[Raryin]

Hello!
I'm not exactly a tech wiz and I am having some issues installing additional RAM into my machine.
I have TWO sets of 2x2gb RAM, both which APPEAR to be very similar but I can't seem to get them working on my computer.

I have Kingston KHX1600C8D3T1K2/4GX installed currently which works fine. However I feel I need more than 4gb. So I purchased KHX1600C9D3B1K2/4GX.

However, when I attempt to install the RAM into my machine, Windows will not boot - it hangs at the "Starting Windows" screen.
So I would just like some assistance as to whether these RAM sticks are compatible with eachother or not, as I am not very experienced in the area.
I notice that the older sticks are CL8 and the newer are CL9; will this prevent me from running them simultaneously?

My memory is currently running at 1.5v and 1333.33 Mhz.

http://www.kingston....9D3B1K2_4GX.pdf
http://www.kingston....8D3T1K2_4GX.pdf

Thanks in advance

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<sup>Did the old CL8 sticks work in the machine?

Have been to Crucial?

Do their system scan and it will tell exactly what memory you need.

http://www.crucial.c.../systemscanner/</sup>

[Wolfeymole]

<sup>Did the old CL8 sticks work in the machine?

Have been to Crucial?

Do their system scan and it will tell exactly what memory you need.

http://www.crucial.c.../systemscanner/</sup>

[Raryin]

Currently I am running my computer with just the 2 CL8 sticks. Only when I insert the CL9 RAM do the issues crop up.
I have done a scan like you suggested and this is what came up:

http://www.crucial.c...0E7033831D926C3

I only have 2x2gb sticks whereas this is suggesting 2x1gb. Are there supposed to be more than 2 options listed?

[phillpower2]

Have the CL8 sticks been tried in slots 0 and 1 with the CL9 sticks in slots 2 and 3 and vice versa the CL9 in slots 0 and 1 and the CL8 sticks in slots 2 and 3.

Not sure what is happening with the Crucial scanning tool so I did a manual search and got the same suggestion http://www.crucial.c...XPS 730&Cat=RAM I then did a Google search and got http://www.ebuyer.co...e-ct25664ba1339 very odd

[Raryin]

Yes I alternated which sticks were in which slot numerous times... However the configuration that I am using was the only one that offered ANY success.

With CL8 in 0 and 1, the computer runs fine. <----- CURRENT SETUP
With CL8 in 0 and 1, and CL9 in 2 and 3, the computer freezes on Windows boot.
With CL8 in 2 and 3 and CL9 in 0 and 1, the computer refuses to even begin booting Windows and comes up with an assortment of issues.

I'd just like to mention that previously (a few months ago) when I bought the RAM and installed it into the computer, Windows WAS ABLE to boot. However, the additional RAM caused my computer to periodically freeze, which required a hard restart to fix. This happened after no more than 10 or 15 minutes of usage. So I removed the RAM.

I was lead to believe this was related to my power supply...any insight?
No changes have been made to the hardware in my machine since then.

[phillpower2]

Not meaning to be pedantic but what about the CL9 only in 0 and 1 and the CL8 omitted, also what about trying the CL9 sticks one at a time in slot 0 - again with the CL8 not inserted - this to try and establish if one or both sticks/slots are bad.

I'd just like to mention that previously (a few months ago) when I bought the RAM and installed it into the computer, Windows WAS ABLE to boot. However, the additional RAM caused my computer to periodically freeze, which required a hard restart to fix. This happened after no more than 10 or 15 minutes of usage. So I removed the RAM.

Doesn`t sound too promising for the Ram (we could have done with knowing this sooner btw)

A bad PSU can cause problems with the memory and PCI/PCIE slots but the issue would be with all of the slots concerned + all items inserted in the affected slots would exhibit the same or similar problems.

[Raryin]

Just tried the CL9 in 0 and 1, worked fine.
Afterwards I added the CL8 into slots 2 and 3, which prevented me from evening reaching the Windows boot screen - I get stuck on a black screen with a small blinking line in the top left.

[phillpower2]

Apologies for the delay getting back to you Raryin.

Your Ram would appear good so it is either the MB or a MB setting that does not like the mixture of CL 8 and 9, the 1600Mhz Ram is running at 1333.33 Mhz which means that the MB is not auto detecting the faster Ram so you will need to configure this manually, this may resolve the issue but it may not as the CL8 Ram should automatically adopt the lesser performance of the CL9 Ram without causing any problems, before you do this can I ask you to do the following to see if it is a Ram slot causing the issue;

2 sticks of CL8 in slots 2 and 3 - if the computer does not boot please add a stick of CL9 Ram into slot 0, make a note of the results, repeat this procedure until all configurations of Ram have been tested in slots 0 - 2 and 3 only, this because it has been estsblished that slots 0 and 1 function correctly.

We don`t have your MB details and to help us look for how you should manually configure your Ram speed etc we need this information, run Speccy and post the url for us please http://www.piriform....file-to-the-web

[Raryin]

http://speccy.pirifo...bsRP7Kj8jUrzePm

[phillpower2]

Is the computer at the attached link the same as yours http://www.dell.com/...xpsdt_730&s=gen

Dual channel DDR3 SDRAM system memory

Four DIMM slots support as per below:

DDR3 1067MHz: 2GB (1GB×2), 4GB (1GBx4), 8GB (2GB×4)* 8GB with Vista Ultimate X64 only

DDR3 1333 MHz: 2GB (1GB×2), 4GB (1GB×4)

DDR3 Corsair Dominator EPP (Overclocked): 2GB (1GB×2), 4GB (1GB×4)

[Raryin]

Is the computer at the attached link the same as yours http://www.dell.com/...xpsdt_730&s=gen

Mostly. I took an old XPS 730 case, motherboard and power supply and added a graphics card, RAM, HDD and CPU.

[phillpower2]

It seems that you are not the only person who has had trouble upgrading the Ram with the XPS 730 http://en.community....6/19852395.aspx

Did you try the Ram configurations that I suggested in my reply #8, not that it would appear to matter now as the Dell info is saying that the MB will only accept 1 GB sticks in all four slots.

[Raryin]

It seems that you are not the only person who has had trouble upgrading the Ram with the XPS 730 http://en.community....6/19852395.aspx
Did you try the Ram configurations that I suggested in my reply #8, not that it would appear to matter now as the Dell info is saying that the MB will only accept 1 GB sticks in all four slots.

I'm not at home currently but I am skeptical as to the 1GB stick issue as I have had 4 sticks in the MB and been able to boot (however this caused other problems).
I will try the configurations that you suggested as soon as I get home this afternoon. I have fiddled around with the setup before and I haven't had any luck, however.

[phillpower2]

Whatever you decide

[Raryin]

With CL8 in slots 2 & 3 (0&1 empty) the computer boots fine.
With CL9 in slots 2 & 3 (0&1 empty) the computer boots fine.

With CL8 in slots 2 & 3 and 1 stick of CL9 in slot 0, the computer freezes at the BIOS loading screen (prior to loading OS)
With CL9 in slots 2 & 3 and 1 stick of CL8 in slot 0, the computer freezes after the BIOS loading screen but before the OS loading screen - black screen with blinking line at the top

Edited by Raryin, 09 August 2013 - 07:26 PM.