is my new memory faulty. read the symptoms in the message please

Question

i recently got 512mb of pc 2100 ram for my inspiron 8500. now i have 768mb. since i put the ram in my machine 2-3 weeks ago, ive had 3-4 blue screens adn memory dumps. now most of the time the laptop runs perfect. its just rarely i get theese worrying blue screens. if the memory was faulty would i be getting more blue screens?i mostly play games. i was playing 'unreal 2 : the awakening' last nite for 7 hours,and i only got 1 blue screen. would a fresh instillation of windows fix the prob?ive been meaning to do this for a while anyway as the instillation i have is well over a year old and getting kinda slow. any input would be appriciated. thanks all

ejn63 · Answer

Download memtest86 and test the RAM (www.memtest86.com) ... or use the Dell diagnostics to do the same thing.

schmintan · Answer

i used memtest86 on a different pc at work and it left my pc un bootable. the only thing i could do to fix it was reset the CMOS and reinstall Windows so im not to happy about using that. where can i find the dell memory diagnostics and is there a user manual as i looked at it briefly before and found it difficult to use as i dont understand all the words and terms in it.

ejn63 · Answer

How could memtest86, which doesn't run from your hard drive but rather a floppy or CD-ROM, have done anything to your hard drive's Windows installation? It never modifies anything on your hard drive at all.

The Dell diagnostics are accessible on the hard drive (press F12 at boot), or you can boot from the blue-labeled "Diaganostic and utilities" cd that came with the system.

Did you buy RAM spec'd for your system (i.e., Crucial, Kingston above ValueRAM junk, etc.), or just generic PC2100 RAM?

Message Edited by ejn63 on 08-06-2004 07:20 AM

schmintan · Answer

i got generic ram, its brand is DataRam. its to the exact spec of the ram my machine requires though.

EkinNYC2k1 · Answer

thats the problem. Dell is notoriously finicky with RAM. There is never any guarantee that each stick of ram is made the same, even though its all PC2100 (for example). If you order from sites such as Crucial, and use their memory configurator, you are given a guarantee on the ram. generic ram however is always a gamble. its most likely a faulty module. if you can return it, do so, and order from crucial.

schmintan · Answer

yea, looked into it and the ram is designed for compaq. rats. cant return the ram either. looks like im buggered.such a kick in the privates. thanks for the help

EkinNYC2k1 · Answer

sell it on ebay... im sure you will be able to get your money back (at least some of it) by selling it to someone. then, use the money to buy crucial ram. ive heard of other brands working fine with Dell, such as kingmax and DaneElec, which i personally use. however, i would stick to crucial if i were you. the 2100 sticks wont cost you alot. good luck.

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