[Thomas_47]

Hello,

I have an eMachines D3415 desktop system described below as originally configured:

eMachines D3415
FIC Motherboard No. K8MC51G Version PCB 1.x
Phoenix Award BIOS Version 6.00PG Release NAA19EM
RAM 1-512MB 400MHz DDR400 PC3200, 184p DIMM, 2.5v, Sync, CL=3
AMD Semprom processor 3400+ 2.01 GHz
Hard Drive Seagate Model ST3160021A Size 160.0 GB
Sound Device Realtek AC'97 Audio
Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce 6100
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP2
Running AVG 9.0 Free Antivirus software

Also, here is current information from the Windows System Information utility:

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name LORELII-2006
System Manufacturer Gateway
System Model D3415
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 15 Model 44 Stepping 2 AuthenticAMD ~2009 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date Phoenix Technologies, LTD 6.00 PG, 11/11/2005
SMBIOS Version 2.3
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)"
User Name LORELII-2006\Tom
Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Total Physical Memory 1,536.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 675.98 MB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
Page File Space 1.79 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

The machine has two memory slots and will accomodate a maximum of 2GB according to eMachines documentation.

I recently purchased two 1GB 400MHz DDR400 PC3200, 184p DIMM, 2.5v, Sync, CL=3 RAM sticks from Arch Memory guaranteed to work in this make and model computer. With both new sticks installed, the machine stops while loading Windows and displays the screen shown below.



I've made as certain as I can that both sockets are free of dust and that both sticks are seated securely. Also, the machine boots and runs great with just one 1GB stick installed. This is true of either stick installed in either slot. I have run Memtest-86 Version 3.5 on each stick separately (one complete pass) and found no errors. The machine also runs great with one of the 1GB sticks in one socket and the original 512MB stick in the other.

The person at Arch Memory I talked to suggested updating the BIOS to see if that would solve the problem. There is one update available: NAA24EM. However, both eMachines and FIC (the motherboard maker) do not recommend flashing the BIOS due to the risks involved unless one is certain it will solve the problem. And that is not the case at this time as the problem appears to be with Windows.

Any help getting the machine to work with 2GB will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help.

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Despite your tests seemingly proving that both ram sticks are okay, logic tells me that the problem has to be related to the two new ram sticks in some way since they obviously won't work together, even though neither of them is faulty as such.

Are both new ram sticks identical (brand, speed, number of memory chips on the module etc.)?
If they aren't identical then perhaps that may be causing it.

[phillipcorcoran]

Despite your tests seemingly proving that both ram sticks are okay, logic tells me that the problem has to be related to the two new ram sticks in some way since they obviously won't work together, even though neither of them is faulty as such.

Are both new ram sticks identical (brand, speed, number of memory chips on the module etc.)?
If they aren't identical then perhaps that may be causing it.

[Thomas_47]

Are both new ram sticks identical (brand, speed, number of memory chips on the module etc.)?
If they aren't identical then perhaps that may be causing it.

Phillip,

Thanks for the reply. Both new ram sticks are identical as far as I can tell. They were ordered and shipped together. I also laid them both out side by side and examined the chips on both with a magnifier. All the markings and numbers are the same.

I've spent most of the day error testing the ram anyway. Using MemTest-86 v3.5 with both sticks installed resulted in the test crashing as shown below:



I reseated both sticks and ran the test again resulting in another crash bofore any errors were detected:



I next rebooted and ran Windows Memory Diagnostic which resulted in another crash:



Rebooting and running the test again resulted in another crash at the same point in the test.

I next spent several hours testing each stick individually with MemTest-86. The results were:

Stick 1 in Slot 1: No errors after 5 passes
Stick 2 in Slot 1: No errors after 3 passes
Stick 2 in Slot 2: No errors after 3 passes

Next I re-installed Stick 1 in Slot 1 and tested the two together again. The result was errors detected during the 1st pass but no crash this time:



Repeating the test on both sticks with Windows Memory Diagnostic resulted in the crash below:



I'm hoping someone can interpret these results and suggest a more fruitful line of attack on this problem. For those wanting yet more information, I've attached a text version of the physical memory dump mentioned on the screen shot in my original post.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone cares to give.

Tom

Attached Files

•  Mini071410_01.txt   88KB   337 downloads

[123Runner]

I am not familiar with Arch Memory but it seems that you have troubleshot the memory issue more than adequately.
All indications are that the 2 ram sticks are not compatible together.

See what the advisers give you as a comparison.

Go to HERE and run the Crucial online scanner.
This will give you the exact memory configuration for your system. You do not have to buy the memory from there, but write down the information and if you need assistance in purchasing the upgrade memory GTG can assist with suggestions also.


Go to HERE and run the 4All online scanner.
This will give you the exact memory configuration for your system. You do not have to buy the memory from there, but write down the information and if you need assistance in purchasing the upgrade memory GTG can assist with suggestions also.

[Thomas_47]

Crucial's online scanner recommends Part #: CT12864Z335 • DDR PC2700 • CL=2.5 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR333 • 2.5V • 128Meg x 64 OR Part #: CT12864Z40B • DDR PC3200 • CL=3 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR400 • 2.6V • 128Meg x 64 1GB modules.

4All's online scanner recommends Part #: 1309738 * Type: DDR * Size: 1GB * Pin Count: 184 * Speed: PC-2700 333Mhz * ECC: No * Registered: No * Voltage: 2.5V * CAS Latency: 2.5 * Component Configuration: 128Meg x 64 OR Part #: 1309734 * Type: DDR * Size: 1GB * Pin Count: 184 * Speed: PC-3200 400Mhz * ECC: No * Registered: No * Voltage: 2.5V * CAS Latency: 3 * Component Configuration: 128Meg x 64

What Arch Memory recommends and sent me is 1GB, 400MHz, DDR400 PC3200, 184p DIMM, 2.5v, Sync, CL=3

According to System Information, this is what is in the machine now. Slot 1 contains one of the new 1GB modules from Arch Memory and slot 2 the original 512MB module that came in the computer when it was new.

Device Locator Slot 1
Capacity 1024 MBytes
Memory Type DDR (PC3200)
Speed 200 MHz
Supported Frequencies 133.3 MHz, 166.7 MHz, 200.0 MHz
Memory Timings 2-2-2-6-0 at 133.3 MHz, at 2.5 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings 2-3-3-7-0 at 166.7 MHz, at 2.5 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings 3-3-3-8-0 at 200.0 MHz, at 2.5 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Data Width 64 bits
EPP SPD Support No
XMP SPD Support No

Device Locator Slot 2
Manufacturer Nanya Technology
Part Number NT512D64S8HC0G-5T
Serial Number ED102562
Capacity 512 MBytes
Memory Type DDR (PC3200)
Speed 200 MHz
Supported Frequencies 166.7 MHz, 200.0 MHz
Memory Timings 2-3-3-7-0 at 166.7 MHz, at 2.5 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings 3-3-3-8-0 at 200.0 MHz, at 2.5 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Data Width 64 bits
Manufacturing Date 2005, Week 19
EPP SPD Support No
XMP SPD Support No

Aside from the fact that the RAM is running at 200MHz instead of 400MHz or 333MHz I don't see any discrepancies between any of the recommendations and what I have or what was in the computer originally.

I'm starting to think that unless there is a straightforward fix for this, I may just leave things as they are and return one of the 1GB modules to Arch Memory. Increasing the RAM from 512MB to 1536MB solved the slowness problem and stopped the hard disk from thrashing almost constantly which was the whole purpose of the upgrade to begin with.

Thanks for looking at this problem and trying to help.

Tom