memory upgrade help

[tonkadawg]

OK, for the life of me I can't figure out what is going on I am trying to upgrade the memory on my laptop - Dell Inspiron 5100. Right now it has 2x256 sticks and works fine. But when I put in the new 2x512 sticks, power it up, it starts to boot, but then just shuts down. Never get the boot screen or anything. Thinking maybe it had something to do with the memory, I bought a third stick today, and using just the new one, the same thing keeps happening. So I don't think it's the memory, but the computer. I've upgraded my bios hoping that would fix it - it didn't.

I don't know what else to try - any ideas?

[tld]

My laptop can't handle 2x512 sticks - it's maxed out at 2X256. It does the exact thing that you described if I try to put a 512 stick in. You might check and make sure your speed, parity, etc. matches your motherboard.

[tonkadawg]

thanks for the advice, I will double check and make sure it can handle a gig of memory. I could have sworn when I bought the thing it could - some of the software I use is a memory hog and I knew it would be a matter of time before I upgraded.

[tonkadawg]

it's maxed out at 2X256

so even though the total memory amount might be the same, it's possible that it can't handle 1x512 but 2x256 is ok?

[scottw]

Matt,

Call dell, make sure the latency is ok. Some of the dells use CrapDell Ram only. It can run a gig.

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<table cellspading="0" bgcolor="#cccccc" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td class="specheaderTD">Display</td></tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Display size</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">15 in.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Display type</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">colour TFT </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Display resolution (pixels)</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">1400 x 1050 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Graphics chipset</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Graphics RAM</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">32 MB</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
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<table cellspading="0" bgcolor="#cccccc" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td class="specheaderTD">Expansion</td></tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">PC Card slot(s)</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">1 x Type II </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Modem</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Conexant D480 MDC V.92 Modem </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">LAN connection</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller; Dell TrueMobile 1180 WLAN Mini-PCI card (802.11b) </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Parallel ports</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">0 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Serial ports</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">0 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Infrared ports</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">0 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">PS/2 ports</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">0 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">VGA port</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">1 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">USB ports</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">2 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">IEEE 1394 ports</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">1 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Video-out port</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">S-Video </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Docking station/port replicator port</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">no (optional port replicator uses USB port) </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
<table cellspading="0" bgcolor="#cccccc" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td class="specheaderTD">Audio</td></tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Audio chipset</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Sigma Tel C-Major Audio </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Microphone</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">no </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Speaker(s)</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">stereo </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Audio ports</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">line-in; line-out (or microphone and headphone) </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTableB" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Hardware volume control</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">no </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
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<table cellspading="0" bgcolor="#cccccc" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td class="specheaderTD">Other</td></tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="specTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="specTD" width="50%">Other features / comments</td> <td class="specTD" width="50%">integrated antenna supports both 802.11b and 802.11a connections </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
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[tonkadawg]

RAM capacity 1024 MB

Thanks! I thought I was losing my mind!

make sure the latency is ok

- what do you mean by this? I am a complete :newbie: when it comes to hardware.

[scottw]

No worries. Here it is.

RAM Latency Explained

When you buy RAM, you'll see two main speed ratings listed: frequency (the maximum rated clock rate), and latency. Memory speed is certainly important if you're considering overclocking, but for now we're concerned only with latency. Low latency memory, running at low latency settings, supposedly speeds up your system without requiring you to overclock it.

Memory latency is almost always designated in one of two ways. It's either a single number denoting the CAS latency, or a string of four numbers denoting several latencies. CL=2.5, CAS=2.5, or C=2.5 would be common "single number" listings for RAM with a CAS latency of 2.5 cycles, for instance. A four-number designation would be something like 3-4-4-8, in which the four numbers relate to CAS – tRCD – tRP – tRAS. That's a lot of weird abbreviations, so here's the basics of what they mean:

<!-- Vignette V6 Thu Jan 19 03:35:17 2006 --> <!--WEB 5--><!-- Removed: rchambers - include virtual="/common/util_encryption_rijndael.asp"--> <!-- Removed: rchambers - include virtual="/common/util_encode_base64.asp" --> <!-- RELATED LINKS -->

CAS

Column Access Strobe (sometimes Column Access Select). This is actually the last stage in finding where data is physically located in RAM. Data is stored in an array of columns and rows–the row is selected first, then the column is selected and the data in memory is either read from or written to. CAS is the amount of time, in cycles, between receiving the column access command and acting upon it. It is usually a value of 2, 2.5, or 3.

tRCD

RAS (Row Access Strobe) to CAS delay. This is the delay, in number of cycles, between finding the row of a location in memory, and finding the column. This value is usually between 3 and 5 cycles, but it doesn't tend to have a huge impact on performance. Sequential bits of data are usually stored along the same row in memory, so rows are not re-selected nearly as often as columns.

tRP

RAS precharge. This is how much time it takes for the memory to stop accessing one row and start accessing another. Like tRCD, this value is typically between 3 and 5 cycles for modern memory systems. It can have an impact on performance when programs use large blocks of memory that span several rows.

tRAS

Active to Precharge Delay. This is the delay, in cycles, between the pins of the memory module electronically receiving a signal and the module starting the Row Access Strobe to locate and retrieve (or write) it. This is generally a pretty big delay, from 5 to 8 cycles on most DDR memories. But it also doesn't have a huge impact on performance, and should only make a big difference when memory access patterns change dramatically.

That's probably all still a bit confusing, so here's the chronological sequence of events: First the pins receive a request to, let's say, retrieve memory at a certain address. The first latency measurement that comes into play is tRAS, as the memory waits to activate the row where the data resides. Then tRP comes into play if the requested data resides on a different row than the one previously accessed. After the row is selected (if necessary), you have the tRCD delay before the column is selected. Then CAS is the time it takes to select the proper column of memory and retrieve data stored there. To recap, listed chronologically, it's tRAS -> tRP -> tRCD -> CAS. And CAS has the biggest impact on performance, since new columns are accessed more frequently than anything else.




Basically if the ram is cheap it won't run in dells. Typically Kingston is a good ram that is Dell friendly.. When I had my dell i went from 256 to 1gb and it damn near blew up. I had to add 1 x 512 for a boot, then added the other 512.. Make sure you seat it properly. You may think you have it in but you don't. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO PUSH REAL HARD.


I am almost willing to bet you dont have it seated correctly. push real hard, now you will know when it is about to snap. But Mine did the same as yours, I thought I had it seated, but didn't. so push until it clicks in there real nice and tight

[tonkadawg]

Basically if the ram is cheap it won't run in dells. Typically Kingston is a good ram that is Dell friendly.. When I had my dell i went from 256 to 1gb and it damn near blew up. I had to add 1 x 512 for a boot, then added the other 512.. Make sure you seat it properly. You may think you have it in but you don't. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO PUSH REAL HARD.


I am almost willing to bet you dont have it seated correctly. push real hard, now you will know when it is about to snap. But Mine did the same as yours, I thought I had it seated, but didn't. so push until it clicks in there real nice and tight

we need a smilie that shows his head exploding cause that is what just happened to me after reading your post Scott.

No seriously, good info, thanks!

I am thinking it has to do with the fact that Dells don't play nicely with cheap memory. The 2x512 I got at Best Buy - K-Byte dunno, never heard of them. The 1x512 I got on line from http://www.memoryx.com/ - they advertised that their memory would work with my Dell.

I do think I am getting it seated correctly. I put the new memory in the same way as I do the old. Both snap in, takes a bit of effort to get it in there, the only thing is, the new memory doesn't work, while the old does.