Trying to install new RAM (aka 'D3ads is an idiot part 3')

[D3ads]

Ok so I got some new RAM (2GB) delivered this afternoon (mail is supposed to come in the morning but our postman seems to like to deliver whenever he wants). I've checked about to make sure it's compatible with the motherboard and everything, so it should be ok.. only it's not. I put the new RAM into the vacant slots alongside the old 512 sticks, the memory runs at dual layer so all the slots must be filled or there has to be a gap between the original sticks. Putting the RAM into the slots and booting the machine up the computer doesn't even recognise it (ie still only 1024mb RAM in there). I took the old RAM out and replaced it with the new ones in the same two slots (with a gap) and it wouldn't even boot up I got a constant beeping sound and an orange light flashing near the DIMM slots and that obviously means there's an error.

I'm guessing this means that either A) The RAM is incompatible (only God knows why as I had it checked by the company to see if was ok, they said it was fine). B) It's duff.. or I've shorted it (which is less likely since I earthed myself and kept the computer plugged in with the mains off).

Help!

[edit]

Memory I have that works is 'US512MB400 Corsair' x2 and my motherboard is a 'GA8IG1000MK Gigabyte' mainboard.

The new memory is '1GB PC 3200 400MHZ DDR DIMM Samsung' x2

[Thrik]

If the RAM slots in then it should be compatible. If it isn't, it won't physically go in. I've had a brief look at your components and on paper there are no clear compatibility issues.

The worst that usually happens is all the RAM runs as slowly as the weakest link. If you can't even get it to boot with the new RAM in there by itself, it seems more likely that you do indeed have broken RAM. Have you tried putting both new sticks in individually and seeing if one or the other fails to boot? If it's just one of them, that's pretty much a guaranteed sign of broken RAM.

Putting unidentical sticks together can throw up very random compatibility problems that're impossible to resolve, however it's still dying for you when you take the older sticks out altogether so you've ruled that out. This is clearly a case of either the RAM itself being bad, or it not being compatible with your motherboard for some imperceptible reason.

Trying the RAM sticks in another computer is always the next step after exhausting your ideas. If you don't do it, a repair shop will (and charge you for the privilege).

[Buddy]

When i bought my current pc about a year+ ago, I ordered 2x 1gig ram sticks that should be perfectly compatible with mobo but they weren't (alltho shop tested them and they were fine) after i installed system and so on it started to play around, pc wouldn't boot, beeper etc and when i've send it back to the shop they said that ram is incomaptibile and i have to choose diferent one.

So it's most likely that this particular model of RAM might not coop with your mobo while it should, it happens (do what Thrik said and check it in diferent pc).

[D3ads]

I tested out both new sticks with the old ones and it only detected 512mb, the old sticks work fine but the new ones just don't show up at all. I've read that sometimes you need to update your BIOS for it to recognise new RAM, any truth in that? I don't want to go fucking about with changing the BIOS unless I need to. I have yet to try it on another computer, but I will do soon.

[Thrik]

Updating the BIOS is generally a good idea as it can fix all sorts of compatibility/performance problems. However, this is coming from someone with a modern Asus motherboard that has a very simple BIOS update routine (put it on a USB stick), whereas older motherboards didn't.

If neither sticks are working I think you can confidently rule out the RAM being broken. It's very unlikely two sticks would be wrecked, and if they work in another computer they're definitely not wrecked and you can safely say it's a motherboard/RAM incompatibility.

[skdr]

Yes. BIOS update might help.

Also worth noting:

My mobo does not support 3 sticks of ram. Only 1,2 and 4. (dual channel/double dual channel only). Make sure you have that looked up right?

[⌐■_■]

i was going to write down what skdr just did. also, if you have a recent motherboard, updating your bios shouldn't be that risky anymore.

[D3ads]

Yeah it needs 1,2 or 4, I know that (because the old 98 machine had that problem for years and I never knew what it was :roll:).

I tried out the new RAM in this machine and both sticks work perfectly and the BIOS is the same age as mine (although the motherboard isn't the same one). I think I have to put this down to incompatability for whatever reason..

[D3ads]

Ok what I've done is take my dad's old RAM out of his machine (two 512 sticks) and then put the new RAM in there and then put his old ram into mine and we've both got just over 2GB now which is good and best of all I've been refunded for the new ones which means I got my extra gig for free.. score!

[Zacker]

So you are running with 4x512MB now? If you put his old ram over into your yours, then you should watch out for that one of the sets don't slow down the other one.

[D3ads]

Yeah, I was thinking about that as the new RAM sticks aren't the same make so it doesn't run at dual channel anymore. I don't think there should be a problem with it though...

[Mr. Happy]

Problem was that it's Corsair, their ram is absolute overpriced shite. I've had so many issues with their sticks, including one just like this.

Hell, they once sent me 3 dead sticks (out of four).

Only brand I've never had trouble with is G.Skill

Oh, and if they clock speeds etc. are the same between the 512 and the 1gb, running 4x512mb is faster than 2x1gb, because the entire bus is being used, so you got double lucky!

[Thrik]

No it wasn't. The new RAM he bought that didn't work was Samsung RAM, not Corsair. The Corsair RAM was the old RAM he had that worked fine. Taking out the Corsair RAM completely still didn't make the Samsung RAM work, so I think it's fair to say it was nothing to do with the Corsair RAM.

[D3ads]

lol.

Nice speed boost now, everything just flies through, excellent

[dux]

Nice. Now fucking work with Source.