Memory Upgrade

Nagging hardware related question? Post here!
User avatar
dilwyn
Mr QL
Posts: 2753
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:39 pm

Memory Upgrade

Post by dilwyn »

While my son attempts to upgrade my PC to 4GB RAM (and it failed to start up at all on first attempt so we are swapping the RAMs around to try to isolate which is bad) I thought I'd pinch his PC to give you all a laugh about how I can't touch a PC without something going wrong.

Before anyone says anything, it was a matched set specifically for that PC! Ho hum. Now to start swapping and mixing the 2GB ones around to see what works, what doesn't and what only works in one of the slots and not the other.

Is PC RAM upgrade normally this troublesome? So far, we can get any combination except the supposedly matched pair to work together.


User avatar
vanpeebles
Commissario Pebbli
Posts: 2815
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 7:13 pm
Location: North East UK

Re: Memory Upgrade

Post by vanpeebles »

Could it be the speed of the ram? Is the bios up to date?


User avatar
belg4rion67
Trump Card
Posts: 189
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 6:15 pm
Location: Milan - Italy

Re: Memory Upgrade

Post by belg4rion67 »

...and also: check if there are memory chips in both side or only one, sometime the dimm's with chips in both sides of them don't work with single sided


Only original hardware! :)
User avatar
dilwyn
Mr QL
Posts: 2753
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:39 pm

Re: Memory Upgrade

Post by dilwyn »

Looks like one of the 2GB ones is faulty or incompatible, it doesn't work in either slot with either the old or other new 2GB.

Using the other new 2GB and the old 2GB seem to work together, so I will have to use the PC for a few hours now to ensure those two work reliably together. At least the PC says I now have 4GB, so fingers crossed :)

Back to QLing for a bit (to get back on topic)


User avatar
XorA
Site Admin
Posts: 1358
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:31 am
Location: Shotts, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK

Re: Memory Upgrade

Post by XorA »

What make, not all RAM is born equal, stuff like Kingston is aweful.


User avatar
NormanDunbar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 2251
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:04 am
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Contact:

Re: Memory Upgrade

Post by NormanDunbar »

By far the best memory chips etc come from crucial.com/UK. That's in lower case but keeps converting to upper. Sigh.

Tell it the machine and it will tell you how much, how to fit it, what speed etc. Don't know your exact machine? Download a utility hat will scan your machine and tell you what you need.

I wouldn't buy anywhere else.

Cheers,
Norm.


Why do they put lightning conductors on churches?
Author of Arduino Software Internals
Author of Arduino Interrupts

No longer on Twitter, find me on https://mastodon.scot/@NormanDunbar.
User avatar
dilwyn
Mr QL
Posts: 2753
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:39 pm

Re: Memory Upgrade

Post by dilwyn »

XorA wrote:What make, not all RAM is born equal, stuff like Kingston is aweful.
The 2x2GB new RAM is Crucial, while the original 3GB is Kingston.

Mind you it's a Packard Bell PC, before you say anything (sigh).

The only combination which we've been able to get working is the Kingston 2GB plus one of the Crucial 2GB ones.


User avatar
dilwyn
Mr QL
Posts: 2753
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:39 pm

Re: Memory Upgrade

Post by dilwyn »

NormanDunbar wrote:By far the best memory chips etc come from crucial.com/UK. That's in lower case but keeps converting to upper. Sigh.

Tell it the machine and it will tell you how much, how to fit it, what speed etc. Don't know your exact machine? Download a utility hat will scan your machine and tell you what you need.

I wouldn't buy anywhere else.

Cheers,
Norm.
Exactly what I did Norman!


Derek_Stewart
Font of All Knowledge
Posts: 3928
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:40 am
Location: Sunny Runcorn, Cheshire, UK

Re: Memory Upgrade

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi,

No need to get fancy applications to scan ram, all you have to do is read the motherboard user manual or download it from the manufacturers web site. This should tell the type or ram required.

In my experience it is the combination of ram that causes problems, check the latency and speed of the ram. If the motherboard is going too fast for the ram, it will cause issues.


Regards,

Derek
User avatar
1024MAK
Super Gold Card
Posts: 592
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2011 1:16 am
Location: Looking forward to summer in Somerset, UK...

Re: Memory Upgrade

Post by 1024MAK »

The on-line RAM selection systems sometimes are not accurate. Especially for machines/motherboards that don't often get upgraded by users.

The timing of modern RAM is critical, and having two different types, or even two of the same type, but from a different batch sometimes will fail to work.

If your machine supports a single card of RAM, check it will work with just one of each to see if you have a non-functional RAM card. It may also be worthwhile carefully cleaning the RAM card connector if it has accidentally been touched or has become dirty..

Then, as you have done, try combinations. In theory you want two of exactly the same. But some systems are happy with different RAM cards.

Generally, if it works for three hours, the system will be reliable. You may also want to download and use a RAM tester. I have used an older version of this Memtest86 http://www.memtest86.com/ but have not used the newer version on the web site. I burnt a copy to a bootable CD. I then let it run for three to four hours.

Good luck ;)

Mark


:!: Standby alert :!:
“There are four lights!”
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb :!:
Looking forward to summer in Somerset later in the year :)

QL, Falcon, Atari 520STFM, Atari 1040STE, more PC's than I care to count and an assortment of 8 bit micros (Sinclair and Acorn)(nearly forgot the Psion's)
Post Reply