Old pc fiddling: q9650 and incompatible ram

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Gyustarr

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Sep 11, 2014
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Greetings. I'm fiddling with an old oem desktop, acer aspire x3910, for fun, and today I swapped it's e5700 dual core cpu, with a q9650 quad core. However, the pc wouldn't POST unless I removed my 2 single sided 2gb ram sticks from their slots, and leave the ones from the manufacturer which have chips on both sides.
To clarify: originally the desktop had 2 2gb 1333mhz 240 pin PC3-10600 ddr3 sticks running at dual channel, and I added 2 single sided I found online with the same specs and voltages. The mobo accepted them with the previous e5700 however they don't work with the q9650.
The mobo inside is a wg43m. The bios version is ami P01-B2(2010) and are the latest acer ever produced for this mobo.
I tried various ways to solve this most of them included tests to check if the slots were damaged during the upgrade or 1 of the memory sticks did, also tried to boot them with the 2 single sided ones but no good. Unfortunately I won't be re-installing the old cpu back since it's I run out of thermal paste to add.
A very big thank you to those who decide to answer my weird query. I know it is not worth the brainwork for such an old pc, but I like fiddling with relatively obsolete/disposable hardware to expand my knowledge.
 
Solution
Mark RM
So something in the BIOS is already forcing the RAM that does work to use a divider and coming up with 1066 effective instead of 1333 even though it's rated for that at the same voltage. It's quite possible the new RAM can't cope with being run at 533 at whatever timings are in it's table. Whereas on the old proc the new ram was likely running at 667 or 400 depending on the default divider in BIOS.

Again just speculation but given the RAM actually worked with the old CPU and the memory controller didn't change, that's about all we're left with.

Is there anyway to force the RAM to 667 (1333 DDR3) in BIOS?
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Mark RM

Mark RM

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Jul 16, 2014
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That's weird, the memory controller is located on the chipset, has nothing to do with the CPU.

If the RAM works with one CPU and not the other... you have think that somehow the FSB change is causing problems
So what frequency was the memory running at with the old CPU and it's 800 FSB? What frequency is the OLD memory running at with the new CPU? I mean actual frequency, ratings d9on't mean a lot. It's possbile the new memory won't run at whatever frequency it's currently trying to get to but with the old CPU it was running at a slower more achievable FSB 800 with the old cpu.

This is what I'm thinking
and maybe there's nothing in the new RAM's SPD table to handle that. Just because it's rated as 1333
 
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G

Gyustarr

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According to cpu-z the rated fsb of e5700 was 800mhz and the max frequency of the rams was 667mhz as they ran in dual channel mode in 1-3, 2-4 pairs.
The q9650 has rated fsb of 1331,45 mhz and the max frequency of the remaining rams remain at 667mhz and current dram frequency 532mhz. Here are the stats in case I'm not making any sense:

g0kl3ag.png
 
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Mark RM

Mark RM

Admirable
Jul 16, 2014
2,658
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7,960
So something in the BIOS is already forcing the RAM that does work to use a divider and coming up with 1066 effective instead of 1333 even though it's rated for that at the same voltage. It's quite possible the new RAM can't cope with being run at 533 at whatever timings are in it's table. Whereas on the old proc the new ram was likely running at 667 or 400 depending on the default divider in BIOS.

Again just speculation but given the RAM actually worked with the old CPU and the memory controller didn't change, that's about all we're left with.

Is there anyway to force the RAM to 667 (1333 DDR3) in BIOS?
 
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Solution
G

Gyustarr

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Sep 11, 2014
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Unfortunately, no. OEM mobos have very limited bios in terms of customization. One odd thing to mention is that in most sources of the mobo it is stated that it supports 1333mhz ram while technical specifications on the Acer site only 1066. However the old ram is 1333mhz. I'm guessing it's the way the oem bios have been put together. With no oc options it looks like I've hit the wall with this one. Oh well.
Thanks for the assist by the way! You've helped me narrow it down considerably!
 
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