Dimension 8300 - Memory question

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Hi All,

i own a Dimension 8300 for a year now, and today one of the two
memory-modules died. So i replaced it with another module with same specs,
and at first sight it runs fine. But in the bios-settings now i can read:

"system memory channel mode: single"

and i cannot change this setting. Why? The modules have the same specs,
shouldnt it be in dual channel mode? I tried it in all possible sockets,
always with the same result.

Here some specs from my machine:

Dimension 8300
P4 3.0 GHz HT 1MB cache 800 MHz FSB
1 Gig Ram (2x512 MB DDR 400)
GF FX 5900
BIOS Version A07

Thanks for all helpful tipps, Jens


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[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Are you sure the specs are EXACTLY the same? Should be: DDR 3200, CL=3
non-ecc, unbuffered. If not an exact match it is probably the cause of
your problem.

Ken

Jens Nixdorf wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> i own a Dimension 8300 for a year now, and today one of the two
> memory-modules died. So i replaced it with another module with same specs,
> and at first sight it runs fine. But in the bios-settings now i can read:
>
> "system memory channel mode: single"
>
> and i cannot change this setting. Why? The modules have the same specs,
> shouldnt it be in dual channel mode? I tried it in all possible sockets,
> always with the same result.
>
> Here some specs from my machine:
>
> Dimension 8300
> P4 3.0 GHz HT 1MB cache 800 MHz FSB
> 1 Gig Ram (2x512 MB DDR 400)
> GF FX 5900
> BIOS Version A07
>
> Thanks for all helpful tipps, Jens
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Kenneth J. Harris" <kharris@suffolk.lib.ny.us> wrote in message
news:b6lke.276$So7.226@fe10.lga...
> Are you sure the specs are EXACTLY the same? Should be: DDR 3200, CL=3
> non-ecc, unbuffered. If not an exact match it is probably the cause of
> your problem.
>
> Ken
>



Ken's right. If they're unmatched that could cause the machine to run in
'single channel mode', or if the DIMM is not seated and is not "seen"
detected. Is the new DIMM even identified in BIOS as being installed?

But also, the DIMM socket of the original failed RAM could be bad. You can
verify this by moving both DIMMs over one socket so that they run on the
second channel. Do that and then check BIOS. If still in single channel
mode, it's almost surely the new DIMM. If it's in dual channel, then the
suspect socket has likely gone bad.

Post back.


Stew

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Make sure they are installed in the right slots too. With two modules they
should be in DIMM 1 and DIMM2, which is the first and third slot from the
processor. One would be upright and one would be on an angle.

"Jens Nixdorf" <spamtrap@trackpoint.de> wrote in message
news:td09m2-885.ln1@news.trackpoint.de...
> Hi All,
>
> i own a Dimension 8300 for a year now, and today one of the two
> memory-modules died. So i replaced it with another module with same specs,
> and at first sight it runs fine. But in the bios-settings now i can read:
>
> "system memory channel mode: single"
>
> and i cannot change this setting. Why? The modules have the same specs,
> shouldnt it be in dual channel mode? I tried it in all possible sockets,
> always with the same result.
>
> Here some specs from my machine:
>
> Dimension 8300
> P4 3.0 GHz HT 1MB cache 800 MHz FSB
> 1 Gig Ram (2x512 MB DDR 400)
> GF FX 5900
> BIOS Version A07
>
> Thanks for all helpful tipps, Jens
>
>
> --
> Die oben angegebene Adresse ist OK, wird aber nicht gelesen. Wenn direkter
> Mailkontakt gewünscht wird, bitte spamtrap gegen jens<punkt>nixdorf
> austauschen. Danke.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Kenneth J. Harris schrubte am Montag, 23. Mai 2005 13:43:

>
>
> Are you sure the specs are EXACTLY the same? Should be: DDR 3200, CL=3
> non-ecc, unbuffered. If not an exact match it is probably the cause of
> your problem.
>

So far i can see it they have the same specs. There is a little sticker on
both with following text (next to a bunch of other numbers):

512MB, DDR, 400, CL3

The difference i can see is where they come from: The original (now dead)
module is from China (MT) and the new one has chips from infineon on it.
But i dont know who built the PCB.

But because i want to buy new memory anyway i will replace it with a
so-called dual-channel-kit by infineon. The other modules will go into a
little computer, which has only a celeron on it, so it isnt so important to
have dual channel on it.

Thanks, Jens

--
Die oben angegebene Adresse ist OK, wird aber nicht gelesen. Wenn direkter
Mailkontakt gewünscht wird, bitte spamtrap gegen jens<punkt>nixdorf
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[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

joe_tide schrubte am Montag, 23. Mai 2005 17:48:

> Make sure they are installed in the right slots too. With two modules they
> should be in DIMM 1 and DIMM2, which is the first and third slot from the
> processor. One would be upright and one would be on an angle.
>
Thank you. The modules are in the right places, always in the sockets with
the same color. I've switched them today two or three times, but always in
a way to make dual channel possible.

regards, Jens

--
Die oben angegebene Adresse ist OK, wird aber nicht gelesen. Wenn direkter
Mailkontakt gewünscht wird, bitte spamtrap gegen jens<punkt>nixdorf
austauschen. Danke.