Installing new Memory

sstrauss047 · Jun 5, 2014

I have recently bought new ram for my Dell DXP061. I bought the right ram so that is not the problem. Its 4 sticks of ddr2 1gb ram. I installed one and reset the bios and it worked. I got the second stick in as well along with the third. With three in, it gives me a message: new memory detected on the first screen. The memory works because i checked it in the control panel. How can i get rid of this message? And the second problem is that when i put the fourth stick of ram in, there is just a black screen. The fans are on and the motherboard lights up it just does not display anything. Please help

jkhoward · Jun 5, 2014

Dell systems let you know when the system memory/configuration has changed. I beleive if you hit f1 it will continue to post. Once you stop playing around with the memory this error will not show up anymore during boot. It will, just once, and then go away.

Have you tried testing all of the sticks individually? One at a time? It could be that the forth stick is damaged and is causing the system to hang on boot up.

sstrauss047 · Jun 5, 2014

jkhoward :

Ok thanks i will check that and get back to you

jkhoward · Jun 5, 2014

Sounds good!

sstrauss047 · Jun 5, 2014

That stick is not broken. it works. I tried to put the fourth one in again and it shows a black screen or beeps at me

sstrauss047 · Jun 5, 2014

never mind. I think that it is the stick of ram because i put it in and it does not get past the boot screen.

jkhoward · Jun 5, 2014

Is it a Dimension? XPS? Latitude?

I want to look up the memory specifications online to see how the memory works. It sounds like the memory controller went back and it is only working in single-channel.

Karadjgne · Jun 5, 2014

I had a similar problem a while back on my Dell 8400, but in slot 2. What it turned out to be was just dirty contacts. The 3 slots were not used in several years so when I added a second ram stick, I got black screen and multiple fast beeps. The cure was seating/unseating the stick repeatedly, until I felt I had scratched it in sufficiently, then I booted up, and it worked fine.

jkhoward · Jun 5, 2014

It could be a lot of things. But if you are having an issue with that stick that is definitely your problem.

sstrauss047 · Jun 5, 2014

Ok the stick works. i will try seating and unseating it to do what karadjgne said

sstrauss047 · Jun 5, 2014

The memory channel mode is in single? should i change that and if so how?

sstrauss047 · Jun 5, 2014

jkhoward :

Its in single channel mode. all the sticks work its just when i put in a fourth one, there is a blank screen

jkhoward · Jun 5, 2014

The controller is bad then or the processor but the controller generally gives out first.

There is a memory controller with two sub controllers kind of. When 1 chip is inserted you are in single channel. When two chips are inserted in the correct slots, both white, or both black, you are in dual channel, when three chips are entered you are back to single channel, and with four in you are back to double channel using the two different channels being white and black. So it appears that your one of the ports of the controller is bad.

):

sstrauss047 · Jun 5, 2014

jkhoward :

Is there anyway to fix that besides getting a new motherboard?

jkhoward · Jun 5, 2014

No sir.

The MC is on intergrated into motherboard. Unless you are a pro motherboard repair man with a old MC chip on your hands..

Which you are probably not and niether am I.

Check eBay, I am sure you can get a cheap on there.

Is your system even 64-bit?

If not it can't support more then 3.5GB anyways. Running 3 may be the best option if that is the case.

sstrauss047 · Jun 5, 2014

jkhoward :

Ahhhhh thats why. I have a 32 bit system

jkhoward · Jun 6, 2014

Well you BIOS will detect the 4 GB of memory. It shouldn't crash. In Windows it will show 4GB (3.5 usable)it shouldn't crash though. I would run with 3 GB until you can replace the motherboard.

sstrauss047 · Jul 7, 2014

jkhoward :

Ive just realised something. Could the graphics card take away memory from the system so the motherboard only allowed 3?

Karadjgne · Jul 9, 2014

Add on gpu cards have their own gdram on board. Only the integrated CPU/gpu will use system memory, but that memory is not dedicated, the I-gpu will just use what it neefs

Installing new Memory

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