No boot after RAM upgrade

[Rick1963]

I checked the specs for my motherboard so I could upgrade the RAM. It came with 6GB and the specs say that with 64-bit Windows it will support up to 16GB if installed with four 4GB modules. It says the compatible RAM is DDR3 PC3 10600 1333MHz non-ECC. I ordered a matching set of four 4 GB modules at these specs and installed. When I tried to boot up the computer it powered on but no beeps and no boot. I removed one module at a time and tried to reboot each time and same result until I got to just one module. That time I got a BIOS screen and then the blue screen of death. 

I reseated the modules at least three times but no luck. When I put the original RAM back in it boots up no problem. I have updated the BIOS to the latest version I could find, version 5.15. The update worked but the RAM still didn't. I cleared the CMOS and rebooted and tried again but no luck. 

I really want this RAM increase and it makes no sense that it isn't working. Any help is appreciated.

"HP COMMUNITY TEAM NOTE"

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[Grzwacz]

Greetings,

Welcome to the forum.

I am not a HP employee.

Nice troubleshooting.

Some HP PCs need specific RAM modules.

The best place to get compatible RAM is Crucial Memory (Link).

Regrads

[Rick1963]

Thanks for the reply and the link. I'm suspicious of the fact that only one company's RAM will work on HP when others make theirs to the same specs. The Crucial scan suggested modules of 4GB at 12800 and 1600 MHz which is faster than the specs I found on HP's site for my unit. They say they guarantee compatibility but I'm not really interested in shipping back and forth if they don't work.

Do you know if Crucial does something different that the other manufacturers that makes their modules work on finicky HP units when others don't?

Thanks again for your time.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @Rick1963 

There is a line of HP business desktop PC's that are extremely hard to find the right memory for.

Namely the 8000 Elite and 8100 Elite series.

They must use low density memory, which usually is not listed as a specification.

I have the 8000 Elite, and installed 4 of these and they worked just fine.

You may want to order two and if they work, get the second pair.

https://www.newegg.com/patriot-4gb-240-pin-ddr3-sdram/p/N82E16820220480?Item=N82E16820220480

[Rick1963]

Thanks for your reply.

I contacted the company where I purchased the RAM. They took a look and said they had sent me 1.35v modules and that my unit used 1.5v modules. They sent the replacements and now the computer boots up so the voltage difference was the booting problem. The only problem now is that while System Properties finally recognize 16 GB of RAM installed, it shows only 5.18 GB usable. When I had 8 GB (4x4 GB) installed it recognized all 8 GB and had 7.x usable which is normal. Now with recognizing 16 GB I have less usable RAM than I did with half that amount.

The motherboard specs and say it can utilize up to 16 GB with 64-bit Windows. I have Windows 7 Home Premium which is supposed to be able to support 64 GB of RAM also. 

*Side note: I had upgraded to Win 10 before first attempting the RAM upgrade and then reverted back as part of my troubleshooting. I intend to reinstall Windows 10.

Any thoughts?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

You're very welcome.

The only suggestion I can offer would be to see if what I suggested to this other forum member also works for you...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-PCs-Workstations-and-Point-of-Sale-Systems/RAM-stuck-at-2-11G...

[Rick1963]

The Max Memory box was checked, I unchecked and rebooted. I now show 15.9 GB usable!

You're the man!

Thanks

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Glad to have been of assistance.

Unless you are restoring W10 from a backup image, here is how you can reinstall it...

You can click on the blue Update now button at the link below, or you can clean install W10 by making installation media at the link below.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

If you are asked to enter a product key during the installation process, select the 'I don't have a product key' option and W10 will install and automatically activate once you are connected to the internet.