xtra pc
New Member
- Reaction score
- 13
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada
Yeah, of course! First Blood is a classic!
7 Brand new computers all intermittently blue screening, I'm at a loss here.
- Thread starter thecomputerguy
- Start date
thecomputerguy
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 1,368
Oh god that is a word that I haven't heard in a long LONG time.
britechguy
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 4,460
- Location
- Staunton, VA
And there are probably a number among our membership that had never heard it prior to this topic. It's scary to consider just how much tech water has passed under the bridge (as well as to know that most "revolutions" were nothing more than improvements on existing things, but substantially the same).
Sky-Knight
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 5,418
- Location
- Arizona
I loved Rambus! A decade after the fact when I could find it all over the place and sell it by the pound to the scrap yard. Paid for a trip to Disneyland doing that!
As for Dell's being sensitive to RAM, I don't agree. Then again I always lookup the RAM it shipped with and ensure I get a compatible module. Much of the time I'll just hit up Crucial's website, get the listed known good parts, and fire those into Amazon to know I get a workable match. I've never had to go back when I do that.
As for Dell's being sensitive to RAM, I don't agree. Then again I always lookup the RAM it shipped with and ensure I get a compatible module. Much of the time I'll just hit up Crucial's website, get the listed known good parts, and fire those into Amazon to know I get a workable match. I've never had to go back when I do that.
SAFCasper
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 830
- Location
- United Kingdom
Late to the thread but when you say the machines were "upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11" was this an in-place upgrade from the factory Windows 10 image? Or did you perform a clean install?
Some of the pre-installed junk like Dell Optimiser has been know to cause all sorts of issues.
Some of the pre-installed junk like Dell Optimiser has been know to cause all sorts of issues.
thecomputerguy
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 1,368
In-place upgrade ....
This is now the next week and still no blue screens so I think it ended up being RAM.
thecomputerguy
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 1,368
Agreed with checking the crucial site for compatibility ... problem is ... crucial says the RAM I bought is compatible even though it's 2666 and the system originally shipped with 3200
nlinecomputers
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 8,566
- Location
- Midland TX
Problem is that the memory you purchased is probably better quality than what the OEM shipped it with. It couldn't properly step down in speed to match the memory you installed. I've seen issues enough on systems that SHOULD work to always try and get the same speed.
thecomputerguy
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 1,368
That really does make a lot of sense ... I need to see what they put in there when I get back out there and maybe just see if I can order that exact memory
britechguy
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 4,460
- Location
- Staunton, VA
Which is one of the reasons I adore Crucial System Scanner, whether I end up buying Crucial memory or not. It tells you exactly what's in there (unless they've changed something very recently).
JoelM
Active Member
- Reaction score
- 163
- Location
- Colorado, USA
What would happen if you paired up the ram you purchased in machines and moved some of the oem ram and paired it up in different machines?
britechguy
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 4,460
- Location
- Staunton, VA
It would be very likely to work, though not guaranteed. The problem is mixed memory types/speeds more than anything else in systems that "barf" when that sort of configuration is set up. When things are not "mix" but "match," most computers will work just fine if what's installed is "within the range" of options that they can support.
It's been a long time since I've seen a computer that supports one, and only one, type of memory. But most are much happier if whatever is installed is in matched sets. Some, though, seem to work just fine and will make everyone conform to "the lowest common denominator."
I've learnt never to believe Crucial's compatibility assurances. I always use Kingston recommendations for upgrades of OEM machines and have never had an issue.
britechguy
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 4,460
- Location
- Staunton, VA
And I've never, once, had an issue. But this is not meant to be argumentative, just reporting. Kingston's would be fine, too.
The main point is that what any memory manufacturer may report as compatible, and which would function just fine if installed in matched sets, may not do so if the OEM did not use that same memory in the machine. The key is generally either matching the OEM memory type or replacing all of the existing memory if you go for a different type.
The matched set is what's critical. There are often different set types that could work, just don't mix 'em.
NJW
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 1,010
- Location
- Deux-Sèvres, France
Me too. Crucial's guarantee is that they will refund the order if it isn't compatible, not that they will get you a working upgrade. (First-hand experience.)
nlinecomputers
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 8,566
- Location
- Midland TX
I’ve had more issues with Kingston than Crucial but not enough to rate either as a “bad” product. I rarely see a problem with ANY brand memory. The issues I always see are failures to get exact matching pairs. Memory is supposed to slow down to the lowest on the channel. It rarely does, which is more likely an issue with the chipset than with the memory itself.
HCHTech
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 4,050
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA - USA
We do the same. I also buy directly from Crucial if I'm not trying to squeeze every penny - helps me feel less guilty about the times I use their tool but don't purchase through them. By the time you add in the extra time it takes to confirm you are getting exactly the same thing somewhere else, you've paid for the difference in price. I've never found Crucial's prices to be egregious - It's just like donating to the makers of other free tools we use.
Also, Crucial's tool is usually the quickest way to find out how many slots are in a computer you don't have on the bench.
Every time I've bought a single module recommended by Kingston, to add to the existing OEM module, it's worked well. Not arguing, just reporting my experience.
Incompatibilities usually aren't related to the memory speed, but other more obscure attributes such as the arrangement of chips on the module.
britechguy
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 4,460
- Location
- Staunton, VA
And I'd say this is a CYA approach that covers Crucial (or any memory maker, really) when "mix n' match" is attempted and doesn't work.
I can't say that no one else has had matched sets that are supposed to be compatible (regardless of maker) barf, but I haven't. I've actually gotten away with "mix n' match" on my own machines on more than one occasion.
I just ran a Crucial System Scan on the machine I'm typing on, and the scan results are not as detailed as I remember them being at one time. You do get a "slots and what capacity is installed in them" readout but no details about the memory modules themselves. I could have sworn at one time that they gave you way more detail about the memory modules than they do now. It reports I have 8GB in one slot and 4GB in the other, which is correct.
Belarc Advisor reports:
11.47 Gigabytes Usable Installed Memory
Slot 'Bottom-slot 1(left)' has 4 GB (serial number 918EB45E)
Slot 'Bottom-slot 2(right)' has 8 GB (serial number 146495C0)
64 Gigabytes Maximum System Memory Capacity
which is accurate as far as it goes regarding what's in the machine, but not particularly detailed, either. And their assertion about 64GB being the maximum memory capacity has to be wrong.
If there's a utility that gives really detailed information about exactly what type and size of memory is installed, I'd love to hear about it.
Larry Sabo
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 3,325
- Location
- Ottawa, Canada
SIW (System Information for Windows) does this, IIRC. I can't find my licensed copy but I used to find it handy for exactly what you are looking to do.
Edit: Here's the H/W panel that includes memory details.
Edit: Here's the H/W panel that includes memory details.
Last edited:
Similar threads
