Tom's Hardware > Forum > Motherboards & Memory > Memory > New memory will not work in Dell E521, but SHOULD. help?

New memory will not work in Dell E521, but SHOULD. help?

Forum Motherboards & Memory : Memory - New memory will not work in Dell E521, but SHOULD. help?

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I have a Dell E521 with 2gb memory (2x1gb PNY optima DDR2 PC2-5300), my comp runs good but im looking to speed up for gaming purposes.

I purchased 4gb of Wintec desktop RAM on newegg.com that matched the specs of the RAM im currently using: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820161677

For some reason NONE of the 4 new 1gb sticks will work. I get random beeping and no image when i power up the PC. I first tried all 4 sticks at once, then i tried 1 stick in the DIMM1 slot; i tried this with EACH individual new stick. I also tried a few other combinations just in case i would get lucky, but no luck.

What are the odds of me getting 4 bad sticks of RAM in one order?! Is there something else i could be missing here?

Thank you in advance for any info you can provide!

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If BIOS allows adjustment for RAM voltage, increase the voltage a bit. You can find RAM guaranteed to work on your DELL by dialing in your system on these configurators.

http://crucial.com/

http://www.corsairmemory.com/configurator/default.aspx

http://www.kingston.com/

Reply to badge

Thank you for the reply badge,

I will try the RAM voltage solution, is that typically safe to do? I have no experience in that area. I imagine i would access that configuration from the system BIOS when i reboot but ive never really meddled in there before. Anything i need to know before i take that step?

Oh and I cant seem to identify the voltage requirement for my Wintec RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820161677 . I thought i could find it either in Everest system detector or on the sticks of RAM themselves, but its nowhere to be found.

Thanks again! Ill be back later in the day to follow up

Reply to sweatdog

If my research is correct, the memory you had in your Dell runs at 1.8 volts, the memory you bought needs 2.5 volts, and when running 4 sticks it is common to have to increase the voltage even further to get it all to work, like up to 2.6~2.7 volts.

*Hopefully the Dell BIOS will allow you to adjust the memory voltage. But I would not be surprised if you could not.*

Just put 1 stick of your old ram in... boot into the BIOS, up the voltage, and then shut it down, install the new memory.

Message edited by jitpublisher on 12-02-2008 at 02:43:17 PM

Reply to jitpublisher

Clear the bios by removing the battery.
Reinstall the old memory.
Bootup.
Shutdown.
Install the new memory.
Allow ample time for bootup.
You probably can't change the RAM voltage nor the Northbridge voltage with a Dell.

Message edited by evongugg on 12-02-2008 at 03:11:37 PM

------------------------------ Google is your friend and Bob's your uncle
Reply to evongugg

You are correct, I cannot change the voltage with this system of mine. I will try the battery removal to clear BIOS, but i dont understand how that would solve the problem? I will give it a go and come back here with my results.

For some reason PNY brand DDR2 PC2-5300 works fine in my system. but the Wintec brand DDR2 PC2-5300 does not.

Reply to sweatdog

Wintec doesn't list those modules as Dell compatible.

Reply to GhislainG

back, tried what i could but as ghislaing has now added, "Wintec doesn't list those modules as Dell compatible." So i will have to try and get newegg to let me swap to the PNY type that i know for a fact will work (since i have 1 gb stick in there currently)

Thank you all for the assistance, happy holidays to ya

Reply to sweatdog

Off the shelf computers FTW! Ha.

Jeez... who on earth builds a gaming computer around a Dell? XPS is one thing... but an E521?

Reply to rodney_ws

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