Jump to content

Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE

Need help with your computer or device? Want to learn new tech skills? You're in the right place!
Geeks to Go is a friendly community of tech experts who can solve any problem you have. Just create a free account and post your question. Our volunteers will reply quickly and guide you through the steps. Don't let tech troubles stop you. Join Geeks to Go now and get the support you need!

How it Works Create Account
Photo

RAM issues. It doesn't seem to be doing any good


  • Please log in to reply

#1
oliver amaya

oliver amaya

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 115 posts
After being bombarded with many "Virtual Memory is Low" messages I took action and bought some RAM from Crucial.com. Is Crucia.com is trustworthy website?

I bought enough so that I could have 2.5GB of RAM. I had problems with one of the RAM installation because it wouldn't fit as easily as the first two did. When reading about RAM, many people said it would help your computer run faster and better. And I'll be able to run multiple programs at the same time and do it very smoothly. I haven't noticed a difference from before and after. My IE and Firefox still crash randomly and some times my computer shuts off and goes to a blue screen, which says something along the lines of "Windows has shut down to prevent a problem. Problem *long number* has occured. If this is the first time it's happened reboot computer. If this happens again check any newly installed software" ect. It's happened 5-8 times over the last few months.

So my question is, why does it seem like my RAM is doing more harm than good? The only difference that has happened is that I don't get any "virtual memory is low" messages anymore. Than you.
  • 0

Advertisements


#2
rshaffer61

rshaffer61

    Moderator

  • Moderator
  • 34,114 posts
Did you leave original memory in with the new memory?
If the memory is not all the same speed, type, manufacturer then you may have compatibility issues happening.
  • 0

#3
oliver amaya

oliver amaya

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPipPip
  • 115 posts
Yes the original memory is in with the new type.
One of the reasons why people recommended Crucial.com so much is b/c it scans your computer for the capable hardware and tells you how much memory you can instal, how many slots you have ect.
Then it shows you the compatible RAM that correlates with your existing RAM.
But I'll double check just to be %100 sure.
  • 0

#4
rshaffer61

rshaffer61

    Moderator

  • Moderator
  • 34,114 posts
We use Crucial also so it is a very good site.
You may want to take out old memory to just test the new and make sure it works with just the new.
If it does then I would say leave the old out and think about buying more of the new modules to go with it.
That way you will be assured it all plays together nicely. :)
  • 0

#5
Grongle

Grongle

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 15 posts
Oliver, your Crucial RAM is a very good brand.

There is quite a good chance that you are a teensy bit low in your voltage settings.

You might be, or you might not be. Consider the following, and see what you think.

First of all, go to the Crucial site and just check your exact RAM for its rated voltage. Um—write it down. (The tiny adjustments tend to make people forget.)

Then go to into your BIOS, likely by pressing DELETE as the computer comes on.

Be careful. Look around until you see something to do with DRAM settings, which probably show AUTO beside them. You can highlight AUTO and press ENTER—it will be something like this; use your imagination a bit—and then you can set your voltage settings to MANUAL.

Within that section, there are several suspects.
— Your DDR2 voltage settings might want to be upped a bit.
— Your NB (Northbridge) settings might likewise want to be upped a bit.
Be conservative. Don't go into any red-lettered settings. See if you can set your RAM to match its Crucial rating.

I'm suggesting that you be making changes between +0.100 and +0.300. Probably just +0.100 to +0.200. Okay? (My guess is that you might not get any more blue screens even if you merely upped your DDR2 by +0.100 and did nothing else to anything else.)

Higher voltage settings may reduce the lifespan of your CPU, but not so you'd notice. Moreover, if your default settings are too LOW, that is hard on your system too.

Okay: are we having fun yet?

Also notice you have Trfc settings. These may also be at a default AUTO setting. You don't need to change these YET, but sometimes they are set too "tight" and you need to relax them a bit. So, with Trfc settings: LOWER numbers are FASTER and are said to be TIGHTER. That is nice if your system can handle it. If your system seems a bit quirky or unstable (crashes, bluescreens, or freezes) you MIGHT (not necessarily; it is just a possibility) want to go for a HIGHER number, which is SLOWER and we say LOOSER.

You won't notice the difference in speed, but you will notice the difference in system stability.

RAM by itself does not technically increase your computer speed. RAM allows your system to handle a bigger workload and the result can be greater speed. You have likely done well to buy the new RAM, and Crucial, as I said, is good RAM.

Friendly advice: Speed slowly. You are doing better than you realize. Your system is complex, and there are many causes and effects happening. Be careful not to jump to conclusions. Ideas such as the voltage concepts I've suggested are simply SUGGESTIONS, and you need to carefully test them to see if they help or not. Be slow to form any conclusion at all.

Have fun, and good luck.
  • 0






Similar Topics

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

As Featured On:

Microsoft Yahoo BBC MSN PC Magazine Washington Post HP