Graphics Card Affecting RAM???

[angel0fmars]

I've upgraded my graphics card, but whenever I install drivers, the PC would BSOD while trying to start Windows. Specs below:

Dell Inspiron 530
Intel Q6600 (stock speeds)
3GB DDR2-800 RAM (4 DIMMs, 2 1GB and 2 512MB)
eVGA GT 240 512MB DDR5 (stock speeds) (used to be Intel GMA 3100 before I upgraded)
350W Power Supply
Windows Vista 32-bit

Once I removed the 2 512MB sticks, the PC boots up perfectly fine. Being a Vista user, 2GB is simply not enough when running just a couple programs. Is there any way to utilize the 1GB?

 

[jryan388]

If it's 32-bit it can only use up to 3.5GB ram anyway, and you've got 3GB (including graphics card) already, without that extra GB.

 

[notty22]

You probably could fix this situation if you could raise your ram voltage or adjust the ram timings, sadly you can't. It is possible that 3d graphics uncover or create a error at some ram address that was previously (lucky for you) never encountered before.

To prove all this out, you could d/l memtest at memtest.org, it creates a dos boot disk and run it. This runs without windows obviously. I'd almost surely bet that it will not show errors without the 2~512's , but will with.

 

[angel0fmars]

Ahh I see. I'll try to get a 64-bit OS onto my PC and run a memtest and see if that works. Thanks for your help guys! I'll keep this thread updated.

 

[angel0fmars]

Sorry for the super late post. I haven't gotten around to trying a 64 bit OS yet, but I have ran a Memtest. It reports no errors with all 4 sticks of RAM and the graphics card in it. BUT, it does say that each of the RAM sticks are running only at 400 MHz even though they're supposed to run at 800 MHz. Could my power supply be the problem? Or is it the motherboard?

 

[Helltech]

400 MHz = 800 MHz, Ram is DDR, double date rate, which means its 400 one way, and 400 the other way, which is 800.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.