Aurora-R7, HyperX Fury 2933 problem

I suspect tech support just doesn't know the answer.   There may be an unacknolwledged problem with four  modules, because I noticed Dell likes to ship with 16GB DIMM's.  What happens in the non-XMP mode?

You could enter the BIOS utility and try to enter 32 GB as the mem capacity; that might do it.  Also, Kingston may have advice.  You might have to trade to 2x16.

I haven't operated with four modules before, but I have 2x16 GSkill Ripjaws V 3000 installed in my R7 which worked fine from the get-go; didn't have to go to the BIOS.   

What I like on the Maximus X Hero board in my new build is that it provides good access to BIOS ram and other settings.  It has routines to learn the ram automatically also, up to 4166 speed, plus has trouble-shooting buttons and Q-code readout.  The mostly-canned inflexibility of the R7 BIOS is annoying.

BUT standard ATX boards won't fit the Aurora case; there are only a few micro ATX Z370 boards that will.

Personally, I would call an "unacknowledged problem" with four modules a design flaw.  However, the Aurora does ship with both 8 Gb and 16 Gb modules.  Mine shipped with 2 - 8 Gb of non-XMP Micron 2666MHz RAM modules, which I thought was a bit peculiar since all the 2666 MHz RAM I have looked at, including Crucial, is listed as being XMP.  As far as the XMP mode, that appears to be automatically detected by the system BIOS;  the stock RAM is auto-detected as non-XMP while the HyperX Fury is auto-detected as XMP.  It doesn't appear that there is any way to manually change that.

The BIOS utility does not appear to have any way to manually enter memory capacity; at least none that I have found yet. You are absolutely correct though, the inflexibility of the Dell BIOS's can be exceedingly annoying.  I know why they do it, but it makes it maddening nevertheless. 

Needless to say, in light of all of Alienware's claims of being highly upgradable, I would never have expected the easiest of all PC upgrades, RAM, to be the most problematic upgrade on the Aurora.

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@AlaskaWolfwrote:

1. Just upgraded the RAM in my new Aurora R7 from 16 Gb of non-heat sinked Micron to 32 Gb of HyperX Fury 2933MHz.  After putting all 4 RAM modules in place and making sure they were correctly installed I booted up the machine; however, it would not POST and all I had was a flashing greenish yellow Alien head.  

I then replaced the RAM in banks 2 and 4 with the second pair and once again everything worked absolutely fine.  Finally, I moved that pair into banks 1 and 3; as expected system POSTed and booted into Windows just fine.  Okay, so all four sticks have now been confirmed to be working correctly across all four banks.  I added the second pair back to the system, but lo and behold, the system will no longer POST.  Removed a pair and once again the system booted normally.

 

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It would help if you used the correct terms.

The ram-memory DIMMs go into SLOTS. There is a Primary and Secondary BANK, consisting of 2 SLOTS each.

The SLOTS for the Primary BANK should be marked (on the motherboard) XMM1 and XMM2, and its clip-holders for both SLOTS should be white.

The PDF manual (or it's pictures) might be incorrect. However, each BANK has the same-colored clip-holders for both of it's SLOTS.

All over-clocking (CPU and RAM) should be off. 

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@AlaskaWolfwrote:

1. Personally, I would call an "unacknowledged problem" with four modules a design flaw. 

2. However, the Aurora does ship with both 8 Gb and 16 Gb modules.  Mine shipped with 2 - 8 Gb of non-XMP Micron 2666MHz RAM modules, which I thought was a bit peculiar since all the 2666 MHz RAM I have looked at, including Crucial, is listed as being XMP.  As far as the XMP mode, that appears to be automatically detected by the system BIOS;  the stock RAM is auto-detected as non-XMP while the HyperX Fury is auto-detected as XMP.  It doesn't appear that there is any way to manually change that.

3. The BIOS utility does not appear to have any way to manually enter memory capacity; at least none that I have found yet. You are absolutely correct though, the inflexibility of the Dell BIOS's can be exceedingly annoying.  I know why they do it, but it makes it maddening nevertheless. 

4. Needless to say, in light of all of Alienware's claims of being highly upgradable, I would never have expected the easiest of all PC upgrades, RAM, to be the most problematic upgrade on the Aurora.

 

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1. Agreed

2. Good report @AlaskaWolf

3. Agreed

4. It's really always been this way (especially on high-end systems) ... very finicky about ram DIMMs. Crucial/Micron seems to be most compatible (but lots of different parts/items). I think this might one reason why Apple, Lenovo, and others are soldering-it-in now. Maybe it's limiting, but you will never have ram-upgrade compatibility problems. :Stickouttongue:

I'm sorry about misusing my terminology Tesla, ATM I'm just 110% frustrated over why the HyperX memory simply will not work. Contrary to Tech Support's claim that HyperX 2933 MHz will not work in the Aurora, Dell does seem to be shipping a lot of systems with this very RAM.  I am more than a bit perturbed by the fact that the very same RAM Alienware recommends, isn't working it in the very machine they recommend it for.  One would think that someone that has spent 36 years in IT, and has attended both Dell and EMC factory schools, should not have this much of a problem performing one of the most very basic PC upgrades.

The fact that both of the "pairs" function as expected in both slots of both banks, but will not function in tandem concerns me.  As I get the infamous 4 LED flashes indicating RAM failure with known good RAM, I am beginning to suspect that perhaps 4/32 2933 RAM has been disabled in the BIOS.

And I have tried it with O/C turned off.  ;)

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@AlaskaWolfwrote:

1. I'm sorry about misusing my terminology Tesla, ATM I'm just 110% frustrated over why the HyperX memory simply will not work.

2. Contrary to Tech Support's claim that HyperX 2933 MHz will not work in the Aurora, Dell does seem to be shipping a lot of systems with this very RAM. 

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1. It's no problem. It's just that it helps if we all use the same terms. I wanted to make sure you were using the right slots ... even though 4-matching DIMMs in (all) 4 slots is kinda hard to get wrong. :Smile:

But since it's not working, it will take some more trouble-shooting (in a likely more minimalism config).

2. Yeah, you know ... they do their best but when you start getting highly-technical with them ... unless you get to Level-2/3 ... you get some strange answers.

For example, a user posted the other day that phone-support told them that Samsung SSDs were not compatible with Aurora R7. :Surprise: :Smile:

https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-Desktops/Aurora-R7-Adding-additional-SSD-SATA-storage/td-p/5907131

 So, don't get frustrated ... just work the problem. :Cool:

Lol!  Yeah I read that post.  I didn't have the heart to mention that to my 950 PRO so I just decided not to tell it.

I'm already down to an annoying minimum configuration system.  I've reset the BIOS to default to give me a fresh starting point.  I've installed both pairs separately and run some pretty comprehensive diags; both pairs are running perfectly at XMP1 @ 2936 MHz with no detected problems.  Attempting to run all four give me an immediate 4 flash LED code.  It's seemingly pointing back to an issue within the BIOS.  I'll give HyperX tech support a ring tomorrow and see what they can suggest.

Curiously, now I'm wondering if a Crucial 4/32 2666 kit will encounter the same malfunction.   I may have to pop over to see them tomorrow.  

Maybe some nice person who just bought an Aurora-R7 and got some 8gb HyperX DDR4 2933MHz (XMP) DIMMs, will post pics (on pic hosting service) of their CPUZ  Memory and SPD screens (so you can compare).

I'm wondering if Dell/Alienware's OEM DIMMs are slightly different than what you picked-up at retail.

They shouldn't be significantly Tesla, especially if in pairs they are working and reporting correctly.  However, I can't find anyone else currently using DDR4 2933 MHz RAM in a production system or motherboard; and until the last week or so, Kingston refused to even acknowledge that they produced a Hyper X 2933 module.  Perhaps they may have had some kind of OEM arrangement with Dell/Alienware, which as you know is not uncommon; but that's just a theory.  I do know Dell was catching a bit of flak over the continued non-availability of 2933 MHz RAM for the Alienware systems through Dell Parts, and then suddenly Kingston quietly slipped the 2933 into their HyperX Fury lineup.  It's pretty much anyone's guess.

Excellent observation!  Although I think the cost of maintaining two separate production lines for the same speed RAM would be very cost prohibitive, especially with the steeply rising cost of silicon wafers, it is possible.  It would in fact be extremely helpful to compare the CPU-Z Memory and SPD screenshots from a system with factory installed HyperX DDR4 2933MHz.  So, if anyone has factory installed 8 Gb HyperX 2933 modules installed and would like to post some CPU-Z screens it would be tremendously appreciated! 

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@AlaskaWolfwrote:

I do know Dell was catching a bit of flak over the continued non-availability of 2933 MHz RAM for the Alienware systems through Dell Parts,

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The only reason I thought of it was because the same thing happened with Aurora-R6. For the special Fury ones for it's motherboard. I think we also came to the conclusion that the Dell ones had some unique XPM profiles burned into them.

https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-General/Aurora-R6-Memory-Question-Why-a-single-DIMM/m-p/5591756#M93351

AFAIK Dell doesn't ship any R7 with four DIMM's of any size.  Is this a problem they are hiding?

@hrgreen  Actually they do ship a 4 module configuration with the R7.  You can order 64GB Dual Channel HyperX™ DDR4 XMP at 2933MHz  for only an extra $1000.  Still, it is curious that apparently the same problems with availability have persisted through the R6 and now the R7.  32 Gb Of HyperX 2933 really isn't that terribly expensive at under $400, its pretty much at par with 2666 RAM, and slightly less than 3000MHz+  DDR4.  So one would think that with Dell's corporate buying power 2933 and 2666 would cost about the same; except for the fact that the 2666 being shipped with the R7 is non-XMP.

Dell is shipping a 4/64 2933 configuration, a 2/32 2933 configuration, and a 2/16 2933 configuration. And if you look at the cheapest R7 option, they are still even shipping 8GB Single Channel HyperX™ DDR4 XMP. So, if they are shipping all of those options, it would logically follow that a 4/32 configuration should in fact work. 

Okay, so here is the solution, as much as it downright me off.  The HyperX 2933 DDR4 used in the R6 and R7 is in fact a specifically licensed and modified HyperX 2933, it is not stock HyperX 2933.  So, Dell/Alienware is selling HyperX RAM, but is not disclosing the fact that their RAM is in fact OEM-specifically licensed.  Alienware in essence has everyone over a barrel by modifying the BIOS to support ONLY the Dell/Alienware licensed HyperX version. 

However, as R6 owners know, and R7 owners are finding out, Dell Parts apparently NEVER has the RAM needed.  Inputting my service tag into the Dell Parts page returns the following message  "No compatible products found for the requested service tag."   So, if people plan on buying HyperX RAM with an R7, they better future proof their system from the get go.  As a side note, even the various Tech Supports I contacted are puzzled by the fact that the 2666 RAM that ships with the Aurora is non-XMP.

I've been buying and recommending Dell systems for over three decades now, but this may really be the straw that broke the camel's back.

The R7 will in fact work with ram having no connection to Dell, since 16x2 Ripjaws V 3000 works very well in mine as 2933 XMP1 memory with no adjustments.   But I can't know whether 8x4 or 16x4 Ripjaws would work without trying them. The question is more likely one of timing, and without write or read access to timing variables in the BIOS, there is no way to understand this or solve it unless one has a pile of different DIMM sets to play with.  It would be easy with a board like the Maximus and its BIOS O/C utility.  Dell sez no-no, your oven just has a lightbulb in it so you won't burn our fingers.

Suggest again: call Kingston and consult; they will work with you on testing and replacement.  Might replace 4x8 with 2x16.