N7010 crashes after 8gb RAM Upgrade

Hi tomheafey,

The Inspiron N7010 system supports dual-channel DDR3 SDRAM with memory speed of 1333 MHz. Please make sure the memory is compatible with computer. Another step,  you may try is to reseat the memory module of your computer; swap and try one module at a time in each slot. See if it works. If the memory modules are seated properly, swapped and checked, and do work with another computer; it means it is an issue with the memory slot (motherboard). 

You may also check and let me know if you are facing system overheating issues. 

Please reply for further clarifications. 

Working with a great vendor ( 1 Arch Computer ), I replaced the 1333 MHz memory with 1066 MHz memory. My system now is working great with the 8gb upgrade. I had read somewhere that early versions of I5 CPU's won't work with the higher speed memory. Why couldn't Dell tell me this ??????

Hi tomheafey, 

I understand your concern. 

In newer processors, memory controller is located on the processor; therefore, the RAM speed is limited to what the memory controller has been designed to support.  If using 1600 MHz it might be expected to see the processor downgrading the speed to what it supports: 1066/1333 MHz. Similar is in this case as well. Your system does support 1333Mhz memory so any memory with FSB of 1333MHz and lower (1066 MHz) would work with the machine. 

Please reply in case you have any further questions. 

Hi tomheafey, 

I understand your concern. 

In newer processors, memory controller is located on the processor; therefore, the RAM speed is limited to what the memory controller has been designed to support.  If using 1600 MHz it might be expected to see the processor downgrading the speed to what it supports: 1066/1333 MHz. Similar is in this case as well. Your system does support 1333Mhz memory so any memory with FSB of 1333MHz and lower (1066 MHz) would work with the machine. 

Please reply in case you have any further questions. 

No, my system DOES NOT support 1333 MHz memory. I tried 2 sets of Cosair memory and 1 set of Dell memory( the exact part number supplied to me by Dell ). None of those 3 sets of 1333 MHz memory worked. My system simply powered off ( hard crash ) with each set. The 1066 MHz works without fail.

Hi tomheafey, 

 

I'm having the exact same issue as noted above, only several years later.  I also have a Dell Inspiron N7010, and am trying to upgrade memory with a 4 GB Dell memory board that they recommended: SNPNWMX1C/4G with a front side bus speed of 1600 MHz.   Making the upgrade crashes the computer, in spite of upgrading bios to the latest version.  Bios does indeed recognize new memory.

Recommendation of procuring memory boards from 1 Arch Computer no longer viable.  Could no longer find them on the web.   Tried archmemory.com, but they are recommending 1033 MHz boards.  Would welcome recommendation on specific, compatible memory boards with 1066 MHz FSB.

http://www.archmemory.com/

Thanks to DELL-Chinmay S for this thread.

Can you ID the 1066 MHz memory that worked?  Having the exact same issue almost three years later.  Could not find 1 Arch Computer and archmemory.com (closest thing to the name you suggested) is recommending 1333 MHz memory that you've said didn't work for you.

Three years later and Dell is still recommending the wrong memory for the Dell Inspiron N7010.  They stuck me with a 4 GB 1600 MHz board they assured me was compatible!  Their SNPNWMX1C/4G is NOT compatible with the Inspiron N7010!  It causes the computer to fail on boot, even though the BIOS recognizes it, just as you found.

did you ever find out what to use......i am trying to figure out which one to use as i have read many different things and i do not want to have to buy and return over and over.  mine says 1333 to use but again not sure in which to try first.....do you have an i3 processor or an i5. anyway hope to hear from you or someone that knows soon 

thank you 

Anthony,

I'm awaiting new memory cards.  Will post how well they work in a few days, once I get a chance to try them out.   Only found one source for them, but no point in posting what I ordered until I'm sure it works. 

To confirm what speed memory you need, bring up your BIOS screen on boot up.  On my Inspiron N7010, I press F2 during power up.  Once the BIOS screen is up, arrow down until you see the memory speed.  On my BIOS, it is at the very bottom of the list.  In my case, it is 1066 MHz.  Once you have this information, you can save the BIOS configuration and the computer will finish the boot up.

I've managed to successfully upgrade my Inspiron 17R N7010 i3-370M to 8GB using memory from Crucial (the online trading arm of Micron).  The laptop can only support DDR speeds up to 1066MHz but this doesn't mean that you have to use RAM that can only achieve this speed: you can use faster RAM as long as it can operate correctly at the lower speed.  

Note: before installation I upgraded to the latest BIOS, version A11.  I don't know if this was necessary, but I suggest you do the same before upgrading your own machine.

This is the 8GB (2x4GB) kit that I ordered - Crucial CT5305772 (2x CT51264BF160B 4GB DDR3L - 1600 SODIMM 1.35V CL11):

http://uk.crucial.com/gbr/en/inspiron-17r/CT5305772

This is actually DDR3-1600 RAM, but it is fully compatible with lower-speed JEDEC standards and therefore is running perfectly fine at 1066MHz now, as reported by the BIOS and also CPU-Z.

First, JINXCW's option is currently about half the price of the one I posted earlier.  JINXCW's option is also better since it runs at a lower voltage: 1.35V vs. 1.5V.

As memory cards go obsolete, the solutions posted may change.  To address this issue, it is important to understand how to find compatible memory that runs at the low 1066MHz bus speed in advance of ordering it. 

In reading JINXCW's post, I came to realize he has pointed out a vital piece of information in finding compatible memory.  That is the DUAL computer model designation for this particular Dell laptop product.  The Inspiron N7010 (which is how it is labelled on the computer's boilerplate, in Control Panel, and in BIOS) is also designated as an Inspiron 17R.  I confirmed this by checking my original sales information from Dell.  Memory sales key off of computer model designation.  Since Inspiron N7010 = Inspiron 17R, using both increases the chances of finding compatible sources. 

The key issue is knowing IN ADVANCE that higher speed memory will operate at the lower 1066MHz bus speed. 

JINXCW, how did you know in advance that this particular 1600MHz memory card would run slower? 

What line item in the detailed memory spec did you use to determine this? 

You allude to using a JEDEC standard to make this determination - which standard, and which line item in the standard applies?

Hi Kuhlium,

The JEDEC standards I'm referring to are JESD79-3E "DDR3 SDRAM Specification" and the addendum JESD79-3-1 which specifies DDR3L.  However, starting from these doesn't really help you much, especially since the Crucial website doesn't actually provide the specific information that you want.  In relation to this case, in essence what these specs describe are the timing parameters to be measured when "binning" RAM chips.  This is the process whereby a manufacturer will produce a bunch of devices and then analyse the performance of each of them individually using automated testing to work out which ones can run fast (and therefore get stuck in, say, the DDR3-1600 "bin"), or can only run slow (destined for, say, the DDR3-1066 "bin").  All truly compliant DDR3 devices should support all speeds up to and including their specified rating, but in some low-quality devices there may be quirks such that they break a timing requirement when running at a lower speed - for example they may actually switch an output too quickly.  So, the reason that the Crucial site doesn't list the relevant information is because it shouldn't need to: a DDR3-1600 device should work fine at DDR3-1066.

Regarding the parts from Crucial (Micron): I didn't know for certain that they would work, but I was extremely confident.  I design microchips for a living and I've dealt directly with Micron's DDR architecture team in the past: they are a key driving force behind the JEDEC DDR specifications and therefore if anyone can be trusted to make parts that work, it's them!

Yup, Arch memory 2x4GB DDR3-1066 are perfect. It took 3 days and cost $60 for 2x4GB. Wow--new speed when I have too many browser windows open!

They now have these branded as 'for N7010" specifically

I got lucky finding this here
--and I've been fighting this for several years.
--but knowing the Google "N7010 Arch Memory" it turns out that 100's of folks around the world now know the answer.

I believe that any 2 x  4GB DDR3-1066 Laptop memory (204 pin) will work fine