

I noticed that when it boots, the system counts 4GB memory, but after
POST is says that there are only 3.6GB.  I called HP about it and they
said that the system reserves a chunk of memory for each PCI card.  I
pulled the video and sound cards, and sure enough, the system saw more
memory.

So my question is - what's up with this?  Why do none of my other
machines act this way?  I've got workstations from Dell and other
servers from HP that don't do this.  Those machines don't have PCI-X
slots though.  I assume that is relevant.  Anyone got an explanation as
to why this machine is reserving so much darned memory for the PCI
cards?  I am seriously tempted to yank the motherboard and drop in
another one from Intel or someone like that.  I paid a lot of money for
the 4GB memory and I want all of it, you know?  :-)

Thanks!
Thomas