Elite 8300 sff won't boot with 4 RAM slots filled

[Steben1]

Hi.

After upgrading from 8gb ram (2x4gb) to 16gb (4x4gb), my pc won't start at all, and outputs a serie of 4 or 5 beeps.

I actually hear it trying to boot repeatedly every 1 or 2 seconds.

I can't even access the bios (updated to v03)

I thoroughly checked each ram stick, and slot combination: they all work individually in every slot, or by pairs (slots 1 & 3 or slots 2 & 4), but not when I insert the 4 sticks at the same time.

I also checked installing them in different order in the 4 slots (incrementally then decrementally with their serial number, or randomly)

Of course they are all the same make and model, come from the same batch and I chose them according to the HP recommended specs:

Corsair 4GB DDR3 Value Select PC3-12800 1600MHZ - voltage 1.5V

Thank you for your help and happy new year!

Stephane

[CF4]

Hi

The 'manual' gives the following...

Memory
CMT, MT, SFF	1600-MHz non-ECC DDR3 SDRAM; (4) DIMM slots enabling up to 32GB
USDT	1600-MHz non-ECC DDR3 SDRAM; (2) SO-DIMM slots enabling up to 16GB

and it would seem you have the correct combination.

Nothing in the manual (http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03612798) contradicts your choice or method.

[Steben1]

Hi,

Thanks for your confirmation. That does not solve my problem though... 😉

Have a nice day

Stephane

[CF4]

Hi

I know,

but it suggests a faulty Main Board or Dodgy RAM.

The Beep codes do indicate a hardware error.

[Steben1]

Hi again, CF4

Thanks for your reply.

Regarding the mainboard, I have several identical workstations here.

I tried the ram on 3 of them and got the same results - no one starts with the four slots filled, one station doesn't output any beep at all though -

They all continuously start for a second, stop for a second, and so on in a never-ending loop until I plug the power cord out.

The only thing I am thinking of might be a lack of power when the 4 slots are filled, but there is no extra molex or power source available on the provided power supply...

Regarding ram being dodgy, could it be the case knowing that each and every stick works fine individually or in pair on each and every slot?

[CF4 · Accepted solution]

Hi

Like you I am clutching at straws.

The other thing is a single sided socket, but that is a ridiculous thought.

PSU, disconnect CD and HD drives, even keyboard and mouse (that makes it tricky to access BIOS).

If you have enough workstations then can you fill all 4 slots with memory 'borrowed' from the other workstations?

Even if it is not 4 x 4, 4 x 2 or even 2 x2 & 2 x1 to try and prove the whether 4 slots work meaning you are not using this Crucial memory in the test?

Maybe HP made a mistake with the BIOS or Board and not you.

I use Piriform Speccy.

[Steben1]

Hi CF4,

getting back very late to your answer, sorry about that.

Actually borrowing ram from other similar workstations worked, so there is an incompatibility using 4x 4gb of the Corsair ram I bought in these Elite 8300 sff workstations at the same time.- unfortunately undocumented and impossible to guess before buying ---

2x 4gb sticks work just fine, 4 won't. I tried it in several workstations.

Thank you again for your trial and error help, and also for the Piriform Speccy tip, this is a nice little tool!

All the best,

Stephane

[CF4]

Prego.

[Steben1]

Hey avgcomretail,

Your post is totally irrelevant to my problem or the specific topic whatsoever .

Looks like a good old commercial troll/spam  😞