[SOLVED] Laptop not accepting RAM upgrade

[LukaBoki]

Greetings, yesterday I have acquired a Kingston 4GB 2400MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM (model number KVR24S17S6/4) to use it as an upgrade in my laptop, that already has 4GB of soldered (according to Task Manager) 2400MHz memory. The laptop in question is an ASUS X505ZA-EJ635 (Ryzen 3 2200U, Vega 3, 256GB M.2 SSD).

The problem I'm having is that after the laptop gets to the POST screen, it just freezes. It does not want to boot. The only solution is to restart it.
I also manage to get into the BIOS before the freeze occurs, and there I can see that the RAM is detected. This throws away the option of the actual DIMM being DOA, the one slot for the RAM being broken or the DIMM not being seated properly, which is what I've mostly found online as a solution for this problem. I do not believe the problem is of that nature.

Obviously, without the RAM installed, the laptop boots and works just fine (I'm writing the post from it right now).

If you have any idea what could be causing this problem, it would be greatly appreciated. I am ready to provide extra information if necessary, or if I forgot to add something.

Thanks in advance.

 

[lga1156_ftw]

Download CPU-Z, go to SPD tab and check what voltage the internal Ram is running at, KVR24S17S6/4 (the new stick you bought) needs 1.2v dram voltage to run at those timings.

Go to bios and check if there is anything under "overclocking" or can you find any settings on the "voltages" to tweak on. If you find DRAM voltage set that to 1.200v.

If you cant tweak voltages from the bios then download : https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/ryzen-master
And try to tweak dram voltage to 1.2 or 1.21-1.225v.

 

[lga1156_ftw]

Always tweak in bios 1st if you can , Dont touch other voltages only DRAM voltage , sometimes called memory voltage or memory vddio. Use 1.20v value.

 

[LukaBoki]

Download CPU-Z, go to SPD tab and check what voltage the internal Ram is running at, KVR24S17S6/4 (the new stick you bought) needs 1.2v dram voltage to run at those timings.

Go to bios and check if there is anything under "overclocking" or can you find any settings on the "voltages" to tweak on. If you find DRAM voltage set that to 1.200v.

If you cant tweak voltages from the bios then download : https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/ryzen-master
And try to tweak dram voltage to 1.2 or 1.21-1.225v.

I already have CPU-Z installed, it is where I checked the RAM timings to ensure maximum compatibility with the soldered RAM. However, in the SPD tab, both Slot #1 and Slot #2 yield no results.
Furthermore, the BIOS does not have an overclocking tab, or tab to check the voltages, or anything of the sort, which I too find very odd if you ask me.

And uh.......Ryzen Master "does not support the current processor". I guess it only supports desktop Ryzen processors.

 

[lga1156_ftw]

Try opening cpu-z with adminsitrative rights and check memory and spd tabs

 

[LukaBoki]

Try opening cpu-z with adminsitrative rights and check memory and spd tabs

I already am.
Here is the memory tab.

 

[lga1156_ftw]

Yeah your internal ram is running at 2400mhz and probably with lower voltage. What exactly you can tweak in bios? ram timings example?

Also does this program unlock voltages for you : https://www.ryzencontroller.com/
Uninstall it if not needed.

 

[lga1156_ftw]

Also when you install the new ram stick and get into bios, can you see dram voltage or ram voltage somewhere (even if not tweakable)

 

[LukaBoki]

Yeah your internal ram is running at 2400mhz and probably with lower voltage. What exactly you can tweak in bios? ram timings example?

Also does this program unlock voltages for you : https://www.ryzencontroller.com/
Uninstall it if not needed.

I cannot seem to tweak anything apart from for example, the boot menu, and other unrelated stuff, like USB configuration, SATA configuration and what not. There is no tab for checking voltages (for CPU or RAM), setting the fan speed curve or something of the sort.

Also, Windows Defender will not let me run the app. That's good enough of a reason not to run it.

Also when you install the new ram stick and get into bios, can you see dram voltage or ram voltage somewhere (even if not tweakable)

I have not been able to confirm that, because the screen freezes pretty much as soon as I get into the BIOS.
I'm starting to believe that it may be a voltage issue or something of the sort, but there seems to be no way to fix it. I'm just not sure, the RAM, judging by it's frequency and timings, is good to go with this laptop.

 

[lga1156_ftw]

What bios version do you have currently? Sometimes newer firmware adds more ram support and options. Version 312 looks like newest one, if you dont have that download it from asus site with your model number, then check that your battery atleast 50% and your power cable is connected, disable antivirus until reboot and update the bios.

 

[lga1156_ftw]

Aida64 free trial might give some info on your current ram. Open administrative and check memory and SPD tab. Do the bios update with only your internal ram connected.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Go to crucial.com and use their tool to automatically find compatible ram. Why are you wasting all this time and money buying modules that don’t work? Forget all the nonsense about voltages and adjustments because laptops don’t allow this. go buy yourself some memory that will work

 

[LukaBoki]

Aida64 free trial might give some info on your current ram. Open administrative and check memory and SPD tab. Do the bios update with only your internal ram connected.

I have not gotten any additional info.

Go to crucial.com and use their tool to automatically find compatible ram. Why are you wasting all this time and money buying modules that don’t work? Forget all the nonsense about voltages and adjustments because laptops don’t allow this. go buy yourself some memory that will work

I am slowly figuring out laptops don't allow voltage changing. B)
Crucial's site is useful, but this Kingston SO-DIMM is pretty much the only thing that was "compatible" with the laptop.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

That makes zero sense. How do you know it’s compatible? Who said so?

 

[LukaBoki]

That makes zero sense. How do you know it’s compatible? Who said so?

Calm down, please.
I put "compatible" with quotes for a good reason. I did everything I could to check the compatibility of the DIMM I bought with the laptop I have. I did not know a laptop can easily reject RAM. I would have used ASUS's site for checking the compatibility, but they provide no such feature there.
I thought it was going to work because the procedure I went through is usually what I would do to check RAM compatibility on a desktop, but it slipped my mind that it could be, and probably is, entirely different with laptops.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

I don’t mix and match ram on any system for any reason. I buy ram in matched kits and only Ram that is compatible with my system. Never had one issue

Even RAM sticks that have the same specifications may not work together and often don’t. in any kind of PC. laptops or regular PCs

Memory is only guaranteed to work in the form it’s sold that’s why am this website we always recommend buying matched kits that are made specifically for your hardware

 

[LukaBoki]

I don’t mix and match ram on any system for any reason. I buy ram in matched kits and only Ram that is compatible with my system. Never had one issue

Even RAM sticks that have the same specifications may not work together and often don’t. in any kind of PC. laptops or regular PCs

Memory only works in the form it’s sold that’s why am this website we always recommend buying matched kits that are made specifically for your hardware

Neither would I mix and match, or buy different RAM, however I could not check the compatilibity, and the computer stores here have very limited supply of laptop RAM. I just kind of went for it and did not think about it not working, but I guess I learned not to do that the hard way.