RAM added, Windows doesn't start anymore.

[ATS Sandy]

I have a "home-built" computer, with Asus P5Q Pro Turbo & Intel Core™ 2 Quad Q9550s, and Windows 7 64-bits.
I used to have 4Go of RAM (G.Skill Kit Extreme2 2 x 2 Go PC8500 PK), and thought it would be nice to have 8Go. So, Good Boyfriend bought me 4 Go for my birthday. Exactly the ones I have already installed. 2 other 2GO, same reference.
I installed them, and Windows didn't start... It stayed at the first screen, when the four colors are supposed to make the Windows flag.
I've tried the new RAM only, it works.
I tried them at the other slots, it works.
Tried back with them 4, it doesn't work.

What am I missing? :wtf:

Thank you!

[porkypine]

Hi ATS! I haven't seen you around in a long time!

1: What speed is the Ram?
2: Look at what your motherboard specs. Many motherboards require certain capacity RAm in specific slots.
3: Windows 7 32 bit does not support 8 GB ram but other OS's do. Linux, unbuntu, etc.
3b. You can make a RAm disk out of the extra ram.
4: Windows 7 64 bit can support up to 192GB.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/what-is-the-max-ram-for-windows-7-will-it-reconize/e7f944a3-7f9e-4f97-9a2e-b87b77e63fff

So, Since you have 64 bit, look at your motherboard specs and make sure the speed is the same.

[Pixelhate]

According to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa366778%28v=vs.85%29.aspx#physical_memory_limits_windows_7
Win 7 basic does support 8Gb
My guess is that you need to change a setting in the Bios. There is a Memory Remap feature that is required for 64bit OS. Maybe it's disabled at the moment.

[ellacharmed]

If you enter BIOS, with all 8GB in, are they recognized and each slot reporting the correct model, capacity, speed etc? Do the speeds match?

Some boards have issues when all lanes are filled.
- Individual RAM stick boots up fine? ie 2GB at a time.
- The pair of RAM sticks the way it was purchased boots up fine (ie old pair and then new pair on separate tests)?
- Then pair of RAM sticks 2x2GB but with one stick from old set and the other stick new?
- In other words, are any combination of sticks bootable as long as there are empty RAM slots/lanes left?
- Are you pairing the old on the yellow and the new sticks on the black lanes (or vice versa)? Or are they slotted in any old how?

What version is the BIOS? Asus site has some BIOS version needed to "Enhance the compatibility of certain memory".

[ajaxsirius]

In addition to what ellacharm3d said, I'd like to add that if your computer was overclocked you can have problems if you have add RAM without undoing the overclock first. Do you know if it was overclocked?

I'd suggest you do what ellacharm3d suggested and post a dxdiag printout for us using your old ram so that we can see what hardware you have and what windows version.

[ATS Sandy]

Thank you all for your answers! :lovestruc

I was pretty sure I wouldn't understand the answers by asking here, though, and... it's exactly what happens! *lol*

I have never done anything with the BIOS, so no idea of the version it is, no idea on how to update it if needed. :wtf:

- Individual RAM stick boots up fine? ie 2GB at a time.
- The pair of RAM sticks the way it was purchased boots up fine (ie old pair and then new pair on separate tests)?
This, I tried, and it worked each time.

- Then pair of RAM sticks 2x2GB but with one stick from old set and the other stick new?
- In other words, are any combination of sticks bootable as long as there are empty RAM slots/lanes left?
- Are you pairing the old on the yellow and the new sticks on the black lanes (or vice versa)? Or are they slotted in any old how?
This, I need to retry. I think I tried one old, one new and that it worked, but I'm not sure now.

What speed is the Ram?
5-5-5-15
I've looked for in the manual of the motherboard (that is all greek to me), but haven't found where they specify a speed. (I'm hopeless, I know... :faceslap: )
The fact that it worked with 2x2Go doesn't mean the speed was compatible?

I should add that when I install the 8Go, I "see" them install on the very fisrt screen that appears at loading (the black screen with misc informations on your installation that disappears before you have the time to read anything). It's at Windows logo loading that the system stops. If it means anything.

[ellacharmed]

@ajaxsirius, I never asked for specs. :) The BIOS version is almost usually not in the DxDiag report.


That's the stepping (aka Timings), Sandy.
The speed is usually in the part#, but it is not in this case. I found the part info via :google: in any case. In searching for this, I came across this forum thread (http://translate.google.com.sg/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://forum.zebulon.fr/p5q-pro-incompatible-avec-gskill-2-x-2-go-pc8500-pk-kit-t151344.html&ei=J65pT-_sEsnmrAe0stmECA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CD8Q7gEwAg&prev=/search%3Fq%3DG.Skill%2BKit%2BExtreme2%2B2%2Bx%2B2%2BGo%2BPC8500%2BPK%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DeIz%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26prmd%3Dimvns)

The Asus http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_775/P5Q/#specifications page list the Memory requirements. Is that your motherboard model? This list the current BIOS version to be Version 2209

And is this the Memory you have - http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=57 - both old and new pairs?

If Mobo model is only P5Q on its own, then this model is not listed in GSkill's supported motherboard list. Looking from Asus end of things, the Qualified Vendor list
- has F2-8500CL5S-2GBPK (2Gx1)
- but not F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK (2Gx2) <--- presuming this model is the one you have?

But then again, that PDF @ Asus site has not been updated since 2009.02.03.
Some dual-channel motherboards literally need only dual lanes occupied, so if the mobo list 16GB as support you need a 2x8GB kit; or for 8GB = 2x4GB kit and so on.

You can use a utility to find out all this info, by the way. I use CPU-Z (http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html)
Here are my photos for comparison. Compare the tool's report to the specifications of the motherboard. I've not updated to the latest BIOS as I've no need for the "fixes and addons".

[eta]
:P Obviously, you can use the tool only if Windows can boot. So try with each pair separately and see if the defaults reported by the tool are the same each time.
If the BIOS recognize them upon bootup at the black screen, but not by Windows, can Windows be booted into Safe mode?
Have you tried to reset the BIOS to defaults? Upon boot there should be keystrokes indicated at the bottom of the screen on how to enter BIOS Setup, this is where you reset it. This screen is also where you check if the BIOS recognize the memory at their defaults capacity, speeds, timings, etc. Should be same as the CPU-Z reports.
The Motherboard manual should have some info as well...

[eta2]
Another tool to test the memory sticks themselves: http://www.memtest.org/
Windows being able to boot is not a reliable method to test for memory faults.

[ATS Sandy]

Thank you so much for your explanations. I know it mustn't be easy to explain stuff to a moron like I can be! :turtle:

I'm uploading pictures of screens by CPUID, that might answer better than I could do. *blush of shame*

If Mobo model is only P5Q on its own, then this model is not listed in GSkill's supported motherboard list. Looking from Asus end of things, the Qualified Vendor list
- has F2-8500CL5S-2GBPK (2Gx1)
- but not F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK (2Gx2) <--- presuming this model is the one you have?
I do have the 4GBPK. It's not listed? I'm getting more and more confused here. On the G.skill page you linked, my motherboard ASUS P5Q Pro Turbo is on the list of the Qualified Motherboards list. *sigh*


Some dual-channel motherboards literally need only dual lanes occupied, so if the mobo list 16GB as support you need a 2x8GB kit; or for 8GB = 2x4GB kit and so on.
OMG. I haven't thought of this a single second. Why is there 4 slots, if only two can be used, then? If so, that means I have to resell my 2 new RAM and give up the idea of adding more. I can't afford buying 8Go from scratch. Boooh.... :cry:

In the manual of my motherboard, there's a picture with four DIMMs configuration (said "dual-channel operation"), and they say "you may install 512MB, 1GB, 2GB and 4GB unbuffered ECC and non-ECC DDR2 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets."
Does it mean I'm supposed to be able to install 4 DIMMs, but just not the ones I have?

I finally found the page of the Qualified Vendors is listed on the motherboard manual (the patience you must all have to handle with me! :faceslap: )
The G.skill F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK 4096Mo(kit of 2) is listed for DDR2-1066Mhz Capability.
There's also a list for 800Mhz capability, where it's not listed, but I have no idea what these lists are about...


EDIT: Thank you for your new answers. I'll make more tests during the week-end and will come back with results! :)

[porkypine]

Hi,

Image 1 is all about the TOTAL memory on the machine says:
1: That the type of RAM your machine uses is called DDR2.
2: You have 4096 MegaBytes (4GB) on your system at the time of this image.
3: It is 534.9 MHz (MegaHertz - frequency)

image 2 is all about the speed:
1. Slot #1 has DDR2 RAM type
2: It is a 2048MBytes (2 GigaBytes) memory stick
3: The speed/frequency is 400 MHz

What you need to do is compare the original to the new ones.
1: They must both be DDR2
2: Their SPEEDS need to match - 5.39 MHz does not equal 400 MHz
3: Each slot pair must be the same capacity ie both must be 1 GB or 2 GB, etc.
4: Some systems bork when you have different sizes of ram in the machine, OR they can only use a certain capacity in particular slot pairs. That depends on teh motherboard design.

[ajax_sirius]

@ella, yeah. I wanted her to do what you asked, and I wanted to ask her as well to post specs for me so that I could be 100% sure there wasn't an overclock adding to her issues.

@ats sandy; channels and physical sticks are not the same thing. So a board could say its dual-channel only and support two pairs of sticks, ie. 4 physical sticks. Dual-channel RAM sticks are usually sold in pairs or quadruples because they need to be as identical as possible in order for the dual channel benefits to apply to the fullest.

So if I read your post properly, you say you tried each stick individually and your PC booted each time? Its only a combination that didn't work? It sounds to me that either the sticks weren't inserted into the proper slots or an overlock is making things finicky. But then again there's that thread ella found saying other people are having the same problem with similar sticks.

I would say start by resetting your DIMMs. Put the first Old DIMM into the first yellow DIMM slot on your motherboard (labeled DIMM_A1 in the manual) and the second Old DIMM into the second yellow DIMM slot (DIMM_B1 in the manual). Then put the first new DIMM in the first black slot of your motherboard (DIMM_A2 in the manual) and the second new DIMM in the second black slot (DIMM_B2 in the manual). Check that the sticks are securely inserted and see if it works.

Also, please post a screnshot of the CPU tab of CPU-ID using old RAM sticks only.

IIRC even if the FSB:DRAM is off, the system should still boot. So I don't think that's the problem in this case.

[ellacharmed]

Sandy,
in the Memory tab vs the SPD tab - you see the steppings of 7-7-7-20 matches the 2nd column of JEDEC #2 in my pictures? (I'm not overclocked and am using default settings for my CPU and RAM and all other hardware on this PC, FYI.)

But in yours, the Memory tab has 5-6-6-18 which has no matches to the SPD tab. Is it the same for all the RAM slots? Each difference may mean a slight variation in voltage. And voltage fluctuations is very very sensitive to mess around with. And example http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?69214-ASUS-P5Q-Pro-Turbo-OCZ2P8008GQ
You need to read up and check what the default steppings are for the RAM sticks - are they the same - the new and old pair? And then also, what RAM steppings the motherboard supports.
I did miss the mobo full name; right on that first line, no less. Duh! Appears that the Bios version is current for that model, so no help there.

Uh-oh! Found more search results:
- http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=94544
- http://www.overclock.net/t/863805/gskill-f2-pc8500-pq-asus-p5q-pro-turbo-problems-need-help

Does seem that this board has issues with all 4 lanes filled.
Is your system overclocked? I doubt so, but better to confirm.

I need to hunt down my camera to snap my BIOS screen, which also means I need to shut down. Argh! I'm running some things that would take too long to restart, so may take me sometime to come back to this. But I have not forgotten, OK?
But since you have Asus and my mobo is Gigabyte, the picture may not help in the end. You may want to search Asus BIOS screenies to find out where to reset the RAMs stuff to use default settings.

[ATS Sandy]

Good news! I've tried to fiddle with the BIOS (almost got a heart attack at using it! *lol*), and I've changed one of the settings of the RAM to "Light" (it said it would enhance the RAM compatibility, but now I can't remember the exact name of that, though I did it 30 minutes ago), and I finally get my 8Go of RAM installed. I hope I haven't done anything that will kill something else in my PC. *blush*

Thank you all for your support!

[ellacharmed]

That is indeed good news! Thanks for coming back to close this out.