Kingston memory issue

hamfest

Distinguished
Dec 2, 2011
8
0
18,510
Being the first time I have decided to add memory, would appreciate any help (must admit to be naive on the subject )::! I have a Foxconn Motherboard Model, 945G7MD-8EKRS2H.. Dual channel DDR2.400/533/667 x 4 Max 4GB. Question:! Can I add the Kingston KVR800D2N6/2G memory card , or is it incompatible ?? or are there any reasons why I cannot ? Many thanks for any help..
 
Pull your old ram stick. If it's samsung or crucial, match the brand and size if possible. Otherwise, find a 2x2 gb kit of pc5300 ddr2 same brand; test it; if it works, sell your old ram. Several posts in the last few days about ram compatability issues when mixing ram. I wouldn't purchase the kingston unless you can return it. It may not work with your old ram.
 

hamfest

Distinguished
Dec 2, 2011
8
0
18,510
Many thanks to both o1die, and GhislainG for your prompt replies You both have decided my plan of action.. On the advice of a more kowledgeable friend, I did indeed purchase the KVR800D2N6/2G , it's still in the wrapper so hopefully 'they' will exchange ? I agree GhislainG it is NOT on the Foxconn 'supported list'. and o1die, yes I guess your suggestion' pulling the existing ram, and checking', makes real sense etc ..again Many thanks chaps, Great help. best wishes ..
 

hamfest

Distinguished
Dec 2, 2011
8
0
18,510
Hello again o1die and Ghislain. Further to my last thread , I have taken you at your word and have now purchased a couple of memory 'cards' from 'OFFTEK ' specifically for the Foxconn mother board. I note that this board has a max of 4 gb,( 1.99gb installed): 4 slots, 4 banks of 1. I presume this means that the two 1gb modules that I have ordered can be inserted one by one ( individually to make up to 3.99gb),?? Is this correct or am I being 'naive' again?? Thanks for yor time
 
When it comes to RAM, ignorance is bliss.

I wish I didn't know about RAM, tbh.

That being said, it is good that you are getting 4 x 1GB of the exact same kind.

Many problems can happen with RAM in general, even if you do everything right, but many MORE problems can happen if you do things in a way that isn't ideal.

That being said, you probably don't want to put the sticks in 1 at a time. I think that will just quadruple your pain from the whole process.

Obviously, you can't physically stick all 4 in at the same time, but if I were you I would do it all in one "shot" without turning the computer on between inserts.

There are a couple different ways to approach this process, but the one that I think causes the least pain is to follow the below steps in the exact order they are in.

1) Pull the cord out of the back of the computer so the computer is not connected to a wall outlet
2) Hold in the power button for 1 minute to try and be sure all the power is out of the computer
3) Crack open the case. When you are doing this, make sure you touch the metal part of the case to discharge any static electricity in your body harmlessly on the case metal.
4) Find the battery, it looks almost like a quarter and it will probably be close to the video card. Look at how the battery is oriented in the slot.
5) Using a flat screwdriver, gently push on the metal piece at the back of the slot that is holding the battery in the slot. This should pop it out of the socket. It will probably be forcefully ejected so it may end up anywhere.
6) Grab it by the sides and set it down on a non conductive surface like wood with the smooth side that has letters and numbers down and the side with crisscross markings up. Try not to touch the side that will be up if possible.
7) Look at the clock and note what time it is.
8) Take out all of the RAM sticks that are in the motherboard currently.
9) Put in all the RAM sticks that you want to have in there. I generally go from left to right myself. Once you are sure you have the RAM oriented correctly so that it will go into the slot (its keyed so it won't go in backwards) then push firmly and hard. There should be a slight snap as the devices on the sides lock into the sides of the RAM. If you don't hear this or if you have to close these yourself, it probably isn't pushed all the way in and it will probably not boot for that reason.
10) Sit there and wait.
11) When you are 15 minutes forward from the time you looked at the clock, then take the battery and stick it back in. It should be oriented similarly to how it was the first time if possible. It shouldn't matter much how it is oriented as long as the right side is up and the right side is down, but it doesn't hurt to try to restore it to how it previously was if you can.
12) Close the case
13) Put the power cable back in between the wall and the PSU.
14) Turn the computer on

If you are religious, somewhere between 13 and 14 it wouldn't be a bad time to pray.

If you do all of these things this way, it is maximally likely to work right the first time and save you a lot of time and effort trying to resolve RAM problems which can be among the most frustrating things to try to resolve.

There is no guarantee this will work the first time, though.

As mentioned before, RAM is... finicky. Sometimes it doesn't work temporarily for no rhyme or reason that most people can tell. Then you repeat the same thing you already did and it starts working.

The 4 most important pieces of that process are probably the battery being out 15 min, all the RAM going in the board in the same shot, pushing the RAM hard to make sure it is all the way in, and not having the PSU cable attached when you do this.

If you have to repeat steps because it doesn't work, those are the ones you are probably going to want to repeat. Not necessarily in that order, always remove the PSU cable first before you do anything else.

If you do have problems, try just starting all the way over again and repeating the steps again just like they are shown. You should have no problems doing this 3 times in a little over an hour if necessary.

Sometimes it just takes a bunch of repetitions of this for something to "click" inside the computer and to have things working, so don't be worried if it takes a couple times.

If you do it 4 or 5 times and it still doesn't work, then come back in here and we can try to see what is going on with it from there.
 

hamfest

Distinguished
Dec 2, 2011
8
0
18,510



Hello again GhislainG, thanks for the reply.I would point out that in effect I will only be putting in two X1 gb modules , adding to the existing 1.99gb.. Beginnning to ask myself, " is it worth it ?" especially with the next reply in mind ?? thanks again best wishes
 

hamfest

Distinguished
Dec 2, 2011
8
0
18,510
Good morning Raiddinn, WOW. !! many thanks indeed for your in depth reply to my 'problem' ! First reaction after reading it all ,was to 'forget it' go back to the 'quiet life ...?? I must confess, even though you make the excercise seem reasonably straight -forward, I naturally have misgivings. You mention 'ignorance being bliss' well, I guess I fall into that category, " being blissful !!" As I have already mentioned to a contributor, 'Is it really worth it ?? ' (Yeah, I'm a cagey type too, being a bit 'long in the tooth' )!! You say , inititiallly that " You wish you did'nt know about RAM" after your longish description on the subject, I'm beginning to feel the same : I would point out that , I am in fact , only putting an additional 2x1 gb modules , to the existing 1.99 gb ( or whatever) that is already on board, hence my original concern about 'which order to install'.. Now, it seems that I have to take things a step further by removing the battery ! It does really all make sense. though, and I appreciate your point.. Right now , I have to go back to 'biting my nails' and perhaps offer up a little prayer (as you rightly suggest) and again ask myself " is it worth it for a little extra speed" (any excuse Hi ) ALL your remarks duly noted and digested, and once more many thanks for your reply, Best wishes and a Happy Christmas



 
Go ahead and add the RAM. I can't figure out why Raiddim wrote such a long and scary reply, but you can ignore it. When adding memory modules (or any other component to a system), power off the PSU or disconnect it from the wall outlet. FYI, you are not running an overclocked PC that requires tweaking of the memory settings or anything like that.
 


From my point of view, in 2011 it is good to have 4GBs of RAM as a baseline. Ideally, it would be good if everybody had 8, but that is just not possible in many cases because of a motherboard restriction or an operating system restriction for instance.

Anyway, I would say that yes it is worth it to have 4 instead of 2, but you should not go in blind to the possible effort required to get the RAM to work right. It could work right if you just stick it in and turn the computer on. It could easily be that simple. On the other hand, there are 10 people a day that come in here saying they bought RAM and stuck it in and it didn't work. With those people I lay out the above steps for them to try in order to get things on track.

I would rather see people do it with the right process the first time so it is maximally likely to work the first time and so it only takes 20 minutes to fix the problem instead of, from the point of view of many of the above 10 people a day that come in here, potentially many days to fix it. I had a RAM question in the past and I went for 7 hours with not even a read on it, long enough for me to put forth the effort and figure it out myself.

Better you have steps laid out in advance than to sit around waiting 7 hours and have no indication anyone even read the thread.

Anyway, I would advise you to do it, but also to go in with both eyes open in terms of the situations you can possibly be dealing with. RAM is probably the part least likely to work right away out of anything in an objective sense, but its so nice to have lots of it too. Not that 4GB really qualifies as lots in this day and age, but it is just in general a really good amount to have for productivity and gaming.




Because he may just go out and buy RAM and expect it to work right away and it doesn't and you aren't guaranteed to be there to help him through the problem. You certainly weren't there to answer the RAM question I posted a while ago. Nobody was. I don't want him to have to reinvent the wheel if he has problems and nobody is there to help him. RAM can be very frustrating and he should know that before he dives in the pool.
 
You certainly weren't there to answer the RAM question I posted a while ago.
I don't check every post. Adding memory is easy if one buys guaranteed to be compatible modules. I provided the OP with the part number of a kit that's guaranteed to work; therefore he won't run into issues.
 

hamfest

Distinguished
Dec 2, 2011
8
0
18,510
Gentlemen, gentlemen; Please do not let me be the cause of any form of aggro between helpful people.... GhislainG, and Raiddinn; I value both your points of view and insomuch each of us is entitled to that point of view ...
I am still awaiting by post, the aforementioned 'modules' and have more or less decided , that I will 'sit on it' this side of Christmas,, fire up my old 'stand-by computer' ready for the big 'turn-off' ?? and then dive in at the deep end, bearing in mind all that has been said,,( no doubt there will be readers out there, who will wonder 'what all the fuss is about' ??) After all; I did say that I was 'naive' in this computer 'lark !!
Came into this, in my late seventies, so the old 'cells' are somewhat dying or dead , but I suppose it's a case of 'never say die'??
and I really do appreciate the help offered.. Thanks again gentlemen , best wishes to you and yours , and hopefully the problem will eventually be resolved ??????
(will let you know
 


I am fully aware that you don't check every post and that potentially people can post in the Memory section of the board and be left hanging for half a day or more.

I prefer to over-inform now rather than under-inform when people are having serious difficulties later.

Additionally, it is just not that simple with RAM.

If you buy a brand new motherboard and shove in some "guaranteed to work" RAM, then yes it will probably work without any problems. The initial configuration will pick up the number and types of RAM and record it somewhere and go from there.

If you already have RAM in a motherboard and you attempt to change that to have different numbers, sizes, types, or whatever of RAM, even if it is "guaranteed to work", there is no guarantee that the system will function correctly when it is turned on.

It may, or it may not.

Re-configuring is handled completely differently than the initial configuration as far as the BIOS is concerned.

There is no guarantee that a board will realize that it needs to re-configure itself right away and do it without any intervention whatsoever.

Again, it may or it may not.

You can *try to* circumvent this "may or may not" by taking the battery out for 15 minutes which *usually* makes it forget the old configuration and which *should* force it to perform an initial configuration, but that may still not work.

If it does initiate a new initial configuration AND all the RAM is "guaranteed to work" then it should pretty seamlessly pick up the new RAM and work, as long as all 4 sticks of RAM are of the exact same maker, model, size, etc.

If any of those things aren't like this, people are just inviting "doesn't work" scenarios. Even if things are like this, a "doesn't work" scenario could occur for no reason at all as far as most people can tell.

- Edit - Clarity
 
Raiddinn, I feel very sorry that you had such serious dificulties upgrading memory, but please don't scare other people. I've upgraded memory on a significant number of PCs and servers and I never ran into issues other than defective memory modules, but I may be lucky.
 

hamfest

Distinguished
Dec 2, 2011
8
0
18,510
Hello again GhislainG, and may I add Raiddinn.?
I promised to let you know re the RAM business. Wel I just could not sit back and wait , I 'took the bull by the horns ' - as it were, and got on with it. First time , just a blank screen, so took out the original ram cards inserted the new ones(1gb each) and it worked.. I then re-inserted the old (1.9gb cards) lo and behold ... a total of 4GB now shows.. Can only assume , that I did not fully insert the cards in the first place.. However, all is well , that ends well, as they say.. In passing' my thanks also to 01die, for his contribution also,,, Happy Christmas to you all; and of course to your families
 

TRENDING THREADS