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Advised to repost this here. Hi folks, I was trying to do a quick upgrade to my girlfriend's dad's PC by adding new RAM. In my ignorance I thought that upgrading RAM was a simple matter of buying new RAM and sticking it in the motherboard so I picked up 4GB of 800MHz DDR2, popped out the two old 1GB sticks and inserted the two new 2GB ones. Welp, the PC wouldn't even power up fully. Fans would spin up a bit but then stop again and this would cycle over and over. Never got anything but a black screen on the monitor until I put the old RAM back in. Now results on google are talking about things I've never heard of like RAM timing and voltage and I'm in over my head... In short: Is there a way I can get the new RAM to work? In dumb person speak if possible  Current Specs according to Speccy  New RAM is 2x2GB DDR2 800MHz Mackers fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Dec 22, 2014 |
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Dec 22, 2014 22:06
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 04:57 |
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Going by the manual for that motherboard, you have the right stuff for the system. Might be a procedure issue, make sure both sticks click firmly into place with the side-clips in the appropriate notches.
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Dec 22, 2014 22:51
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Ugh, Fujitsu motherboard... Not much you can do about that. Try re-seating them again, and if that doesn't work, try 1 of the new sticks at a time, in different slots. Might just be an issue where the memory is incompatible with the motherboard, which is likely because, ugh, Fujitsu...
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Dec 22, 2014 23:01
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Ok, I'll try them again. I'll feel silly but relieved if that works. Thanks a lot guys.
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Dec 22, 2014 23:25
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Don't, it happens to everyone, and I'm still placing odds on it being the motherboard having poo poo compatibility.
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Dec 23, 2014 00:18
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Quick update; tried again this morning. With both sticks inserted I get the same non-start as before, but with only one I can boot Windows just fine. However when I started Speccy with the one RAM stick installed it was showing it as 326MHz like the old pair of 1GBs, instead of 800MHz, and I have no idea what to make of that...
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Dec 23, 2014 12:46
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Sounds like a simple case of RAM compatibility issues. The RAM is likely much newer than the motherboard, and while still DDR2, the motherboard isn't able to properly use it.
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Dec 23, 2014 16:13
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Anything that can be done about that, or is this bloody motherboard stuck with 2GB RAM? Would updating bios do anything? According to the manual there is a simple bios update utility... somewhere.
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Dec 23, 2014 16:35
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Updating the BIOS might help. If that doesn't though, there isn't anything you can do to make the RAM you currently have work with it. If you can find some older DDR2 RAM that the motherboard manual specifically mentions will work, or take the PC to some place that will kindly let you/them swap in RAM until you find a good match. Dealing with old crappy motherboards is the worst.
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Dec 23, 2014 16:43
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Had time today so had another look at the computer. Noticed it has a like 250 watt PSU. Which explains why the graphics card they had installed would not work or be detected at all by windows... Would this affect its ability to use RAM? Grasping at straws a bit. I hate this computer.
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Dec 25, 2014 14:24
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It's possible the system is underpowered, 250w is pretty low, and if they added a new GFX card on their own to a package Fujitsu deal, the PSU is almost certainly not adequate. I still think the RAM is just not compatible with the lovely motherboard. If you must get more RAM in this system, try taking to a local computer shop that is willing to do some tests putting in different RAM sticks until one works. They can also see if a better PSU helps. Where do you live?
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Dec 26, 2014 02:24
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250W is def way too low for most graphics cards on sale today. Do all the RAM sticks you're trying to use have all the same timing and voltage specs?
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Dec 26, 2014 02:54
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 04:57 |
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The RAM isn't a must, just wanted to speed up this crappy PC a bit. Abroad for Xmas with the GF's family and her dad asked me to have a look at it. A shop assistant prescribed a new graphics card for a flickering display caused by a loose cable...did the usual dusting and cleared hopefully all of the viruses after I plugged that in properly. Then I got carried away with the ram I guess. Other than that, it works. Just slowly. Now I think I'm gonna leave it the hell alone before it croaks on me or something. Thanks again for the help!
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Dec 29, 2014 21:28
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