New RAM Bluescreens Computer

[jedean47]

Hello

I work ina school and we have decided to upgrade 30 PC's with stick of 256Mb PC133 SDRAM, the PC has currently got 128Mb RAM in.

The motherboards are about 2 and a half years old. When we put the RAM in it doesn't recognise the 256MB and only classes it as 128MB. I spoke to the supplier and they said that the chips on the RAM are new and the mother board can not handle them. So i asked them to send a 128 stick to see if that does the same (only recognise half of it).

The 128 stick is recognised as 128Mb but it blue screens the PC. We have done a Bios update and it still does the same.

Has anyone else ever had the same problems?? if so could you get around them? would a named more expensive piece of RAM work? i would have thought that the chips are backwards compatible?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

 

[jayjaykay]

Make sure that your motherboard And or bios is set to a compatible ram rate eg 133 266 400 etc, mismatched fsb/ram rates could be the problem, with your blue screen probs.

 

[garebo]

Sometimes its the cl settings in bios. cl2, cl2.5, cl3. Make sure the ram you get matches the cl of the ram you already have, or try and change it in bios.



Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[garebo]

See this thread about the CL timing.

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=602&page=1

Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[paparazi]

jedean47
This is a common problem on slightly older motherboards using PC133 SDram.
Manufacturing processes and specifications have changed, modules are generally denser (fewer chips) best that you buy from someone who can garantee compatabiliy like Crucial.

http://www.crucial.com

As a rule better quality does mean fewer compatibility issues but not gauranteed.
Ordering from a supplier who garantees compatibility is the way to go.

Martin



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Participate and help others.

 

[KevinADC]

a two year old mother board should be able to set the speed and the timing of the ram automatically. Note I said should. I also recommend you check the BIOS settings in the area of the BIOS that handles the ram type/speed/timing and set it to allow the BIOS to auto select the settings. If that doesn't work, try manually setting them. If that doesn't work, sorry.