Upgrading RAM help

[Sgian Dubh]

Hi all,

I wanted to bring my RAM up to 2 Gigs on my Asus P4PE-based system.

I had two 512/266 pC2100 chips (there are three slots on the motherboard).

I purchased, upon recommendation, a PC2700 1GIG ship that is supposed to support 266.

The motherboard supports all of the types of RAM.

If I put in the 2 512, it boots dine.

If I put in the 1Gig stick, it boots fine.

If I put in the 2 512s and the 1 gig stick, the computer wont' boot, I get no video signal and then hardraive light comes on and stays on.

This should work from what I've read, but there is something I am missing. Hoping a guru can give me some ideas to try.

Thanks!

[gdogghenrikson]

You could try upgrading the bios

[gdogghenrikson]

also...make sure your ram is firmly locked in

[Sgian Dubh]

Well, so far no luck.

There are newer versions of the Bios for the P4PE, but they only add new CPU support. The Motherboard is supposed to support 2 Gigs (Max)

The RAM all seems to be fully inserted into the slots.

I guess I will have to purchase another Gig and then toss out the old 512s. It is a shame as there should not be a problem doing this.

What is odd is that I dont' get any kind of error - not even a beep-command indicating a memory fault. The hardrive light comes on, and nothing more ever happens.

Really strange.

If anyone has another idea, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks.

[mookiemookie]

Just a shot in the dark (computer geeks, correct me if I'm wrong) but are you sure all your memory sticks are the same type of RAM? I've heard that it can cause problems if you try mixing them.

[Sgian Dubh]

All of the RAM sticks are DDR type. I pulled the 512s before I went to the store so I could match specs.

[darius359au]

have you tried this , put the 2xpc2100 speed modules in to the first 2 mem slots and the pc2700 into the 3rd slot - youve got slower modules and a faster 1 - if you put the slower ones in first then the mobo will throttle down the speed of the faster 1 to that of the slower ones, which is ok, but if youve got the faster 1 in the first slot then the whole thing will fall over as it trys to make the slow ram run faster.

[Jimbuna]

I'm gonna presume your OS is XP Pro (as is mine)....I upgraded nearly 2 years ago from 1GB to 2GB and experienced identical problems :yep:

XP Pro is a pig with RAM it is so tempramental at times....I tried 7 (seven) different sticks before I could get them to accept each other :oops:

The only quick fix is to replace the lot with the same manufacturers brand I'm afraid...unless lady luck eventually smiles on you and finds two brands that 'like' each other :arrgh!:

[leeclose]

I expierenced a similiar prob with my system trying swapping the sticks about into diffrent slots thats how i overcame my prob and mines are diffrent manufacturers i know ur not supposed to do that but it works trust me. So for instance you could put a stick of 256 ram then a 1 gigg then a 256 try that.

[leeclose]

Yup mines was but what i found out is my system is a heavily modded Dell system apparently most dells have this ram fault where you have to play tic-tac-toe with the ram.:up:

[JSLTIGER]

Well, so far no luck.

There are newer versions of the Bios for the P4PE, but they only add new CPU support. The Motherboard is supposed to support 2 Gigs (Max)

The RAM all seems to be fully inserted into the slots.

I guess I will have to purchase another Gig and then toss out the old 512s. It is a shame as there should not be a problem doing this.

What is odd is that I dont' get any kind of error - not even a beep-command indicating a memory fault. The hardrive light comes on, and nothing more ever happens.

Really strange.

If anyone has another idea, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks.

The board may be configured for dual channel RAM, which depending on how its configured either needs a layout of 512, 1GB, 512 or 512, 512, 1GB. It's only going to run on single channel regardless, but try slotting them up that way and seeing if that solves the issue.

[leeclose]

Yup that could work welcome to the wonderfull world of pc upgrading:damn:

[Sgian Dubh]

So it turns out that in the small print for my motherboard it is not recommended to use single-side and double-side RAM together.

*sigh*.

Fortunately, I found two 1 GIG RAM sticks on sale for 50% off. So I will get 2 Gigs for the price I paid for the original (and now returned) stick of 1 Gig RAM.

Thanks for all of the help!!!!

[leeclose]

ah well there you go all's well that ends well mate happy new ram:up:

[SUBMAN1]

I hope you don't mind if I chime in here, but make sure your RAM for this board has 64mx8 chips on it. The use of higher density chips I can guarantee is the cause of your problems. Most 1 GB modules use higher density chips, so it is harder to find lower density 1 GB modules. The problem arrises in that your motherboard can only address so much, and the higher density chips is making it try and address more than it is capable of.

I saw this problem on an Abit NForce 2 board again not too long ago. Friend bought OCZ 1 GB RAM modules, and when he pluggen them in, he had similar problems. I told him to buy 64x8's and he is happily computing at 2 GB now.

Mushkin makes a lot of 64x8's. These will solve your problem:

http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/memory_detail.asp?id=193

Notice the chip size on those modules. Most manufacturers don't list chip sizes and they almost always us higher density since it is cheaper, but Mushkin always will tell you. By the way, 1 GB modules with lower density sizes will overclock better, but the negative is that they will cost more.

You might browse their site too since they will clear up a lot of the timing confusions that surround RAM modules.

-S

[leeclose]

Sound advice methinks there i wish Moherboard manufacturers spent that extra bit of paper to help tehre buyers but that would be asking for way to much:up:

[SUBMAN1]

Sound advice methinks there i wish Moherboard manufacturers spent that extra bit of paper to help tehre buyers but that would be asking for way to much:up:

Are you kidding? The rules are - you are just expected to know! :p I've been in hardware design, so I get an unfair advantage though! ;)

-S

[leeclose]

Goo dpoint Telepathy is a must for all pc upgraders and a burnt offering to the god of oh **** it :up:

[Sgian Dubh]

I hope you don't mind if I chime in here, but make sure your RAM for this board has 64mx8 chips on it. The use of higher density chips I can guarantee is the cause of your problems. Most 1 GB modules use higher density chips, so it is harder to find lower density 1 GB modules. The problem arrises in that your motherboard can only address so much, and the higher density chips is making it try and address more than it is capable of.

I saw this problem on an Abit NForce 2 board again not too long ago. Friend bought OCZ 1 GB RAM modules, and when he pluggen them in, he had similar problems. I told him to buy 64x8's and he is happily computing at 2 GB now.

Mushkin makes a lot of 64x8's. These will solve your problem:

http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/memory_detail.asp?id=193

Notice the chip size on those modules. Most manufacturers don't list chip sizes and they almost always us higher density since it is cheaper, but Mushkin always will tell you. By the way, 1 GB modules with lower density sizes will overclock better, but the negative is that they will cost more.

You might browse their site too since they will clear up a lot of the timing confusions that surround RAM modules.

-S


Thank you *very* much for this information!

So if I go with all High Density, I may still have a problem? I just want to make sure I understood you correctly.

The real trick for me will be finding the kind of RAM you specified at an actual store that I can buy it from (physically).

[leeclose]

Try online first ur gauranteed to get it:up:

[SUBMAN1]

I hope you don't mind if I chime in here, but make sure your RAM for this board has 64mx8 chips on it. The use of higher density chips I can guarantee is the cause of your problems. Most 1 GB modules use higher density chips, so it is harder to find lower density 1 GB modules. The problem arrises in that your motherboard can only address so much, and the higher density chips is making it try and address more than it is capable of.

I saw this problem on an Abit NForce 2 board again not too long ago. Friend bought OCZ 1 GB RAM modules, and when he pluggen them in, he had similar problems. I told him to buy 64x8's and he is happily computing at 2 GB now.

Mushkin makes a lot of 64x8's. These will solve your problem:

http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/memory_detail.asp?id=193

Notice the chip size on those modules. Most manufacturers don't list chip sizes and they almost always us higher density since it is cheaper, but Mushkin always will tell you. By the way, 1 GB modules with lower density sizes will overclock better, but the negative is that they will cost more.

You might browse their site too since they will clear up a lot of the timing confusions that surround RAM modules.

-S

Thank you *very* much for this information!

So if I go with all High Density, I may still have a problem? I just want to make sure I understood you correctly.

The real trick for me will be finding the kind of RAM you specified at an actual store that I can buy it from (physically).
Yes - you want all low density. With low density, you should still be able to mix and match your RAM as long as dual channel is not enabled - and assuming all you other modules are also low density.

[leeclose]

Why does upgrading ur pc have to be like performing major surgery what a pain in the colective arse:down:

[Jimbuna]

PC's are like cars...there great whilst they're working but a pain in the butt when they don't function properly :yep:

[leeclose]

My Grandfather gods rest his soul said this about cars " there cheap enough to buy but the upkeep and maintenance is the killer" the very self same thing is true of pc's. So jim what u said is true ver very true:up:

[SUBMAN1]

My Grandfather gods rest his soul said this about cars " there cheap enough to buy but the upkeep and maintenance is the killer" the very self same thing is true of pc's. So jim what u said is true ver very true:up:

The same could be said about almost any product - everything breaks!

[leeclose]

Yup modern stuff is crap my Grandfather owned and ran his own art gallery for a long time since i was a brat and he bought a piece of kit in the 70s to help cut frames. So 3 years before he died he bought a new up to date air driven doodaa with all sorts of buttons on it had it for 9 weeks and it broke and proceded to break every 2 or 3 months.
When he died and we were closing the shop up the orginal 30 year old cutter was still working in fact my brother now uses, it to do stuff for the family and its never broke once in 34 years so it just goes to show you we are a throw away society.:down: