Problem with new RAM Sticks

[cyberjock]

Do you think this is a case of bad RAM, or incompatibility?

I have seen a case where the RAM wasn't bad, it was actually a bad motherboard. I can't remember the details exactly, but it was a motherboard that had a 333 or 400 Mhz FSB. His CPU supported 400Mhz, but his ram was only DDR-333. He bought DDR-400 and put it in and was getting all sorts of crashes. My first thought was the RAM because that was the hardware change. Then when I found out he never ran his computer at the full FSB I suspected all of the components. Of course, the RAM errors were coming up like crazy. We'd get 10,000+ within about 15 seconds of starting the test. Swapping RAM sticks, CAS, and voltage didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the FSB. When we went to 400 the computer wouldn't function. He took the RAM back because the test said it was bad, getting 2 new sticks that did the same thing. I then tested the RAM in my computer and it worked perfectly. Upon further testing his MB was actually bad. Unfortunately quite a few tests that you run to verify your computer is working correctly deceive you because of the complexity of computers. When you test any 1 component you are more than likely testing many more. You want to test RAM, you have to deal with the power supply, the mother board, the RAM, the CPU. You want to test the hard drive, you have to deal with the power supply, MB, CPU, RAM, plus the IDE controller, the IDE cable, and the hard drive. If your hard drive cable is iffy it might make you swear your hard drive is going bad, but it's really the cable.

A computer is like a very very crowded city. Try delivering a pizza on the other side of town in the worst traffic and when the pizza guy doesn't show how do you know where he got lost? All you know is the customer is wanting their pizza because it's late, and you can only say that the delivery guy left.

I'm still kind of skeptical that it's the RAM. Unfortunately the only way to surely identify the bad component is to start swapping components and see what's going on. It would be great if you could test the RAM in another computer. I still find it completely unbelievable that you could happen to get 4 bad sticks of RAM in the same day when I've only seen a handful in 15 years.

 

[badge]

One thing is for sure. The RAM he replaced works perfectly in the MB. The RAM he bought does not. Bad RAM or not, he can't use it with what he has to this point.

 

[cyberjock]

Very true. I realized after I read your post that I didn't clarify when I said "I'm still kind of skeptical that it's the RAM." What I meant was I didn't think the RAM was bad, just incompatible.

 

[badge]

Yeah, OP has an incompatibility problem. He should return the Buffalo that dosn't run correctly in his MB. As OP stated, Kingston and other RAM are more expensive. I posted the various companys wh have their RAM configurators online. I make use of them often. Companys like Crucial and Kingston guarantee their RAM will work if you use their configurator. I have had good luck buying RAM like that. Especially with Crucial. Many times I have sent an Email to support (at Crucial, kingston, G. Skill, Corsiar) and asked which RAM will work best in my MB. I have had great success in doing so.