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7 Posts
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274081
February 13th, 2009 12:00
Optiplex 320 memory problem
Have 1g from factory, 1 stick. I added the correct 1G second stick of memory. The bios sees it and it is list in the setup but windows can't find it. The only other thing I have that might be causing trouble is a Matrox P690 video card with 256 of memeory on it.
Any thoughts. Dell tech support was stumped. Have not removed the video card yet to try. that is next.
Any ideas??
Thank
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narutohits
2 Posts
0
August 24th, 2009 10:00
most of the peoples have this problem is that any one tell that is permanent solution
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jessica.g
1 Message
0
August 26th, 2009 09:00
I posted another thread for this issue but got no responses, so I guess I'll post here instead.
I'm having very similar trouble with my Dell Desktop OptiPlex 320. A little while back we upgraded this PC to 2GB of RAM (DDR2, PC2-4200 533MHz / PC2-3200 400MHz compatible) and the upgrade went fine, the RAM worked great.
Due to unrelated issues we've just reformatted this PC and after reinstalling Windows, applying all updates from Microsoft and Dell, etc, we've noticed that the PC only shows that is has 992MB of RAM according to My Computer > System Properties.
I've ran the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and both sticks of RAM are good. They are seated correctly and I tried switching slots. I can boot up fine with just 1 or the other installed. I also tried replacing the original RAM, and then switching back, no effect.
If I put in 1GB stick and 1 512MB stick, I get the "Memory has changed" dialog and it shows that we're running 1.5GB in the Windows Setting (when you hit F2 on startup).
The other thing I noticed is that when both 1GB sticks are installed and you hit F2 on startup and go to the Memory info, it does show that there are two 1GB sticks installed, but lists the total RAM as 1GB on that screen.
We have another machine with this same RAM, and the RAM works fine there.
Any advice on how to fix this?
khisel
41 Posts
0
October 6th, 2009 20:00
I had the same issue--trying to add a 1G stick to my Optiplex 320 and still being "stuck" at 1G. After a bunch of unproductive time with an el Salvador Dell rep who tried to tell me that the 320 is only compatible with 533 (when it was running fine with one stick of 667) I have finally solved how to get 2G to work.
It seems that the BIOS does not like to mix RAM densities or perhaps speed. Once I matched both, I got both sticks to be recognized by XP. The density theory was from a Crucial rep and I think it turned out she was right. The original stick had 8 chips (low density?) and the new stick only had 4 (high density?). Once I pulled the low density (original) stick and went with two. new 4-chip sticks the BIOS and XP were both happy. As a bonus the RAM is now running at 667 which might be imperceptibly faster.
So, when the manual advises to add memory in matched sets, it ain't messing around.
Savela11
1 Message
0
October 21st, 2009 08:00
I have the issue where I have tried 2 different types of ram trying to get 2gb in my optiplex 320 with no luck. The Dell reps are not helpful at all as they both recommended ram that does not work with this system. The first type of ram allowed a bootup but only showed 1gig or 900 something. The second attempt the system would not even turn on with the new ram. Has this issue been resolved can anyone point me in the right direction for the correct RAM upgrade for the optiplex 320 maximum of 2gb of ram.
Hansol123
4 Posts
0
October 22nd, 2009 00:00
Our machines were delivered by Dell with 2 * 1gb chips and work ok.
Our problem is that we tried to upgrade to 2 * 2gb chips from Crucial but failed to find a working configuration. The chips were returned to Crucial who were unable to resolve the problem.
walkerc2
1 Message
0
January 19th, 2010 14:00
I had the same issue with the ram. I bought a 1GB PC5300 DDR2-667 Kingston stick thinking that it would have to be the same as what was already in my system. When booted I noticed the same 992MB of RAM instead of the 2GB I was expecting. After a "Chat" with Dell (painful experience) I finally phoned them and got routed around and finally ended up with a gentleman from South America. He spouted about the RAM not being compatible and all of the other things you expect from Dell. When I would not let him off the hook and told him to dig further he found something about the 320 only working in Single Channel mode. My 320 is only a year or 2 old so I thought that to be kind of funny. Well low and behold the problem is that in Single Channel mode if they are both the same speed (667mhz) one would cancel out the other. I pulled a 1GB PC6400 out of a brand new Optiplex 720 and stuck it in the system with Kingston that I bought and it worked. I now have 2GB of RAM running at 667mhz. Now I will have to see what kind of performance hit I get on the Optiplex 720 running a slower mhz stick....
rch3
7 Posts
0
December 22nd, 2010 13:00
I installed a new 1GB and BIOS saw both sticks but the 'Installed Memory' was still 1GB.
Problem was the new stick and the old did not match perfectly. I installed another new 1GB (had several for other PCs) and the pair of new 1GB was recognized.
So look for mismatch (speed, CL, ?) if it can't recognize all installed RAM.
Pismo10
7 Posts
0
December 22nd, 2010 16:00
I learned 2 things from this experience
1) The two memory sticks need to match exactly. Buy 2 of them and throw away the original.
2) Dell support is fairly useless as Dell support person "ChrisM's" reply to this problem on this thread clearly shows...
ClosePC
2 Posts
0
October 19th, 2011 09:00
Updating the chipset and bios had no effect on this issue for me. Since my 2nd stick of RAM was not a perfect match to the original I took
2 Crucial 1GB 240pin 128Mx64 DDR2 sticks and the problem was SOLVED!! :)
clintwilks
1 Message
0
March 5th, 2012 14:00
just tried installing new memory in my optiplex 320 and had the exact same problems listed here when using on board video and when using my geforce gt 430 and other graphics cards too. i even went and got the kingston pc 4200 1gig 533mhz stick identical to the one it shipped with...doesnt work, yet my bios detects both dimm1 and dimm3 occupied with 1gb sticks (specs of each stick match perfectly in bios setup also). what am i supposed to do? any fixes?
speedstep
11 Legend
•
47K Posts
0
March 19th, 2012 08:00
PC4200 is TOO SLOW. 1 Stick works because its in fallback mode. Dual channel mode uses a faster clock.
ATI Radeon EXPRESS 1100 chipset steals Ram to use for the Video running at 333mhz.
Recommended Upgrade
DDR2 PC2-5300 • CL=5 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR2-667 • 1.8V • 256Meg x 64 • • Part #: CT917856
(MHz)
(ns)
(MHz)
(MT/s)
(MB/s)
(CL-tRCD-tRP)
(ns)
DDR2-400C
4-4-4
20
DDR2-533C
4-4-4
15
DDR2-667D
5-5-5
15
DDR2-800D
DDR2-800E
5-5-5
6-6-6
12½
15
DDR2-1066F
7-7-7
13⅛
DCWalton2
2 Posts
0
March 19th, 2012 08:00
I can only get it to recognize 1 GB 4200. Each chip works each slot works
DCWalton2
2 Posts
0
March 19th, 2012 08:00
I put in 2 1 GB PC2-5300U -555 chips and upgraded bios - it worked
Pismo10
7 Posts
0
March 19th, 2012 14:00
I think the bios upgrade is the key.
Every type of memory i put in my dell 4550 does not work. I think I need to upgrade the bios.
thajuicilous1
1 Message
0
August 29th, 2013 12:00
:emotion-45:
I know this thread is 4 years old but the information posted here is not accurate. This system while on a 64-bit Windows 7 OS will read 3.5 gigs with a useable amount of 3.22g with 4 gigs of 667mhz ram. Inside the BIOS it will read and post 2 2 gig sticks in each slot but report a total of 3.5g. The latest bios still will not push the correct amount of RAM to the OS. It is correct a BIOS update would be needed to fix this but as posted below it would seem DELL cannot be bothered with that. For the record for those of you still wanting to run more then 3g on this machine it can be done. Just not the full 4g.
Thanks,
:emotion-11: