There may have been an issue with your motherboard from the time you got it. All Precision M4700 boards should be able to use all 4 RAM slots when a quad core i7 is installed.
Looks like the the only board version you need to avoid is 0RM0C3, because this board will only work with an IPS screen.
Thank you for your response. I've had the same problem with two of these "REV 03." boards. They just won't boot with all them RAM sticks installed. I doubt that both of these boards developed the same fault at the same time. The other "REV 01." board I have boots with them RAM modules without any kind of problem.
Keep in mind that when equipped with a core i5 or a dual core i7, the system will only be able yo use 2 RAM slots.
Only CPUs that end with QM and XM are able to use all 4 slots.
You already stated that you have a QM processor
RAM speed! You are talking about installing 4x8GB sticks.
In the spec sheet from Dell it states that the system will do up to 16GB @ 1866MHz but when using 32GB you can only use up to 1600MHz RAM. There have been reports across Dell Precision laptops where the system will not see all of the ram when for example you try using 32GB of 1866MHz RAM.
If the REV 01 board can address all 32GBm then just go with that board.
I am using 4 x SK hynix 8GB HMT41GS6BFR8A-PB modules (which are 1600MHz) so it shouldn't be a problem. And yet, for certain boards, it is (even with the latest A19 BIOS installed). I guess I'll just go with the REV 01 board (if I can get my hands on it).
I tested this with 3 different CPUs, all of them i7 quads: 3630qm, 3632qm, 3840qm. Same result. "Intend to use" in the Original Post means once I have the NEW board, that's the CPU I'm going to install.
I have managed to brick my Dell Precision M4700 with a BIOS downgrade.
Would you kindly elaborate on what you mean by "...with a BIOS downgrade"?
It's a rather sad story involving a long-time Mac user and his [my] first Windows PC in over 12 years, but we have a seemingly dead M4700 here that gave up the ghost after certain changes were made to the BIOS/UEFI. Specifically, a clone copy of Windows 11 was made via an external USB drive. After that was accomplished, the M4700 was restarted to enter BIOS/UEFI in an attempt to "discover" the same external USB drive to change the boot order. Why? Because this is the way that clone copies can be used in the macOS environment, and I simply assumed that it would only take a boot order change to test out the clone copy of Win 11.
As the clone copy USB drive wasn't in the boot order list, I attempted to use and "add" function in UEFI to enter a path to the external drive. Once I added said path, I seemed to lose control of the M4700 and, long story short, it slowly exhibited varying symptoms - i.e., multiple restarts to keep the machine running - until, eventually, there was absolutely no video being displayed: not even via the HDMI port!
Once again, this happened just after a change was made to BIOS/UEFI, which is why your use of the quoted phrase prompted my question. In other words, did I accidentally "downgrade" our M4700's BIOS?
JamesJAB1
2 Intern
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217 Posts
1
January 22nd, 2021 11:00
There may have been an issue with your motherboard from the time you got it. All Precision M4700 boards should be able to use all 4 RAM slots when a quad core i7 is installed.
Looks like the the only board version you need to avoid is 0RM0C3, because this board will only work with an IPS screen.
mkaracsony81
4 Posts
0
January 23rd, 2021 05:00
Thank you for your response. I've had the same problem with two of these "REV 03." boards. They just won't boot with all them RAM sticks installed. I doubt that both of these boards developed the same fault at the same time. The other "REV 01." board I have boots with them RAM modules without any kind of problem.
JamesJAB1
2 Intern
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217 Posts
0
January 23rd, 2021 06:00
Keep in mind that when equipped with a core i5 or a dual core i7, the system will only be able yo use 2 RAM slots.Only CPUs that end with QM and XM are able to use all 4 slots.You already stated that you have a QM processorRAM speed! You are talking about installing 4x8GB sticks.
In the spec sheet from Dell it states that the system will do up to 16GB @ 1866MHz but when using 32GB you can only use up to 1600MHz RAM. There have been reports across Dell Precision laptops where the system will not see all of the ram when for example you try using 32GB of 1866MHz RAM.
If the REV 01 board can address all 32GBm then just go with that board.
mkaracsony81
4 Posts
0
January 24th, 2021 04:00
I am using 4 x SK hynix 8GB HMT41GS6BFR8A-PB modules (which are 1600MHz) so it shouldn't be a problem. And yet, for certain boards, it is (even with the latest A19 BIOS installed). I guess I'll just go with the REV 01 board (if I can get my hands on it).
U2CAMEB4ME
4 Operator
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6.2K Posts
0
January 24th, 2021 07:00
Welcome to the Dell Community @mkaracsony81
You do not state what CPU you have installed that will not boot with 4 slots populated???
You do state what CPU "intend to use" an i7-3630qm.
Best regards,
Ut
mkaracsony81
4 Posts
0
January 24th, 2021 08:00
I tested this with 3 different CPUs, all of them i7 quads: 3630qm, 3632qm, 3840qm. Same result. "Intend to use" in the Original Post means once I have the NEW board, that's the CPU I'm going to install.
McQuadM4700
1 Rookie
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6 Posts
0
September 21st, 2023 20:17
QUOTE EXCERPT FROM ORIGINAL POST:
I have managed to brick my Dell Precision M4700 with a BIOS downgrade.
Would you kindly elaborate on what you mean by "...with a BIOS downgrade"?
It's a rather sad story involving a long-time Mac user and his [my] first Windows PC in over 12 years, but we have a seemingly dead M4700 here that gave up the ghost after certain changes were made to the BIOS/UEFI. Specifically, a clone copy of Windows 11 was made via an external USB drive. After that was accomplished, the M4700 was restarted to enter BIOS/UEFI in an attempt to "discover" the same external USB drive to change the boot order. Why? Because this is the way that clone copies can be used in the macOS environment, and I simply assumed that it would only take a boot order change to test out the clone copy of Win 11.
As the clone copy USB drive wasn't in the boot order list, I attempted to use and "add" function in UEFI to enter a path to the external drive. Once I added said path, I seemed to lose control of the M4700 and, long story short, it slowly exhibited varying symptoms - i.e., multiple restarts to keep the machine running - until, eventually, there was absolutely no video being displayed: not even via the HDMI port!
Once again, this happened just after a change was made to BIOS/UEFI, which is why your use of the quoted phrase prompted my question. In other words, did I accidentally "downgrade" our M4700's BIOS?
Thank you for any thoughts on this.
(edited)