[SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

Malikos · 2016-11-04 16:25:28

Hi,

I have a problem with laptop after RAM upgrade.

I have vpcz12v9e laptop and it's specs say that it handles ddr3 1066 MHz with a maximum of 8 GB.

I bought two of them (2x4 GB, used) and laptop recognizes them well but it has problems with starting OS. It freezes just before GUI starts.

Sometimes it starts but then weird things happen like chrome cards crash regularly or keyboard doesn't work.

The thing is that I used to have ddr3 1333 MHz from another laptop and they worked well. So I don't know if the new RAM is broken or if my laptop should have 1333 mhz (however I doubt that Sony did a mistake in specifications).

Any help or suggestions?

Maybe something should be done after upgrading? Is RAM just plug and play?

Last edited by Malikos (2016-11-05 20:58:27)

ewaller · 2016-11-04 16:56:31

Sounds like the RAM is not up to the task. I shall reserve my comments about Sony. Have you tried a RAM test from whatever boot loader you are using?

Malikos · 2016-11-04 17:00:05

I ran it for about 10 mins and there were no errors.
I know that it should go for longer but how long?

12 hours (which I saw somewhere) is not really an option because laptop is rather old (but still nice) and I'm afraid that it'll die during such long test where temps are approx 90 deg.

R00KIE · 2016-11-04 17:13:10

I would let memtest run until it can do all passes at least 3 or 4 times without any problems, that will not be an assurance that the ram is fine but it should at least discard the possibility of easy to trigger problems.

Malikos · 2016-11-04 17:33:56

Okay, memtest showed over 300 errors just after 20 mins of tests.

So I think that's it? Conclusion is: I bought a crap?

frank604 · 2016-11-04 17:42:01

My ma used to say, "if it looks like crap, smells like crap, feels like crap, do you really need to taste it to know its crap?"

mpan · 2016-11-04 18:09:51

Malikos:
Not necessarily crap.

What are these sticks? The exact, full model number and the vendor. Don’t they require higher voltages to run?
Check if voltages in your computer are ok, especially with high load.

Malikos · 2016-11-04 18:21:14

https://s4.postimg.org/om6f8nqh9/a2e707 … a93a42.jpg
I've bought these two. I searched through net but couldn't find the voltage for these chips. However the same types (D3S1066/4G) from other manufacturers require 1.5 V.

"dmidecode -t 17" doesn't say anything about the actual voltage on my laptop, any other way to check this?

Last edited by Malikos (2016-11-04 18:21:30)

mich41 · 2016-11-04 18:31:22

It's a laptop, you can't measure RAM voltage without taking it apart and I don't think anybody makes fancy gaming laptop RAM sticks with unusual voltage requirements. They almost certainly are standard 1.5V. I agree that it looks and tastes like crap.

The thing is that I used to have ddr3 1333 MHz from another laptop and they worked well. So I don't know if the new RAM is broken or if my laptop should have 1333 mhz (however I doubt that Sony did a mistake in specifications).
Maybe something should be done after upgrading? Is RAM just plug and play?

I doubt they would make such mistake. And RAM is supposed to be plug and play - it contains a flash chip with all information needed by the BIOS to configure it correctly, including supported frequency. 1066M RAM in 1333M system would just run at 1066M unless the BIOS is unusually awfully buggy.

ewaller · 2016-11-05 00:42:14

mich41 wrote:

... unless the BIOS is unusually awfully buggy.

Most manufacturers have no vested interest in getting this right; it worked with OEM parts that were with the machine when they shipped it.

mpan · 2016-11-05 00:58:40

Malikos wrote:

I've bought these two. I searched through net but couldn't find the voltage for these chips. However the same types (D3S1066/4G) from other manufacturers require 1.5 V.

1.5V is the standard, so nothing fancy here. Also I doubt that no-name sticks would require higher voltage.

Malikos wrote:

"dmidecode -t 17" doesn't say anything about the actual voltage on my laptop, any other way to check this?

See lm_sensors and its sensors command. If RAM voltage is around 1.5V, it seems like indeed the sticks are crap.

mich41 wrote:

It's a laptop, you can't measure RAM voltage without taking it apart

While it’s overhelmingly common for laptops to not measure voltages, it’s not impossible. I just want to help OP to avoid wasting his effort, time and money, if the problem is not in the sticks, but in the voltage regulators. Checking up voltages and — at worst — learning that they’re not exposed on their laptop is a better option than going through the process of reporting sticks, sending them back and finally being notified that the sticks are ok, isn’t it?

mich41 wrote:

and I don't think anybody makes fancy gaming laptop RAM sticks with unusual voltage requirements.

Kind of offtopic for the thread considering that what OP said confirms that these are just standard sticks, but just to make things clear: yes, no one makes fancy gaming RAM for laptop. The same is true for PCs. “Gaming” RAM is not produced as such. It’s just a side effect of binning, used as a marketing device. Because of the target of laptops, I doubt any vendor advertises their sticks as “gaming”, but agaig — just making sure OP will not make fool of themself by reporting a perfectly fine product.

R00KIE · 2016-11-05 01:17:48

Have you tried testing only one dimm at a time? I suppose you bought two matched dimms because the laptop had less ram, how much and which configuration?

If it turns how only one dimm is faulty you could try using it together with the known good dimm you already had.

seth · 2016-11-05 08:35:04

Do you have any memory related settings in BIOS (It's not an EFI system, is it)? like timings and/or frequency?

Malikos · 2016-11-05 21:05:35

@seth Nope, nothing fancy there. I have a "hacked" bios (there were problems with discrete GPU) and there is an awful lot of setting but nothing related to RAM.

@R00KIE Of course you are right

Thanks everybody for help.

In the end, as R00KIE suggested I checked these chips separately and it turns out that one is broken, and one is working.
The old 2 GB is as for now working well with the "new" 4 GB, so I didn't completely loose on that deal, especially that the price wasn't high.

Last edited by Malikos (2016-11-05 21:32:52)

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#1 2016-11-04 16:25:28

[SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#2 2016-11-04 16:56:31

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#3 2016-11-04 17:00:05

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#4 2016-11-04 17:13:10

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#5 2016-11-04 17:33:56

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#6 2016-11-04 17:42:01

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#7 2016-11-04 18:09:51

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#8 2016-11-04 18:21:14

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#9 2016-11-04 18:31:22

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#10 2016-11-05 00:42:14

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#11 2016-11-05 00:58:40

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#12 2016-11-05 01:17:48

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#13 2016-11-05 08:35:04

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

#14 2016-11-05 21:05:35

Re: [SOLVED] RAM upgrade - laptop freezes

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