Old Alienware Area-51 needs upgrade from 2gb DDR3 to 4gb DDR3, PNY brand causing blue screen

is your rig like the Legacy on the left or the post-Dell on the right?

For now, Windows has its own Memory diagnostic you can use to test the new ram. I believe it is Corsair that says to test their ram with the "memtest86" program before trying to return it. A program like Intel XTU can stress test the ram for you.

If the rig on the left has bios features that can tweak ram, (set xmp/voltage/timings etc) we might find a way to tweak it. Certainly the one on the right has ways to tweak memory.

So you had 2Gb dims of 10666 and simply replaced them all with 4gb dims? I'm sure if my pc blue-screened after a simple memory swap, I'd reseat them in different slots (over & over if necessary), hoping to find the so-called sweet spot arrangement. Perhaps now is a good time to blow the dust out of the dimm slots.

This is info taken from a post I did last week:

"Your socket 1366 mthrbrd can support 12gb (3x4Gb) @ 1600MHz (pc3-12800) or 6Gb (3x2Gb) @ 1866MHz (I've used pc3-14900 & pc3-15000 ... you may overclock to 1866, maybe get to 2000Mhz, maybe not get to 2133Mhz, see note below): 

• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19353401.aspx
• * Bios A10 = For PC3-12800 and PC3-15000 XMP memory, go into the Bios and turn off XMP. Then set the memory multiplier to 14, set Uncore to +200

My note: GO TO BIOS > Enable XMP profile for 1600/1866 etc, see if it boots, if not, go to bios:

• 1600MHz should boot, 1866 may not, if either do not, set mem ratio/multiplier & go to:
• Overvoltage Config > QPI & Uncore volts:
• 1866 memory may post anywhere from 160mv - 200mv; set at 160mv, see if system posts, if not, increase to 180mv, or 200mv, til system posts

My note: memory ratio / multiplier:

• 12x133 = 1600 MHz / 14x133 = 1862 / 15x133 = 1995 / 16x133 = 2128

OC on A-51 for typical bios screenshots:

http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/19/KCS/KcsArticles/ArticleView?c=us&docid=117679&doclang=en&l=en&s=gen&cs=

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Due to the Intel cpu you have, you will do best to have bought "tri-channel" capable memory: three matched dims.

My understanding is that all ddr3 memory begins life as 1333MHz (10-666) base speed, and the ones that can be stable when overclocked are marketed as "1600Mhz" etc,

You should be striving for 1600MHz minimum, 1866 maximum.

In your bios, as I said above, you can enable xmp profile. If it doesn't boot, then you play with the multiplier & uncore voltage.

If your PNY is in fact tri-channel, then you can reseat the dims etc as said earlier, or do mem tests on it. If it is not tri-channel, that may be the problem?

ok, gimme a minute to put some info together for you, since we have the same rig.

Newegg.com has tri-channel mem all day long:

• http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007611%20600006050%20600006078&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20
• eBay also, where you may find it new/used, hopefully for less
• a recommendation is memory that has integrated heat-spreaders
• IMO --->you should have purchased pc3-12800 / 1600MHz tri-channel rated,
• 1.25v-1.35v-1.5v preferable (?) / 9-9-9-27 or better timings 

For the newegg memory sales page I applied filters:

• ddr3 / triple-channel / pc3-12800 / 3x4gb
• http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007611%20600006050%20600006078%20600052011%20600006127&IsNodeId=1&name=DDR3%201600%20%28PC3%2012800%29&Order=PRICE&Pagesize=20
• anything there that is 888-24 or 999-24 @ 1.5v or less is solid
• look for a limited lifetime warranty also

If you see a brand you like, try to run it (or its part#) through google "shopping" filter, to find it elsewhere for less (tigerdirect perhaps), but newegg will treat you right in the end. The prices aren't hateful.

Ok, I sent you a link to the a11 bios;  if you were to flash to a11, & it was successful, I think it automatically reverts everything to default values when it completes. It's been 18months since I flashed to a11, I do not remember if this is true or not, but if after you flash to a11 you can not get past the windows logo screen, then yes you would go into bios and enable your ahci sata controller.

Ok, if after a bios flash, your old memory reverts to 1333 default, then yes, you would enable xmp, & overclock, if it is capable.

If after the newegg memory gets there, what would happen, I think, is you would install it & your bios, I think, will automatically set it to run @ 1333 base value. You would check bios to see all 12gb is detected > boot up of course to make sure it works & all 12Gb accounted for in Windows, then reboot, go to bios and set xmp "on" (if it is not set on of course). set xmp profile to 1600mhz (profile #1 for instance), make sure it boots up.

If it tries to boot & can't, ("warning, overclocking failed") then you go back and turn xmp off, fool w/multiplier & uncore volts as stated prior.

• ratio/multiplier = 12 (12x133 = 1600mhz)
• uncore +160mv/180mv/200mv (whichever value keeps ram stable/"boots" into Windows)

Have you seen the xmp / memory ratio / uncore volts menu features in your a10 bios? 

it's been said that if the memory can not be overclocked via on-board xmp profiles, you will not see the xmp option in the bios; w/the new ram, having an xmp profile associated inside it, you will have the xmp option displayed in your bios:

From Freq/Voltage control, where uncore volts is under overvoltage:

I read this old article maybe 2 years ago:

• http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/Intel-Core-i7-Nehalem,2057-5.html

If you have like an i7 920, from what it says here, its onboard mem controller may not have a multiplier capable of reaching 12 (to reach 1600mhz). You may have to research your i7 to see what its mem controller is capable of. I run the i7960 w/out issue, but as it talks about "lower-end" i7's ... & seeing as how we didn't resolve why the PNY spazzed out on you (non-cpu-related I'm sure)... if you have a 960 or better you should be ok, if you have a lower end model, in the meantime you may want to try to deduce what actual memory overclock it should reach, & if the FSB needs fooled with etc. I wouldn't know any of this had I not read that article, nor do I know if it still applies or is part of rumor-ville etc. (make sure your i7 can run the pc3-12800 you plan to buy, huh?). Good luck if you step up to the a11 bios.

you can go to intel.com to identify your chipset version:

• http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/detect

I'm runnig the last issued version 9.2.0.1030 w/out issue:

• https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=20019&lang=eng&ProdId=816

it's several iterations above what Dell has on their A-51 chipset download page (9.1.1.1019).

9.1.0.1025 & 9.2.0.1025 are improvements/updated versions also for Intel® 6, 5, 4, 3, 900 Series Chipsets ... (where we run x58 / 5 series chipsets)

• https://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProdId=816

Run the driver detect program if you like, then decide what's best for your i7. Brands like Asus & MSI have their x58 chipset updates starting at 9.1.1.1025 ...