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Hot installing RAM?

PostPosted: Apr 1, 2006 @ 2:53pm
by James S
Anyone ever done it before? What's the consequence?

I sent my computer in for repair and when I got it back it refuses to boot if there's a DIMM in slot 1, but I can put the same DIMM in slot 2 and it will boot just fine. The computer freaks out if anything is in slot 1.

Suggestions?

PostPosted: Apr 3, 2006 @ 11:00am
by gamefreaks
Are you on a nForce 2 mobo?

I used to have an EPox 8RDA which would happily POST with bad ram in slot 2, but would detect it in slot 1 and refure to POST.

Try runnning Memtest86 on it.

PostPosted: Apr 4, 2006 @ 1:11am
by James S
Well it won't even boot with the bad RAM. Will memtest86 test my the RAM path architecture from the bridge? slot 2 works fine, but no matter what ram stick I put into slot 1 (known good RAM that works perfectly when alone in slot 2), it won't boot, no error messages or anything.

I'm on some kind of Phoenix powered Intel integrated board from the first gen Centrino period.

Is it possible that a RAM slot would be bad and would refuse to boot the machine if RAM was installed in that slot? This sounds preposterous. I sent my Tablet in to get it repaired for a bad power supply circuit in the motherboard, and I get it back and my RAM Slot 1 doesn't work and my Realtek Ethernet port doesn't either.

PostPosted: Apr 5, 2006 @ 2:17pm
by gamefreaks
Didn't realise you were on a laptop.

Some ram is just plain finicky with some motherboards. Such is life.

1) Are you using DDR400? I think the centrino chipset will only work up to DDR333. DDR400 should work fine but run at lower speed. Usually the module will have a SPD table which will specify the latiencies (timings) (Eg: 2-3-3-7) These will be lower in the SPD table for modules run at lower speed than rated for. Can you set them manually in the BIOS? If so, try setting to 3-4-4-8. These are very relaxed timings and should yeild higher compatibility. It could be the SPD table is trying to set latiencies that the chipset doesn't like. The SPD table can be viewed in CPU-Z.

2) Have you updated the BIOS to the latest version? This can solve many problems! Firmware has bugs too!

3) Yes, you could conceivably hot-swap the ram. If you turn off 'Quick POST' in the BIOS, it should detect the extra ram on a reboot. Might not though, and definatly not a good idea!!!