Yes this is a good thing to do... A few months ago I found that the more
modules of RAM I have, the more I must relax the timing. Not just the
frequency, but what was more important were settings with names line "Active
to precharge", "Active to CMD", and the others on that BIOS config page. a
512 MB Samsung module on my PC was unable to achieve it's specifications (I
caught this with the Microsoft Memory diagnostic tool - try the test called
something like STRIDE6). Using that tool for tuning my system, I was able to
make it very stable, by relaxing those settings to the most stable state.
Then I regained the original performance by over-clocking the CPU - Athlon
1700+ (133*11=1463MHz) --> (175*11=1925MHz). By the way it is stable until
182 - this is when the first errors will be shown in the Samsung RAM module.
Another important thing was to add the Samsung module in the middle DDR slot
(there are 3 slots on my system). Otherwise I start getting errors at much
lower frequency.
| Kerry Smith wrote:
| > Trying to replace two sticks of memory to to bring a dell demension 2400
| > up to 1 gig. Currently at 512 mb with two sticks. When I add the new
| > it halts on boot up and goes to the screen that start that lets you
| > chose the safe modes or last known but it goes into a continual loop and
| > it doesn't matter what option you choose. It will return to normal
| > after you replace the original memory and it goes through one reboot.
| > Is it bad memory or is there something I should do to prep the install
| > for the new memory? The bios is reckognising the new memory just fine.
| >
| >
| > Thank you
| >
| > Kerry Smith
|
| Test with memtest86+ (memtest.org) or with the Microsoft memory tester.
| Both testers can be loaded on a floppy, if you have a floppy drive
available
| to boot the machine, or you can prepare a CD by burning the downloadable
ISO.
|
|
http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp
|
| It could be that there is something not quite right with the new RAM. To
| be acceptable, no errors are allowed in these tests. For memtest86+, two
| complete passes may take a couple hours to complete. Memtest86+ will
| run forever until you Quit the application, after which it will
immediately
| reboot.
|
| Another thing you can run, is CPUZ, to check the system settings before
| the new RAM is added and after. CPUZ runs in Windows. What you are lookinf
| for here, is changes in timing or clock rate, that are not consistent
| with what you know about the two pairs of RAM.
|
|
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
|
| I hope the OS involved here is not Win98. Win98 is completely problem
| free at 512MB. Between 512MB and 1GB, it requires a tweak. Above 1GB,
| expect trouble. That is an address space issue. WinXP on the other
| hand, has a higher practical limit.
|
| To be considered completely tested, you need to run a program like
| Prime95 (torture test menu item) from mersenne.org . But as long as
| you cannot get into Windows, you'll have to be content to test with
| memtest86+ and the like.
|
| Paul
