Tom's Hardware > Forum > Motherboards & Memory > Memory > 2gb to 4gb, computer said no!
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gonesy   02-20-2008 at 05:59:43 PM

I have an ASUS P5N32-SLI Premium Motherboard, which I was running with 2x1gb 667mhz DDR2 ram with no problems. I decided that I would upgrade to 4gb so I purchased another 2x1gb 667mhz DDR2. When I installed them the computer started to have problems, everything took so long to do. I tried to run 3DMARK but it was like having no graphics card, was returning about 2fps, even with my 8800GTS graphics. Ran the same programme before and it was flying! I then removed the older 2 sticks of ram to make sure that the new ones weren’t duff and everything was ok again. If I add just 1 more stick of ram (3gb) then all is ok again. I have noticed that my old ram has banks down each side while the new ram has banks down just 1 side. Why can’t I run all 4 sticks of ram together? To complicate things more before I bought the new ram I had another stick of 512mb ram that I added to the old sticks giving 2.5gb and that worked ok too. I read in another article that installing more than 4 banks of ram could cause problems yet with the extra 512mb it was handling 5 banks no probs (512 only having 1 bank on 1 side). Is there any way I can run all 4gb of ram?

Thanks for any advice in advance.

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notherdude   02-20-2008 at 06:20:31 PM
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Just an educated guess but it might be an issue with double sided RAM not working on your MOBO, perhaps by itself in a 2 stick config. it's OK but not when all four slots are populated? Check with ASUS to be sure.

The other factors to consider are timings and voltage - be sure that the timings are relaxed (if at 4,4,4,12 try 5,5,5,15, for ex.) and that voltages are correct. Since you cannot separtately adjust voltage for different sticks you need to be sure your RAM runs at about the same voltage. Some RAM wants 1.8v and some as much as 2.2v. Make sure your BIOS is set tp provide minimum at least. You may be able to split the difference if the sticks are close? Not sure.

If you can manage to get RAM the same or close to the same as your existing RAM there should be no problem - so if you cannot make adjustments with the new sticks return them for more similar or identical sticks. There is surely a way to get 4 gig in your system, I would think.

of course unless you have a 64 bit OS and CPU you are only going to get about 3 to 3.5 usable RAM anyway, just so you know - assuming you have XP or Vista.


Message edited by notherdude on 02-20-2008 at 06:23:54 PM
------------------------------ tehhardpro wrote :


notherdude u have an old hand. Having an old hand doesnt make sence. Cuz its old. get a new one.. seems like ur hand doesnt understand what it is writing. So placve it in ur rig instead of vista human orgnoids will amke more sense
Reply to notherdude
gonesy   02-20-2008 at 09:54:53 PM
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Thanks for the advice, I am now running 2 new sticks (single sided) and 1 old stick (double sided) of ram, total 3gb, with no problem at all. Would look into memory timings and voltage if I knew how.....sorry a bit technology challenged here. You were right about the OS, am running 2 hard drives, Vista 32bit on one and XP SP2 on the other.....just a thought.....could running 2 OS on one computer cause a problem? Not just thinking of the ram situation but other problems. I know that when updates are downloaded and configurations of hardware are necessary then Vista and XP need different files etc? Are there pro's and con's for this?

Many thanks.

Message quoted 1 times
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Mando1351   02-20-2008 at 10:36:45 PM
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Yes, 2 OS can run on two hds on one computer, I Personally do it and it works great for me. You just need to run updates on both vista and XP when they are release so the computer doesnt screw up on you. People will tell you there may be pro's and con's but It works fine for me with little to no problems.

32 bit software will take only 3-3.5gbs of ram so running a configuration of 2x1gb and 2x512gb in dual channel is the best way to go (the last 1 gig does little difference in XP but in vista it does)

-ps one last thing if you going to run the memory configuration that I am make sure that it is all the same brad (easier to keep up with the timings)

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notherdude   02-20-2008 at 10:55:06 PM
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gonesy wrote :

Thanks for the advice, I am now running 2 new sticks (single sided) and 1 old stick (double sided) of ram, total 3gb, with no problem at all. Would look into memory timings and voltage if I knew how.....sorry a bit technology challenged here. You were right about the OS, am running 2 hard drives, Vista 32bit on one and XP SP2 on the other.....just a thought.....could running 2 OS on one computer cause a problem? Not just thinking of the ram situation but other problems. I know that when updates are downloaded and configurations of hardware are necessary then Vista and XP need different files etc? Are there pro's and con's for this?

Many thanks.



Motherboards can be picky about what they will run when all four slots are being used. So what works in three slots is no sure guide

Voltage and timing adjustments are made in the BIOS. Press delete key at startup - go into 'chipset' to find timings, voltage is probably on main page with CPU speed. Somehow I lean toward another soloution. I'd try better matching the RAM re: the double sided thing. Read your manual in the section about approved memory and upgrading mempry. Probaly some clues there.


Message edited by notherdude on 02-20-2008 at 11:11:04 PM
------------------------------ tehhardpro wrote :


notherdude u have an old hand. Having an old hand doesnt make sence. Cuz its old. get a new one.. seems like ur hand doesnt understand what it is writing. So placve it in ur rig instead of vista human orgnoids will amke more sense
Reply to notherdude
gonesy   02-21-2008 at 05:37:59 PM
- 0 +

Thanks for all the advice, its been much appreciated.

Reply to gonesy
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