Question Unsuccessful RAM upgrade

[phoenyx]

Hi Guys, I just had a quick question regarding an unsuccessful RAM upgrade.

I have Dell XPS 8930 i7 9700 with an Geforce RTX and 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2666MHz UDIMM.

I'm thinking of just doubling the memory to 32GB as I do a lot of Photoshop and Premiere work. Though I've never upgraded memory before I've heard it's fairly easy!

I popped a post on here last year but only just got round to finally doing it. I went to Crucial to find out the correct memory and then bought them on offer from Amazon.

Unfortunately upon nervously following memory installation videos and installing them i ended up with a black screen after boot-up and never got to windows. I googled it and found this is because the memory is not compatible, so i pulled it back out.

The memory I got is here: 8GB x2 Crucial Ram According to Crucial's website after I told it my PC spec it should have been compatible.

Any ideas why this didn't work or what I should be getting instead that will work!?

Thanks very much

P.S
I have seen online that some people have said you cannot mix and match between memory brands, could this be it!?

 

[RealBeast]

When you buy memory kits they are only guaranteed to work as the kit was sold, not necessarily with some pre-existing sticks.

That said, can you post the exact model numbers of the memory you already have and the new sticks if not Crucial RAM CT8G4DFRA266 8GB DDR4 2666 MHz CL19 Desktop.

Do they sticks all have identical timings and other settings? If so, just a bios (CMOS) reset might do the trick. If not, you will have to run them at the loosest timing and highest voltage that any single stick requires.

 

[phoenyx]

When you buy memory kits they are only guaranteed to work as the kit was sold, not necessarily with some pre-existing sticks.

That said, can you post the exact model numbers of the memory you already have and the new sticks if not Crucial RAM CT8G4DFRA266 8GB DDR4 2666 MHz CL19 Desktop.

Do they sticks all have identical timings and other settings? If so, just a bios (CMOS) reset might do the trick. If not, you will have to run them at the loosest timing and highest voltage that any single stick requires.

Thanks for your reply

I'm not 100% sure how to find the current memory details but in Windows Powershell for my existing memory it says : Size: 8GB DDR4 Manufacturer: 0000AD020000 Configured Clock Spd: 2666 Clock Spd: 2666

The new ones I bought are as you say: Crucial RAM CT8G4DFRA266 8GB DDR4 2666 MHz CL19 which is supposedy highly compatible and recommended with Dells.

Is it possible I have a faulty item, or just selected the wrong one?

Would a better option be to remove the old and just buy 2 x 16GB ones and start totally fresh?!

Thanks.

 

[Bob.B]

Hi Guys, I just had a quick question regarding an unsuccessful RAM upgrade.

I have Dell XPS 8930 i7 9700 with an Geforce RTX and 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2666MHz UDIMM.

I'm thinking of just doubling the memory to 32GB as I do a lot of Photoshop and Premiere work. Though I've never upgraded memory before I've heard it's fairly easy!

I popped a post on here last year but only just got round to finally doing it. I went to Crucial to find out the correct memory and then bought them on offer from Amazon.

Unfortunately upon nervously following memory installation videos and installing them i ended up with a black screen after boot-up and never got to windows. I googled it and found this is because the memory is not compatible, so i pulled it back out.

The memory I got is here: 8GB x2 Crucial Ram According to Crucial's website after I told it my PC spec it should have been compatible.

Any ideas why this didn't work or what I should be getting instead that will work!?

Thanks very much

P.S
I have seen online that some people have said you cannot mix and match between memory brands, could this be it!?

You bought 2 separate sticks and not a kit?

If you remove the orig sticks and install the new sticks does the pc work?

 

[RealBeast]

It depends on how much time you have to devote to this, and how soon you want to get back to using your computer.

You can download and run CPU-Z and find the memory timings under the memory tab if you want to try to match what is in there. You may also need to bump the Vdimm (memory voltage up .05V) but you have to run all the sticks at the slowest timings of any individual stick so you need to know the timings of the current sticks from CPU-Z.

The other course would be to buy a set of compatible sticks comprising 32GB.

 

[phoenyx]

You bought 2 separate sticks and not a kit?

If you remove the orig sticks and install the new sticks does the pc work?

Yes, it was a kit! For some reason it just didn't work when i put it in alongside my existing memory even thoiugh it's meant to be the right type.

No, I haven't tried just putting the new ones in only, good idea. Thoug I'd rather not unplug the old ones and fiddle again as Im a bit nervous when getting into the case!

In fact, when I took the new ones back out and booted it back up it still didn't work at first, still a black screen! Luckily, the pc booted up eventually into Windows after i held the power button down for 30secs.

No idea what was going on there but it made me even more nervous, i thought I'd damaged something and would have to take it in for repair!

 

[Wolfshadw]

Try removing your current RAM and installing the new RAM in it's place. Does your system boot up? (it should).

-Wolf sends

 

[phoenyx]

It depends on how much time you have to devote to this, and how soon you want to get back to using your computer.

You can download and run CPU-Z and find the memory timings under the memory tab if you want to try to match what is in there. You may also need to bump the Vdimm (memory voltage up .05V) but you have to run all the sticks at the slowest timings of any individual stick so you need to know the timings of the current sticks from CPU-Z.

The other course would be to buy a set of compatible sticks comprising 32GB.

Thanks. Yeah it looks like just buying a new set of 2x16GB would probably be easier. Though it's getting the right ones and not having the same problem again. Would i need to still find out these 'timings' of the current ones even if i went with a brand new set comprising of 32GB?

If that's the case, how do I know what the 'timings' are on the new RAM I wanted to buy are? I'm sure I didn't see anything about timings listed when you go to buy them but I may be wrong.

Thanks.

 

[phoenyx]

Try removing your current RAM and installing the new RAM in it's place. Does your system boot up? (it should).

-Wolf sends

Thanks for the reply Yes someone else suggested this, it sounds a logical suggestion. I guess it would also prove if the new memory was faulty too?

I'm just a bit nervous about physcially fiddling in there, even though I know memory changes are the easiest thing to do! Especially as when I turned the PC back on after removing the new memory it still booted to a black screen! After a couple of 30sec power off's it seem to boot up normally eventually, thank god lol I thought I'd broken something. No idea why it did that.

Having said all that, if i went with the option of just starting from scratch and getting 2x16GB sticks I'm going to have to do it anyway!

 

[Wolfshadw]

Thanks for the reply Yes someone else suggested this, it sounds a logical suggestion. I guess it would also prove if the new memory was faulty too?

I'm just a bit nervous about physcially fiddling in there, even though I know memory changes are the easiest thing to do! Especially as when I turned the PC back on after removing the new memory it still booted to a black screen! After a couple of 30sec power off's it seem to boot up normally eventually, thank god lol I thought I'd broken something. No idea why it did that.

Having said all that, if i went with the option of just starting from scratch and getting 2x16GB sticks I'm going to have to do it anyway!

I know someone else had suggested it. I just didn't see that you had tried it. First few times fiddling around inside the PC case is always a bit nerve racking, but once you get in there often enough, you get much more comfortable with it.

Going with a 2x16GB kit is going to be your best option.

-Wolf sends

 

[RealBeast]

Thanks. Yeah it looks like just buying a new set of 2x16GB would probably be easier. Though it's getting the right ones and not having the same problem again. Would i need to still find out these 'timings' of the current ones even if i went with a brand new set comprising of 32GB?

If that's the case, how do I know what the 'timings' are on the new RAM I wanted to buy are? I'm sure I didn't see anything about timings listed when you go to buy them but I may be wrong.

Thanks.

Well then the Crucial guaranteed kit would work for you, see HERE for links to Newegg and Amazon from them as they (Crucial) are out of stock. You may be able to return the set that you bought from Amazon if you order from them, just contact customer service. But do note that Newegg is 11% cheaper currently, assuming you cannot return the other sticks to Amazon.

 

[Bob.B]

Thanks for the reply Yes someone else suggested this, it sounds a logical suggestion. I guess it would also prove if the new memory was faulty too?

I'm just a bit nervous about physcially fiddling in there, even though I know memory changes are the easiest thing to do! Especially as when I turned the PC back on after removing the new memory it still booted to a black screen! After a couple of 30sec power off's it seem to boot up normally eventually, thank god lol I thought I'd broken something. No idea why it did that.

Having said all that, if i went with the option of just starting from scratch and getting 2x16GB sticks I'm going to have to do it anyway!

Your ram link shows a single stick of ram.

If you bought 2 of those that is not a kit and the sticks may be slightly different.

Add that into your existing ram and now you might have 3 slightly different pieces of ram trying to play nice with each other.

If you go with 2x16 make sure you buy a kit and not 2 separate sticks.

 

[phoenyx]

I know someone else had suggested it. I just didn't see that you had tried it. First few times fiddling around inside the PC case is always a bit nerve racking, but once you get in there often enough, you get much more comfortable with it.

Going with a 2x16GB kit is going to be your best option.

-Wolf sends

Thanks very much. Yes I think getting 2x16GB is probably the best option. if for ome reason there's an issue I'll always have the original 2x8GB still.

I know it defeats the object slightly but out of interest, Is it actually possible to keep the original 2x8GB in and still add the 16GB in the 2 spare slots if i wanted even more memory!?

 

[phoenyx]

Well then the Crucial guaranteed kit would work for you, see HERE for links to Newegg and Amazon from them as they (Crucial) are out of stock. You may be able to return the set that you bought from Amazon if you order from them, just contact customer service. But do note that Newegg is 11% cheaper currently, assuming you cannot return the other sticks to Amazon.

Thanks very much for that and the links. As another person pointed out, it seems the 2x8GB that I got were not part of a 'kit' hence why they probably didnt work!!

I'm going to try and return the sticks to Amazon, hopefully they'll be accepted.

After a system check Crucial website recommended this option from Amazon, do you think it would be ok!? 2x16GB RAM

 

[phoenyx]

Your ram link shows a single stick of ram.

If you bought 2 of those that is not a kit and the sticks may be slightly different.

Add that into your existing ram and now you might have 3 slightly different pieces of ram trying to play nice with each other.

If you go with 2x16 make sure you buy a kit and not 2 separate sticks.

Ah I see! Yes of course, they wern't sold as a kit/pair, I'll bet that was the issue. Thanks very much

 

[Wolfshadw]

Thanks very much. Yes I think getting 2x16GB is probably the best option. if for ome reason there's an issue I'll always have the original 2x8GB still.

I know it defeats the object slightly but out of interest, Is it actually possible to keep the original 2x8GB in and still add the 16GB in the 2 spare slots if i wanted even more memory!?

Given the compatibility issues you've already run into, I'd say it's unlikely you could run both (but not out of the question).

-Wolf sends

 

[phoenyx]

Given the compatibility issues you've already run into, I'd say it's unlikely you could run both (but not out of the question).

-Wolf sends

Thanks, I suspected that might be the case.

I found this 2x16GB RAM which according to crucial's website after typing in my current PC model and spec should work! Then again they said that about the ones that didnt! But this time as you suggested it would be a total replacement of course.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Install the old, working RAM into the system and run CPU-Z.
Check the SPD tab and note the voltages for your RAM modules (disregard the XMP column).
Make sure the new RAM you purchase matches both speed (DDR4-2666) and the voltage listed in CPU-Z.

-Wolf sends

 

[RealBeast]

Agreed, CPU-Z is a vital tool and its free. It may also explain whey the other sticks would not work with the existing, as CPU-Z gives you detail on the sticks that you don't have: timings and voltage for example. Compare the values to those for the new 2x16GB set that you are looking at on Amazon that is recommended by Crucial.

 

[phoenyx]

Install the old, working RAM into the system and run CPU-Z.
Check the SPD tab and note the voltages for your RAM modules (disregard the XMP column).
Make sure the new RAM you purchase matches both speed (DDR4-2666) and the voltage listed in CPU-Z.

-Wolf sends

Thanks will try this

 

[phoenyx]

Agreed, CPU-Z is a vital tool and its free. It may also explain whey the other sticks would not work with the existing, as CPU-Z gives you detail on the sticks that you don't have: timings and voltage for example. Compare the values to those for the new 2x16GB set that you are looking at on Amazon that is recommended by Crucial.

Cheers

 

[phoenyx]

I ran CPU-Z and it came up with these results which was interesting: CPU-Z Memory Scan

Though I couldn't see anything about voltage on there, so still no wiser if the new memory I was going to aquire is suitable or not!

The memory I was looking at was the following: 2x16GB RAM or 2x8GB RAM

Can you adivse? Thanks!

 

[Wolfshadw]

Can't see your image of your memory scan. Requires login.
Upload your image to imgur.com and reply here with the link.

-Wolf sends

 

[phoenyx]

Can't see your image of your memory scan. Requires login.
Upload your image to imgur.com and reply here with the link.

-Wolf sends

Ah apologies!

Thanks, here's the link CPU-Z RAM stats

 

[Wolfshadw]

Though I couldn't see anything about voltage on there, so still no wiser if the new memory I was going to aquire is suitable or not!

That's because you're on the Memory tab. I said check the SPD tab.

-Wolf sends