Back when I upgraded my video card I thought it would be a good idea to go from 512 RAM to 1024 RAM so I bought an additional 512. All
seemed well at first. Computer recognized the RAM, and the video card seemed to be fine. Then the crashes and lock-ups began. I was
sure it was the video and called the mfg for some tech support. They were great and offered all sorts of help. But it didn't work out. Then I called the computer mfg (ABS) and my out-of-warranty machine was 'worked on' over the phone. The first quick fix was to "format the HD". I'm convinced this is the answer all tech support people have when they have no idea what your problem is... I lost all kinds of stuff, and reformatted twice. Still no joy.
Remember now, all this is to get SH3 up and running.
Finally, I get a different
support guy at ABS and he quickly determines that the RAM is either bad, or doesn't match what I already have. "Take it out", he says. So I do, reformat one more time, and to this day I've not had any more problems. I've got 2x512 RAM chips collecting dust in my closet, but I've got SH3 running like a top.
And yes, I did try going to the Crucial website for an in-computer RAM compatibility check. It was unable to work its magic for some reason.