Can I use three sticks of RAM in my 500-056?

[Wynona]

I'm upgrading the RAM in my 500-056; it has one 8GB stick of PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600) that I will be replacing with two matched PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600) 8GB sticks.

I would like to know if I can keep using the old 8GB stick since they're alike in every way except for the brand name. Also, should I move it to another slot and put the matching sticks in its place (in the matching "blue" slots?

Thanks for any help.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

It depends.

Since I don't own your model PC, I don't know how it will respond when you only have an 8 GB chip in one channel and 2 x 8 GB chips in the other channel.

Some PC's will not boot up with that configuration, and some will work, but in 'flex mode.'

So what does this mean?

You want matching sizes of memory in the blue slots and/or the black slots.

So, definitely for starts, put the 2 matching 8 GB chips in the blue/black slots, and see what happens with the lone 8 GB chip in the other color slot.

I say this because looking at the picture of the motherboard for your PC, I notice the black slots are closest to the processor, and normally you need the black slot closest to the motherboard to be populated.

You can observe how the one memory chip is located now.

If it is in the black slot closest to the processor, then put your new memory in both of the black slots, and move the original memory to the blue slot closest to the processor.

If the PC works, you're good to go.

If not, the PC can't run in flex mode, and you will have to remove the original 8 GB memory chip until you can get another 8 GB chip to match with it.

Flex mode means the PC will work, but the memory will only run in SDR mode, not DDR mode, since one channel does not have matching size memory.

[Wynona]

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@Paul_Tikkanen wrote:

Hi:

You want matching sizes of memory in the blue slots and/or the black slots.

So, definitely for starts, put the 2 matching 8 GB chips in the blue/black slots, and see what happens with the lone 8 GB chip in the other color slot.

I say this because looking at the picture of the motherboard for your PC, I notice the black slots are closest to the processor, and normally you need the black slot closest to the motherboard to be populated.

You can observe how the one memory chip is located now.

If it is in the black slot closest to the processor, then put your new memory in both of the black slots, and move the original memory to the blue slot closest to the processor.

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1. There is a black slot closest to the processor, then a blue slot. The label closest to the processor says:

Dimm 2

Dimm 1 (being closest to the processor)

 2. The third slot is black and the fourth slot is blue. The label furthest from the processor says:

Dimm 4 (being farthest from the processor)

Dimm 3

I'm pretty sure that's as it should be; however, what is really strange is that the original 8GB stick is in what I am pretty sure is Dimm 4, when logic and what you've said tells me it should have been in Dimm 1.

I put the two new sticks into Dimm 2 and Dimm 4 because that's where the original stick was. The computer isn't starting any faster than it did before I added them.

I'm going back in and put them in Dimm 1 and Dimm 3 to see if that makes a difference.

[Wynona]

I changed the RAM from the blue slots to the black slots and she no worky! I got power and it looked like the computer would boot, but the monitor kept switching from HDMI to Analog, back and forth, but nothing ever came up, so I switched 'em back and they work.

So, I would say that something's off here.

So far, what I've been told by you and others, as well as what my own logical mind has told me, the RAM has to be in the blue slots (where the original stick was), although that doesn't seem to be the norm for "other" computers.

Going back in one or two more times to see if I can get the original stick to add 8GB to the 16GB I have. That would be a nice bonus.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Yes, it sounds like you need the memory to be in the blue slots if putting it in the black slots doesn't work.

If the 8 GB chip works in the black slot along with the other two in the blue slots, then you will have to leave it that way until you can add the 4th memory chip to the remaining black slot.

[Wynona]

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@Paul_Tikkanen wrote:

Yes, it sounds like you need the memory to be in the blue slots if putting it in the black slots doesn't work.

If the 8 GB chip works in the black slot along with the other two in the blue slots, then you will have to leave it that way until you can add the 4th memory chip to the remaining black slot.

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It worked! It worked! And Task Manager said I'm using 3.0GB of 23.9GB of Memory!

Thank you for your support and help.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.