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Memory upgrade problem on my Dimension E521
I am running a Dimension E521, trying to upgrade from the original 2GB RAM to 4GB. I have six 1G Kingston DDR2 667Mhz PC2-5300 modules bought from MicroCenter. I have tried several combinations using matched pairs. The original Dells are both 533 and the Kingstons are all 667MHz, 1.8v. At the start I put two new modules into slots 3 & 4. I went to check the system information and it stated:
"Installed memory (RAM): 4.00 GB (2.00 GB usable)"
I then replaced the original Dell modules in slots 1&2 with the Kingstons and everthing booted up and worked fine at the 2GB level, verifying that it is a working pair.
I have swapped the pairs back and forth between slots 1&2 and 3&4 (using the original Dell modules in the other pair of slots) and always get the same message.
In the CMOS setup the only information is that for the Dell modules it reports the "rank" is 2 while in the Kingston is rank 1 (chips on one side of the module (1) or on both(2)).
I also upgraded with two new graphics cards, a 1GB GeForce 9600GT (1GB memory) and a eForce 6200 (512 MB memory).
The machine is working OK, but I wold like to get the advantage of maximum memory use.
I have not found any diagnostic to test the memory, I looked at memtest86 but my primary (bootable) CD is acting up (my next project) so I haven't tried that.
I worked the situation through in the Hardware Forum and the suggestion is that I check here to see if there is any consideration on the OS side. Again, it is a Dimension E521 running Windows 7, 32- bit, with an Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+ at 2.60Ghz.
Any ideas ?
Yesterday I went out and bought new memory to replace the original Dell. I got Crucial and installed it this morning. I took out the 1GB GeForce card and left the 512 GeForce in. The Setup showed four identical RAM modules and then the Computer Properties showed 4GB installed (as usual) and 3GB usable. I put my original Radeon card in (hoping at 256 it would not offset any additional memory) but the Computer Properties screen is not back to 2GB usable, same as it was with both GeForce cards.
I think it has to do with the 32 bit system only dealing with 4GB of memory and having to address the memory on the graphics cards, pulling down the mamory addressable on the system modules.
I have no idea how to get around this. I would think that motherboard memory is more valuable in running multiple windows than graphics card memory is in processing the content of the windows. My objective is running investment programs and investment charting websites, as having three screens available for this use. With my old setup (2GB memory and two screens on a Radeon card) I got a lot of dropped programs. No system crashes, but a lot of instances of Firefox dropping out and Fidelity (one program with ten internal windows) locking up.
fireberd
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Posted February 19th, 2010 11:00
Try resetting the BIOS and see if that helps. Power the PC off, remove the CR2032 battery on the motherboard for about 10 minutes. Reinstall and power on the PC.
Unless the hard drive has been replaced or the partition erased, there are Dell diagnostics on the hard drive accessed by F12 at boot up.
Finally, we have seen memory compatibility problems in many Dell's and there is no specific pattern - one brand may work in one PC and not another identical PC. For that reason, most of the techies on here suggest Crucial memory as it is one brand that is guaranteed to work in Dell's. Crucial Memory
It's not an OS problem. Windows will only "see" what the BIOS recognizes. Since the BIOS is only "sees" the 2GB that is what Windows will have available.