Dell L702x RAM Slots issue !!!

Bay Wolf - I understand that you do not work for dell and I appreciate taking time to help others out.

Frankly I ahve been baited and switched on this. All indications both online and through the order system (no errors come up if I add a non-3d screen model to final online checkout) as well as all sales people I spoke with (and the who I eventually purchased from) show and say that I should be able to install 16GB of memory on this machine, but now i find out that I have been sent a machine with 2 DIMM slots disabled and MUST buy the $300 more model (plus be required to buy the $100 glasses!) to get what I was told I would be able to have from the beginning. This is not acceptable and I am going to consumerist.org with this.

Just noticed that the site was updated within the last two days. I, or someone, must have said something right to someone there. Now you can only select a memory configuration through the cart if you select the forced upgraded 3d screen. How in the hell is XPS even worth considering if 8GB is the maximum memory limit? But the marketing speak all still says 16GB is supported, everywhere. And I just pretended I wanted to buy a laptop and sure enough the sales rep said 16GB was possible. So apparently you still aren't safe from this scam if you order by phone/chat. Unreal.

I can confirm that on my laptop that is only 4 days old does not support more than 4GB memory in each slot. I am using Crucial 8GB sticks matched pair.

A14 bios.

This is abusive and disappointing, and I will not be purchasing from Dell home or Dell business, in which I have spent many thousands of dollars with even as recent as last month, ever again.

I hope it was worth it.

Mikelore: so you have tried 2 x 8 gb dimms and they didn't work?? what was the problem? how did it manifest?

Others in here have got 2 x 8GB to work.
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/p/19426345/20020261.aspx#20020261

The two sticks I have tried from crucial do not work. They aren't detected. I had to use 1 4GB stick that the laptop came with and it still didn't see the 8GB Crucial sticks when swapped. These work in an Asus laptop just fine. So obviously it has to be a certain chipset. But this is still irrelevant. I should not have to pay for memory twice if I want to go to 16GB when I was told that I can do so out of the box by adding another 8GB later. Instead I find out, I must upgrade to completely unrelated and useless parts, after the fact of buying the one without the 3d screen, in order to get what I was initially sold. This is, by definition, bait and switch.

What a run-around! I ordered one in October... all indications that I could upgrade to 16 GB. I wanted a desktop replacement that I could run several virtual machines on.... the more RAM the better. I finally got around to picking up an extra 8 GB (4GBx2) and was beginning to think I needed to get my eyes checked when I couldn't find the empty slots for the memory. Google lead me here... This smells like a bait and switch to me. There should be at aterisk anywhere 16 GB is mentioned to point you to the fine print that indicates what is required to support 16 GB of RAM because at no point did I see anything to indicate that the laptop I was purchasing did not have 4 memory slots. As someone else put it... Dell, I hope it was worth the few bucks you saved per motherboard at the cost of losing a repeat customer. The last laptop I had should have been the last Dell. It was an XPS M1210 which had the heat problem with the nvidia video card. Dealing with support was not a pleasant experience. I gave them the benefit of the doubt only to end up with being mislead and duped by information on their website and from their sales personnel. I'm sure they are "sorry for any inconvenience".

oh shoot. i too have fallen into this dellish trap. i was told 32gb max when i ordered my non 3d system. i made it plain to the salesperson that i used the computer to model 3d not watch it and that memory upgrade was very important to me. i ordered it initially with 2 4gb sticks. got it and fired up and went to crucial and it immediately told me 16gb 4 slots 2 empty. i called the umpteenth dell rep and they tell me to remove the back of my xps and after i had a bit of a time removing the cover afraid i was going to break the cheap plastic like cover i found an altered mb with the room for 4 slots but only 2 available. now i asked the rep if i can at least upgrade to 16gb and he says yes no problem that i just need to order 2 sticks of 8gb ram each. so then he tells me they don't make it so i tell him that i want to be sure if i use 2 8gb sticks there will be no problem he comes back and tells me that i can only use the 2 4gib stick 8gig max with my system that if i put 8gig sticks in it it will overheat and he tells me if i want more ram i gotta send back this one and pay more money. this all started november 23, 2011 and i'm still arguing with them of course they want me to send it back for a 3d system, their ONLY option and charge me more money or i can return for a full refund. i think their practices are unethical. i have spent i don't know how much of my time on this speaking to people in the US and India. i don't know what to do. i'd like some reassurance from others that 2 sticks of 8 gig will work in the non 3d model with no problem. again dell is telling me no on this although they at first said it was capable of 16gb i have the chat transcript.  they should know their products better. i was told 3 different things about the system and only taking the cover off was i assured it contained only 2 slots. THE DELL REP DID NOT EVEN KNOW. CRUCIAL.com was telling my 4 slots. it's really screwed up if you asked me. so please if some of you guys can assure me that your system working ok with 2 8gib sticks of ram for 16gb total with the 2 slot board. i really don't want to blow my system up. thank you ________________________________________________________ this is my second post i got deleted because i offended them....sorry dell

Well, I am highly annoyed to find out that my XPS, listed as allowing 16GB memory is actually limited to 8GB.   I've been eagerly awaiting my extra memory, and when I opened up the laptop, surprise, only 2 slots.  

That is false advertising!!!!

Any chance Dell will provide a way for me to upgrade?  This is my only computer now, and it is not like I can send it back and wait for a month to get a new laptop.  What are my options people ?

hey everyone yes Dell is screwed up.  i got my new dell xps l702x with scratches on the top but it is a nice laptop.  that was the first issue and then i went on crucial and it said had 4 slots but was only 16 gb upgradeable.  when i ordered the sales rep said 32gb max.  after spending countless hours speaking to this agent in US this agent in India this agent in who the freak knows...i was told 32 gb then i was told 16 gb then i was told 8 gb was max ram in my system because it did not have 3d screen and 8 gb was my limitation....this was hellish dellish's final answer from tech support and then i stated i saw where others in this forum that had been so knowingly mislead by this 'corporation' just went on a limb and stuck to 8 gb sticks in the 2 operational dimm slots only to find that they worked, but i tell you make sure you order the right stuff.  so i told dellish i would keep my system if they would assure me that 2 8 gb sticks would work without any problems.  they finally said yes that it would but that they are not offering the system like that for sale 'unless' you get the stupid 3d screen. **moneypigs**  then the tech guy went on to offer me 1 8 gig stick of ram for 350.00 each...he said it was alienware ram...whoopdeedo...that's 700 for 2 sticks of ram....talk about 'robbery'...listen to me people if your in the 1 percent then by all means pay hellish dellish for their freakin ram but if your barely making it like most people in the united states or whatever you want to call this place then order komputerbay brand ram off amazon.  i got 2 sticks for 109.00 and that was for both of them.   hellish dellish money pigs....   Komputerbay 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR3 PC3-10600 10666 1333MHz SODIMM 204-Pin Laptop Memory 9-9-9-25

works like a charm....109.00 people compared to 700.00  do the math or oops i forgot this is united states maybe you can't do the math...just use your 'credit card'...

Dell made a "one time exception" and issued an RMA. I haven't bought another laptop yet.

Actually the total amount of memory the XPS 17 3D can support is 32GB.. G.Skill sells the memory 16GB kit 2x8GB. :)

Also Kingston.com says supports 32GB when 8GB is available.

If the 2 DIMM motherboard uses the same bios and intel chipset as the 4 DIMM slot board it should be able to handle 16GB.

Okay ... so what do you think is the maximum that the version of the motherboard with only 2 DDR slots can handle?

I would hope I can replace the 2x4GB for 2x8GB ... but how would i know if the motherboard can handle it ?

Does anyone here have the 4 DIMM model to tell me what to look for ??

If i use CPU-z ... all i can see is that i have the  Sandy Bridge chipset.   what else do i need?