[ariadne8787]

Hey there,
I'm trying to replace/add more memory to my 256Mb DDR PC 3200 RAM.
I've got 2 new Samsung cards DDR PC 3200, 1 Gb each. My pc doesn't boot when i use them, but it does if i use my old card in one of 2 slots available and both cards are visible with CPU-Z.




* My motherboard MSI 6788 ( for details - MSI -- MICRO-STAR INT'L CO., LTD. ) supports 2 Gb memory
* I have Windows XP Professional SP2
* BIOS is updated
* /MAXMEM is unchecked in boot.ini

Do you have any thought of why wouldn't work?
Thanks

[Daveskater]

Hello and welcome to TST.

Just to get this clear in my head, when you use both of your new RAM sticks at the same time, the PC will not boot, but when you use one of them with your old stick, then it works fine?

Also, the link you provided does not work and I searched for "6788" but it returned no results.

[ariadne8787]

Originally Posted by Daveskater

Hello and welcome to TST.

Just to get this clear in my head, when you use both of your new RAM sticks at the same time, the PC will not boot, but when you use one of them with your old stick, then it works fine?

Also, the link you provided does not work and I searched for "6788" but it returned no results.

hello, thank you!
Exactly, when i use 2 new cards at the same time or just one of them, leaving 1 slot empty it does not boot.
I replaced the link, thanks for pointing out!

[Blackmirror]

• Available bandwidth up to 3.2GB/s (DDR 400) for single-channel mode.
• Supports two unbuffered DIMM of 2.5 Volt DDR SDRAM.
• Supports up to 2GB memory size without ECC.
• Supports only x8, x16 DDR devices with 4-bank.

is it possible you have the wrong memory

[Daveskater]

Ok, thanks for that.

Does anything happen when both the new sticks are in, e.g. lights flash, a number of beeps from the system speaker etc, or does it just not turn on or do anything?

Just so you know, we prefer people not to quote the last post in a thread as it is clear what you are replying to, but seeing as you're new I'll let you off this once

You beat me to it, Donna As far as I can tell it sounds like the right RAM, so I don't quite know what it is yet.

[ariadne8787]

Thanks for your fast replies.
Yeah, I've red what my motherboard requires & new cards seem to satisfy it.

Ok now i'm scared to quote you
Anyway, when i put both cards & start my computer, i hear one beep rather than usual 2, lights flash periodically, every 2 seconds or so & monitor doesn't work.

[Rik]

Try clearing your bios by removing the CR2032 battery for a few minutes with the mains power disconnected then refitting the battery and the mains and see if you get a different result.

Your bios will be re-set to it's defaults by this so don't forget you will have to set it to how you want it again.

[jtdoom]

Hi
after you reset CMOS, enter BIOS and set time and date to current vallue.
(windows may throw a funny on you when the time rolls back a year or two..)

well, CPU-Z shows the 256 and 1Gb have different CAS latency timings, and resetting with both 1Gb in there may cure this.

[ariadne8787]

Thanks a lot,that's something i never tried..well, now i did, i used both new cards & removed battery for few minutes, when i inserted it back computer didn't boot.
I've removed battery/reset bios before, caus when i tried to change frequency from 133mHz to higher values my computer didn't boot.
I've noticed CAS latency is different for both, i wanted to change it for 3, but in BIOS i can only change it to 2 or 2,5.

[Blackmirror]

Have you dusted out the slots. Maybe a bit dust in there

pop the battery out for 30 mins as well few mins is not long enough

you may need to raise the voltages to cope with the extra RAM. You will have to check the specs of your new RAM and your old RAM though, as it may be that you new RAM takes 2.2v for example, while your old only takes 2.0v,

[Daveskater]

Originally Posted by ariadne8787

Anyway, when i put both cards & start my computer, i hear one beep rather than usual 2, lights flash periodically, every 2 seconds or so & monitor doesn't work.

What BIOS do you have (e.g. AMI, Pheonix, IBM) because as far as I know, two beeps is very rarely good, although perhaps on your one it is just swapped over, I won't know until I know what you have.

Donna, the motherboard supports 2.5V memory which is what is being shown in CPU-Z, so I don't think there's a problem there.

I didn't spot the CAS latency difference before, maybe that is the cause of all of this. If they are not a matched pair of sticks and one of them is trying to work at 3 whilst the other is at 2.5 when they're both at the same clock frequency, that might make this happen.

Did you buy both the sticks together or individually?

[ariadne8787]

mm nope shouldn't be dust either & few minutes was always enough to reset BIOS.
Ouch I have AMI & 2nd beep is few seconds later the 1st one..Yeah new sticks are matched..anyway, both doesn't work even if putted in alone, so i guess problems lays somewhere else

[Klunk]

Originally Posted by ariadne8787

2nd beep is few seconds later the 1st one..Yeah new sticks are matched..anyway, both doesn't work even if putted in alone, so i guess problems lays somewhere else

1 long beep followed by 2 short beeps indicates a RAM issue. from what you describe I suspect one of your RAM modules is faulty.
Have you checked each module on it's own to see if it works and it's full size is being detected?

[Daveskater]

Adding onto Klunk's post, try booting the PC with only your new sticks in, one at a time, without the old one. So first use only one of the new sticks, then remove that one and use the other one instead. Take the old one totally out of the equation.

[Rik]

Also, how may ram slots does the mobo have and what is the maximum density per slot? All that info will be in the manual.

[Daveskater]

There's a link in the first post mate It says that it can take 2GB and it has two slots, so presumably that's 1GB per slot as I doubt a socket 478 board will take 2GB per slot.

[ariadne8787]

Originally Posted by Daveskater

Adding onto Klunk's post, try booting the PC with only your new sticks in, one at a time, without the old one. So first use only one of the new sticks, then remove that one and use the other one instead. Take the old one totally out of the equation.

Yeah i've already tried that..even resetting BIOS before putting one of them in...i guess it means both new cards are faulty on this point?

[Blackmirror]

Where did you buy them from ?