Computer "lags" with new installation of RAM.

[catbread.org]

Hello. I recently installed a new 2gig stick of Transcend memory in my
Dell Vostro1000. It's the same clock as the other 512mb that's already
installed.

I noticed that whenever I type something every 5 seconds or so,
there's this half second lag and the text has to catch back up with
me. Music plays fine and there's no skipping in that. I ran two
different memory tests that are on Ultimate Boot CD and they both came
out with zero errors.

Are there any recommendations to fix this? Thanks.

 

[catbread.org]

I just switched the old stick back in and I'm noticing the same
problem. Video runs slow, flash has a hard time working on the
computer. Not sure what the problem is.

 

[philo]

Hello. I recently installed a new 2gig stick of Transcend memory in my
Dell Vostro1000. It's the same clock as the other 512mb that's already
installed.

I noticed that whenever I type something every 5 seconds or so,
there's this half second lag and the text has to catch back up with
me. Music plays fine and there's no skipping in that. I ran two
different memory tests that are on Ultimate Boot CD and they both came
out with zero errors.

Are there any recommendations to fix this? Thanks.

Have a look at all your bios settings.
Sometimes making changes such as adding ram (etc) will reset your bios to
default.

The cpu speed could have been reset to some minimal value.

 

[catbread.org]

Have a look at all your bios settings.
Sometimes making changes such as adding ram (etc) will reset your bios to
default.

The cpu speed could have been reset to some minimal value.

All settings are the same as before. Both sticks of RAM are clocked
the same and the CPU settings have not changed.

I ran a h.264 HD video and it runs absolutely perfect. It's only when
I'm typing or moving the cursor that I get some slow down. Flash also
seems to have problems too. I noticed using cpuz that my multiplier
goes from 4.0 to 8.0 whenever there is something going on. Could this
switch make my typing/cursor moving hiccup?

 

[philo]

All settings are the same as before. Both sticks of RAM are clocked
the same and the CPU settings have not changed.

I ran a h.264 HD video and it runs absolutely perfect. It's only when
I'm typing or moving the cursor that I get some slow down. Flash also
seems to have problems too. I noticed using cpuz that my multiplier
goes from 4.0 to 8.0 whenever there is something going on. Could this
switch make my typing/cursor moving hiccup?

Is your bios using some fuzzy logic bios clocking scheme?
maybe check that.

But all I can think of is that some setting got changed in the bios
when you added RAM

 

[Strobe]

Hello. I recently installed a new 2gig stick of Transcend memory in my
Dell Vostro1000. It's the same clock as the other 512mb that's already
installed.

I noticed that whenever I type something every 5 seconds or so,
there's this half second lag and the text has to catch back up with
me. Music plays fine and there's no skipping in that. I ran two
different memory tests that are on Ultimate Boot CD and they both came
out with zero errors.

Generic advice:
Whenever something odd happens after working inside your computer,
carefully check everything you might have disturbed while doing the
work - especially those bits you are positive that you never even touched!

That means at a minimum reseating ALL the cables and cards, and checking that
nothing got trapped when replacing the lid.

There is no theoretical basis for this advice, except that it often seems to
work.

 

[catbread.org]

Is your bios using some fuzzy logic bios clocking scheme?
maybe check that.

But all I can think of is that some setting got changed in the bios
when you added RAM

Nothing was changed. I don't know what fuzzy logic is, but there isn't
anything like that in the bios. The only setting that's changeable in
the bios that looks remotely like it would have to do with the
multiplyer going up and down is the PowerNow Control setting. I will
give that a shot and see what it does.

Strobe:

Everything is fine on the hardware side. Memory has been tested,
everything is seated correctly and there are no small children caught
under the lid.

Now that I think about it, this "lagging text" has always been around,
even before the RAM replacement. Sorry to make a late observation, but
I just now really noticed it due to changing the hardware and actively
looking for problems.

 

[catbread.org]

Disabling the PowerNow setting does not solve the problem. Text still
lags for about half a second every 7 seconds or so. It's extremely
annoying.

 

[pcbldrNinetyEight]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in

Now that I think about it, this "lagging text" has always been around,
even before the RAM replacement. Sorry to make a late observation, but
I just now really noticed it due to changing the hardware and actively
looking for problems.

What happens if you change Repeat Rate or Repeat Delay in Control
Panel in Keyboard properties? This would of course have no effect on
Flash though.

 

[catbread.org]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in


What happens if you change Repeat Rate or Repeat Delay in Control
Panel in Keyboard properties? This would of course have no effect on
Flash though.

It has nothing to do with that, I don't believe, but I tried it just
for the sake of experimentation and it didn't work. It really is like
a hiccup. I will type the text and nothing will happen on the screen
and then a moment later everything I typed will suddenly show up. It
is definitely not because of the RAM I installed, so I'm open to other
suggestions still.

 

[pcbldrNinetyEight]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in

It has nothing to do with that, I don't believe, but I tried it just
for the sake of experimentation and it didn't work. It really is like
a hiccup. I will type the text and nothing will happen on the screen
and then a moment later everything I typed will suddenly show up. It
is definitely not because of the RAM I installed, so I'm open to other
suggestions still.

I hate to open a can of worms but does anyone else use this PC and could
they have installed software without your knowledge, or by accident at a
malicious web site? Have you scanned for virus or adware? Or maybe turn
off virus scanner and see if that helps. It sounds like you may have
something running in the background that's eating up clock cycles.

 

[catbread.org]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in




I hate to open a can of worms but does anyone else use this PC and could
they have installed software without your knowledge, or by accident at a
malicious web site? Have you scanned for virus or adware? Or maybe turn
off virus scanner and see if that helps. It sounds like you may have
something running in the background that's eating up clock cycles.

Nope. Personal laptop. Always on a secure network and NOD32 running. I
have scanned for adware.

I will post the HijackThis log tomorrow if that will provide some help.

 

[SteveH]

Hello. I recently installed a new 2gig stick of Transcend memory in my
Dell Vostro1000. It's the same clock as the other 512mb that's already
installed.

I noticed that whenever I type something every 5 seconds or so,
there's this half second lag and the text has to catch back up with
me. Music plays fine and there's no skipping in that. I ran two
different memory tests that are on Ultimate Boot CD and they both came
out with zero errors.

Are there any recommendations to fix this? Thanks.

According to Crucial.com and Dell's website, your laptop can only take a
maximum of 2Gb of memory, with a maximum of 1Gb per slot.

SteveH

 

[Paul]

Nope. Personal laptop. Always on a secure network and NOD32 running. I
have scanned for adware.

I will post the HijackThis log tomorrow if that will provide some help.

I'd start by characterizing the delay interval. Is it a repetitive thing,
like every 10 seconds, there is a delay where no text appears ? It could
be, that an activity like checking for a CD in the optical drive, is
running into difficulty. If the system stays at kernel level, while some
hardware is having problems, that may account for the delay. Try leaving
a CD in the drive (non-accessed) and do the typing test again.

Also make a list of connected peripherals, and see if anything there
correlates with the problem.

Paul

 

[SteveH]

I'd start by characterizing the delay interval. Is it a repetitive
thing, like every 10 seconds, there is a delay where no text appears
? It could be, that an activity like checking for a CD in the optical
drive, is running into difficulty. If the system stays at kernel
level, while some hardware is having problems, that may account for
the delay. Try leaving a CD in the drive (non-accessed) and do the
typing test again.
Also make a list of connected peripherals, and see if anything there
correlates with the problem.

Paul

As I've said in another post, I'd start by taking out the 2gig memory stick,
according to Dell and Crucial the biggest stick it can take is 1gig. So I'd
go back to the 512 and try resetting the CMOS if possible.

SteveH

 

[Paul]

As I've said in another post, I'd start by taking out the 2gig memory stick,
according to Dell and Crucial the biggest stick it can take is 1gig. So I'd
go back to the 512 and try resetting the CMOS if possible.

SteveH

The info on that is a bit strange. The laptop uses AMD processors, and the
memory controller is inside the processor. A competing brand of laptop
using the same processor (TK-53), advertises a 2x2GB limit. All the rest
of the Vostro laptops (>1000 model number), seem to support 2x2GB. I don't
understand where the technical limitation is. I'm not up on all
the various form factors for memory, and assume this is a
standard sized SODIMM and not one of those miniature ones.
I agree the available Dell info says 1GB per slot max, but
don't understand the reason for it.

Since the press release for multiple Vostro's came out at the same time,
and the capacity limits were noted in that press release, it is an
intentional limitation and not an accident. But with the memory controller
inside the processor, I don't see the why of it. All machines should have
the same limit, when using the same AMD processor. If the processor
was Intel (where the chipset drives the RAM), then different
behaviors are easier to understand.

Paul

 

[pcbldrNinetyEight]

According to Crucial.com and Dell's website, your laptop can only take a
maximum of 2Gb of memory, with a maximum of 1Gb per slot.

Good tip Steve. Crucial also goes on to say "Although the memory can be
installed one module at a time, the best performance comes from using
matched pairs of modules." Were this my PC I would only install memory in
matched pairs.

Dell Vostro 1000 at Crucial Memory:
http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Vostro 1000

 

[Strobe]

It has nothing to do with that, I don't believe, but I tried it just
for the sake of experimentation and it didn't work. It really is like
a hiccup. I will type the text and nothing will happen on the screen
and then a moment later everything I typed will suddenly show up. It
is definitely not because of the RAM I installed, so I'm open to other
suggestions still.

Another test is to boot with a different OS.

If you still get the problem, it's in your hardware/BIOS;
If not, it's in your software.

It's easy to do if you grab a run-from-CD OS, such as Ubuntu (which also
includes a copy of Memtest, always useful if you're changing RAM).

 

[catbread.org]

According to Crucial.com and Dell's website, your laptop can only take a
maximum of 2Gb of memory, with a maximum of 1Gb per slot.

SteveH

Whether or not this is true, I switched the old 512 stick back in and
I still had the delayed text. It's not because of the RAM. I've ran
memtest and the microsoft memory test and all sticks are fine. I'm
convinced this has nothing to do with the memory. As I said before, I
just noticed it now because I was actively looking for problems when
installing the new stick.

Paul:

I will try putting a CD in and testing it out.

Strobe:

I think I have a knoppix disc laying around somewhere. I will also
test this out and report back

Thanks for all the tips guys.

 

[catbread.org]

Alright. Booted to knoppix 5.1.1 and noticed no lagging in text. I
also put in a disc into the computer and the lag was still present.
Sill at a loss for ideas...

As promised, here's the running applications:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 1:32:11 PM, on 1/21/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\WLTRYSVC.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\System32\bcmwltry.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
C:\Program Files\Eset\nod32krn.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\oodag.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\SearchIndexer.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\stsystra.exe
C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\WLTRAY.exe
C:\Program Files\Dell\QuickSet\quickset.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\Eset\nod32kui.exe
C:\Program Files\Weather Watcher\ww.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\RocketDock\RocketDock.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\ONENOTEM.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

Thanks