[h4nn4h]

Hello everyone,

I recently decided to add some RAM-memory to my computer. I've had it for 5 years now and although everything still worked fine, it got a bit slow when I ran a few programs at the same time (especially the newest version of itunes). This is my motherboard: http://www.msicomput.../K7T266pro2.htm . I have windows XP sp 2.
My motherboard has three slots for RAM. Two of them were empty before the upgrade, and the other one contained PC2100 DDR RAM, 256 mB. I went to the store and told the salesperson this, but he said that he didn't have pc2100 in stock because there isn't much demand for it anymore, and he sold me pc3200 DDR RAM, 512 mB instead. He said it should adjust itself to the lower capacaties of my computer and work just fine, and I could bring it back if it didn't (so I don't think he was trying to cheat me or anything). I bought one of these for my sister's computer, which is about the same age as my own, too.
When I installed the new module in my computer in the place of the old one, I immediately noticed that everything went much faster; so I guess the computersalesman's advice was right. On my sister's computer, however, the new module couldn't be installed - when we tried starting it afterwards it just said "beeeeeeeeep" and did nothing else. Turns out her computer was too old for it or something, and she couldn't use it. Although I initially planned to upgrade my own computer to 512 mB, I thought another 512 mB RAM couldn't hurt, so I put my sister's useless new module in my own computer too. It seems to go even faster now, but that may just be wishful thinking, because windows says there's still only 512 mB installed. CPU-Z, however, says I have 1024 mB of RAM-memory (and shows both modules in their place), and when I scanned my system on crucial.com it said I have 512 mB in one slot and the other two are empty (which only one of them is, in reality).
I'd like to find out what the problem is, but I can't seem to find out how to do that. Hope someone here can help me (if anyone has read all the way to the end, it's gotten a bit long!)

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Put your working module in your sister's computer and see what happens, leaving only her "faulty" module in your computer. If yours now doesn't work, the memory is faulty.

[Neil Jones]

Put your working module in your sister's computer and see what happens, leaving only her "faulty" module in your computer. If yours now doesn't work, the memory is faulty.

[h4nn4h]

Thanks for the reply!

I have tried all kinds of combinations with the two memory bars and the different slots, both separate and together, and they do both work separately, but not together. They are exactly the same (same brand, type etc), so I really have no idea what the problem might be...

[Neil Jones]

It's most likely the board doesn't like the fact you're mixing two different speeds. Normally on newer boards it isn't a problem, however on a lot of older boards they are more fussy. Even older boards with SDRAM memory were so fussy you could easily go through a pile of 20 brand-new sticks of varying chip configurations, speeds and even brands and find the system didn't like any of them yet they all worked in another system.