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Tried to add ram, but get no video


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#1
krob

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I added another stick of RAM to my computer and on boot up, there is no video screen. I tried to go back to only the old RAM and still no video.

AMD 2600+
Corsair RAM DDR400 512 each
Abit motherboard.

If you want more specs, ask.

I also tried discharging the CMOS, but still no video with the old RAM.
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#2
Samm

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Welcome to G2G

It sounds like you may have simply dislodged something when you were swapping the ram modules around.

Can you tell me :

1. when you were adding/removing the ram, did you disconnect the external power lead & the internal ATX power connector to the motherboard?

2. When you power the system on now :
- do you hear any beeps?
- do the keyboard lights flash up briefly just after powering on?
- can you hear the hard drive spinning up?

3. Is the video card integrated in the motherboard or is it an add-on AGP or PCI card ?
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#3
krob

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I unplugged the computer, but did not disconnect the ATX power connector to the motherboard. When I boot, there is no beep, the keyboard lights don't flash, but I do hear the harddrive start spinning. Graphics card is AGP, Radeon 9600.
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#4
Samm

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OK, I want you to disconnect the external power lead, then disconnect the internal ATX power connector.
If you don't have an anti-static strap, then discharge the static in your body by touching any non-painted metal surface before touching the inside of your computer.

Next, remove the AGP video card and all the ram modules. DO NOT touch the metal contacts on either the video card or the ram modules. Place the components somewhere safe, ie on a pile of paper or card or a wooden surface.

Reconnect the internal ATX connector, then the main power lead & power the system on. You should hear some beeps.
Let me know what happens
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#5
krob

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Ok, followed your instructions. tried booting up, but no beeps.
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#6
Samm

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Ah, thats not a good sign I'm afraid.

Before we go any further, can you tell me exactly what make & model your motherboard is please (it should be printed on the actual board itself if you don't already know it)
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#7
krob

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sorry speaker volume was extremely low, get one long beep, repeated, or more than 13 long beeps.
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#8
krob

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motherboard by Abit and is a NF7
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#9
Samm

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sorry speaker volume was extremely low, get one long beep, repeated, or more than 13 long beeps.

View Post


Thank God for that!
Right, repeat the procedure for disconnecting power & discharging static then replace the agp card and one of the ram modules (assuming you have more than one) into the first memory slot (one nearest the cpu)
Reconnect power & try to boot up again.

Let me know what happens this time
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#10
krob

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ok. Added video card, then old ram. No beeps or anything on boot. Tried new RAM, got one long beep repeated. Tried old ram again in first memory spot, short beep and it booted. Question, the manual recommends using the slot 3 first then 2 then 1. Dont know why it took so long to boot, but thankful it did. Should I try to add the new memory again? Thank you Samm for all your help!
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#11
Samm

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I've just checked the manual as well & you're right, it does suggest that you use slot 3 first, so do as the manual says (unless of course you find that this causes problems).

Is the new memory modules identical to the old one? If so, then its probably safe to try it again (providing you follow all the usual precautions). If it still causes problems, then return it as faulty to the supplier.

If its not identical, do you know what specs for it are?
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#12
krob

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Same type of RAM. I tried adding the second RAM, and it will boot to the bios after I have cleared it, but when i make changes in the BIOS, turn on the RAM checking, it will not boot again (no beep). Could this be a problem of the RAM not making a good connection or dust being in the holder? Have you heard of anything like this before?
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#13
Samm

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If you have tried the old ram module in slot 3 on its own & its works fine but the new module in slot 3 on its own, doesn't, then its almost certainly the module itself thats the problem.

However, if you haven't tested the modules individually yet, then do so. This will eliminate the possibility of any sort of incompatibility between the 2 modules and the possibility of the memory slots itself being the problem.
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#14
krob

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ok, RAM works, but another problem occured. I tried not changing anything in the bios and booting windows XP. XP works fine. Did this with both the new and with both RAMs. Both are regonized by windows, but the CPU is said to be different. Both in the Bios and XP it says its a 1.25 GHz, in BIOS it lists it as the correct model Athalon 2600+. And after shut down and boot the computer after running XP, a message in the bios says that the CPU is unworkable or has changed. I know that it believes it changed speed, but do not understand why. I guess I will try to update the BIOS and see if that fixes it. any ideas?
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#15
Samm

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Go into the bios and select the 'SoftMenu Setup' option.

Let me know what the following entries are set to:
Frequency
System performance
FSB Frequency
CPU Interface
Memory Frequency
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