Dimension 3000 RAM installation problem

Do you know what processor you have as this will determine the ram speed some what.

See HERE <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell> for the processor and ram specs

Are you running the latest Bios version?

What you can try is to place on stick into slot 1 and power on. not all indications. Then swap that stick out with the other one and try again. this will help determine if you have a bad ram stick.

Thanks, Dave, for the offer of help.  I've got the latest version of the BIOS (A03).  I'm running a Dimension 3000 with a Pentium 4 @2.8GHz, using XP Home with SP3.

I tried putting in just one stick (DIMM3) and had the same failure as I described before.  I then tried the other stick and had the same failure again.  I also tried each slot (DIMM3 and DIMM4), always with the same failure.  I suppose it is possible that the RAM sticks are both bad, but I don't know how often that sort of thing happens.

Just to reiterate, the new RAM are a matched pair of PC3200 (DDR 400-MHz) and are non-ECC.  Other than both of the new RAM sticks being bad, what else could possibly be wrong here?

You would be looking at a motherboard replacement.

Make sure you have the latest bios running on the system

No, no, no.  The motherboard is fine and works perfectly with the original 256MB of RAM.  The problem only exists when I tried to put in the new RAM.  I have the latest BIOS as I said in my previous entry.  That's why I'm confused....

Sorry for the confusion so with the orginal ram in it works fine no beeps and all lights green.

Do you know which Pent 4 you have? there are two one that will run on a 800mhz bus and one that will run on a 533 mhz bus. If you have the 533 mhz version that would explain it.

Pick up CPU-z and see what it reports. Just download and run it.

I appear to have the 533MHz bus.  Here's what Dell's site says about my processor: 80546, 2.8, 1M, Pentium4 Prescott Dt, 533, E0.  Does that mean that the RAM I bought will not function with that chip?  If so, can you detail for me which RAM will work so I can get the right stuff next time?

Thanks again.

Around here you will see lots of recommendations to use Crucial memory. It is very good memory and is guaranteed to be 100% compatible with Dell systems.

You can go to Crucial.com and pick any version of PC2700 (DDR333) memory configuration you would like to get .

Thanks for the advice, Dave.  I was looking at the Crucial site and it says "Each memory slot can hold DDR PC2700,DDR PC3200 with a maximum of 1GB per slot."  The memory I purchased is a PC3200/DDR400, 1GB.  What would cause it to not work?  Other than the manufacturers' sites saying that a stick of memory will work, how would I know that a particular stick of PC2700 would or would not work?

I'm pushing on this because the computer simply isn't worth very much and I want to speed it up, but spending $50 on a stick of memory is too much for me to do this.  Crucial's 2700 is $90 for 2GB (1x1GB), but I can get generic PC2700 memory for much less.  Is there some way to confirm that it will work with this computer?

Advice?

as long as you stick with the 333 mhz memory it will work. the main reason the 400 will not work in your particular system is determined by the bus speed of the processor, which will set up the max speed of the memory bus as well. 

in order for you to have the 400 work would be to change the processor as well as the memory.  The chipset which reads the processor info will then up the memory bus as  well as the bus the processor uses allowing both 333 and 400 mhz ram to run.

It all has to do with the external bus speed that is set up by the type of processor.

So if you buy some less expensive PC2700 memory it should work fine.

  I have the same model computer with the same processor as La Paz does and I have 1.25 GIG of 400 mhz memory in this thing and have NO issues with the memory.  The Bios automatically limits the MHZ to 333.  It sounds like to me La Paz you got ahold of some faulty memory sticks.  IT'S NOT A COMPUTER ISSUE.  Your mother board is fine and your computer in general is fine.  It also shouldn't matter what brand of memory it is either because I have one stick that is a 1 GIG that is made by Ultra and another stick that is 256 Meg that is made by who knows (meaning its a generic stick).  I would get ahold of corsair ask them for their technical support which you have to do anyway to be able to get a RMA number and instructions on what to do to return the memory sticks if they are in fact faulty.  I hope this helps you if the issue still has not been resolved.  Sorry I just signed up on this Dell forum and I was looking for a solution for a problem I am having that is totally unrelated to this issue and ran across your posts.  Also MAKE SURE you are fully seating  the sticks into the slots.  That has been the problem with a couple of computers that I have had brought to me because the customer installed the memory themselves and it wouldn't work and all it turned out to be is they didnt seat the sticks down completely in the slots.  Make sure you are hearing it click when you install the sticks and then after that gently but firmly press down on each end of the stick to make sure it is completely seated correctly.

Thanks, Malkay.  This is (not surprisingly) a long-since solved problem.  I ordered new RAM at 333mHz and everything is fine.  I appreciate your help, though.

I believe I may have just gotten my answer from the retailer of the memory I purchased:

"The market grade memory you purchased is a high density memory. It uses the more efficient 128x4 DRAM Chips. These parts work properly on many later SIS & VIA chipset DDR1 based motherboards (VIA KT333A & newer/SIS 651 & newer). These parts will not work on motherboards with Intel chipsets or Nvidia chipset or 1st generation VIA/SIS chipset based motherboards."

As you probably already know, the Dimension 3000 houses the incompatible Intel chipset referred to above.

Bummer.

Ok, so I understand all that has been said. I'm having a similar issue. Running a Dimension 3000 with a Pentium 4 @ 3.00 Ghz. FSB @ 800 Mhz. Windows XP Home edition SP3. BIOS updated to AO3.

Originally the system came with two 256 MB sticks of ram. I had upgraded a years ago to two sticks of 512 MB of ram, matching pair straight from Dell. Now my system is running a bit slow, so I ordered G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit, timing is 2.5-3-3-6 and the voltage rating is 2.6V - 2.75V.

So I installed both sticks, system boots and says the system memory has changed, no big deal. I keep loading and get to the Windows loading screen and the sreen glitches and the system freezes. I had to hold the power button to get it to shut off. Having issues with RAM in the past I reseated both sticks. Even tried swapping sticks between slots. The system will freeze anytime from the windows loading to the login user screen. I've had a bad stick on another system in the past, so I pulled one stick out. System booted fine. I swapped sticks. System still booted fine. Put both in... the system locks up. I tried putting the old pair of RAM sticks in, boots and works fine. So, old RAM works in a pair, and new RAM works perfectly fine with only one stick in.

Any ideas? Should I RMA these or trade them in for a different kind? If it was an issue with voltage, timing, or the high density.... then why does one stick by itself work fine? Any ideas would be great. Any questions, I'll answer the best I can.

CodytheC,

The circuitry for it, which I think is called a bridge, may be faulty.

See if you can disable the dual channel feature in BIOS. If you cannot, try swapping out one of the sticks for a different type. The second idea will either fail or will cause the dual channel feature to be superseded.

David