Pavilion dv7-4180us RAM Upgrade

[digivictim]

Pricey Pavilion dv7-4180us laptop with endless problems starting with overheating - a known major design fault of this machine, but not the present issue at hand. Desperately needs more RAM! What engineer thought that 4G of RAM could possibly be enough when the unit as equipped from the factory with W7 64 bit takes almost 1.9G of that RAM just to operate?

Have gone through a good deal of agony with this unit for years already and two trips to Micro Center recently  have not fixed this. The equipped RAM is 2 x 2G 1330. Micro C insists that the DDR3L - 1600 x 2 (matched pair, L being 1.3V low voltage that I do not see any mention of in other model question/answers for other dv7 models on this forum) is the correct and best replacement but no combination or attempt will boot up. BIOS does recognize the 8G installed but repeated tries to boot it up result in failure starting with wanting to "repair bootup" (refused, start normally) and then freezing up with those awful fractured color bars. Or if repair allowed, starts to "load files" and stops with a blank screen (- no better).

Replacing the original 2 x 2G sticks requires repeated attempts to boot up after the 2 x 4G sticks but after a few tries it does "catch" and boots up and then works normally (that is, miserably as it has been for some time, but it does then work). So the problem must be a compatibility issue with the RAM, even if Micro C says it isn't or the computer is "cooked to FUBAR".

After a good deal of digging, I still have not found anywhere a mention of 1333 being the only thing that will work in it and a little more speed from 1600 in addition to a more reasonable amount of RAM room would be very welcome for this SLUG. Nor does the Micro C tech guy think that this should be the problem, given the unit definitely had corruptions resulting form the overheating from poor design. But if it is still willing to work with the original RAM, that should not be it.

Please HELP! HP has foisted this rather expensive machine on me (had few choices - I needed an eSATA jack!) and now I can't even effect a partial fix with more RAM, the only financially practical thing I can do at this time. Any program of more than moderate density crashes it after it tries to share HDD space to make up for the poor RAM design.

So, to repeat, MUST this use only 1333?? This is the only thing that seems to be left to try, and I don't have that on hand to find out without another long trip to MicroC.  Also, is the "L" low-V version correct for this as Micro-Center "knowledge" readout says? (Should be, or the BIOS should not be able to see it, I would expect, but to cover all bases...)

TIA for you help, assuming this will fix at least this problem!

digivictim

[CherylG]

Crucial lists DDR3 PC3-12800 • CL=11 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1600 • 1.35V  as compatible. I have never experienced an error with their memory upgrade recommendations,

http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-upgrade-for/HP-Compaq/pavilion-dv7-4180us

 Actually an SSD might offer more speed than increasing memory.

[digivictim]

Cheryl,

Thank you for the reply BUT a pair of Crucial 4G sticks of that model  are laying in front of me and did not work. Funny you should mention precisely the brand I tried I tried, AND because Crucial, which Micro Center likes to sell, is the model  they listed as the right thing. But were not, apparently.

At least it seems to be (and the MC handed me those, theoretically correct) but my package of them actually precisely reads:

2-4G DDR3L-1600 SODIMM 1.35V CL11

I do not see anything about "PC-3-12800" or "unbuffered, NON-ECC" on the package but have no means of determining if this represents any departure from what you quote or they sold me after a half hour or more with their manager and a tech expert working on the machine, so they were not being casual about the choice. I spent lots more time at home trying pretty much everything I could think of to get it to boot up after the MC pro didn't have any luck either. I took it home with the 4G sticks in it due to the intent to put more time into trying to get it to "catch" as it does after "fritzing incidents" with the original sticks than the store folks could practically spend. And had to put the originals back in. They worked as described.

Oh, yes, I would dearly love to have an SSD in there - this is primarily a music-meant comp (why I needed an eSATA jack - audiophile results needed) and that's the way to go BUT I would also dearly love to be driving a 60's bugeye Ferrari Dino, but can't afford that at this time, either! However, this would not solve the problem, anyway, and would have to be the NEXT thing to do, and not first. There's just no getting around not having enough RAM. No amount of HDD speed can help if there is just not enough RAM room to let it work - first.

Again, thank you for replying. Do you have any other suggestions, about the 1333/1600 compatibility? I have to think that this has to be the real root issue given the factors laid out in my original post. I am trying to determine what to do when I make yet another time consuming trip to MC, if only to return these. Or to do in general, other than to adjust the laptop with a sledgehammer (and it cost me $1,200, with equally expensive 17" carrying case 7 years ago when that was quite a lot for a laptop, and is still for me), which is the point HP has driven me to, and I know from research that I am not alone in this vav the Pavilion line with its serious overheating problem.

digivictim

[CherylG]

Perhaps @Huffer has some ideas and will pop in tomorrow.

[digivictim]

P.S.-

As you may have surmised, I have not been the student this website somehow chose to label me with no option I can see to correct that, for over 45 years now. I am quite at the other end of one's lifespan. You've heard of attempting to live on a fixed income? I am attempting to live on a broken one due to circumstances beyond the scope of this forum to discuss. And I really need this laptop to work. Not even a matter of money! There simply aren't any new laptops around any more with eSATA jacks, and I need this to be portable.

Is there an HP tech out there who can definitively answer the 1333/1600 question, specifically? I would appreciate it very much.

digivictim

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Its a first gen Intel Core i5 processor and these are the most finicky on memory. 

DDR3, 1333-MHz  Supports dual-channel support  Supports up to 8 GB of system RAM

That is from p. 3 of the Service Manual here:

Manual

Crucial, Kingston, etc. will spec more recent DDR3L-1600 and it theoretically SHOULD work, because the 1600 will just downclock to 1333 and the 1.35 volt memory will run at 1.5 volts. However, this generation of laptops needs its specified 1.5 volt DDR3-1333 and it has to be low density with 8 black blocks on the side of the module, not 4. Anything else will cause problems or just refuse to POST.  

4-GB memory module 599092-001

https://www.amazon.com/599092-001-Hewlett-Packard-1333mhz-Pc3-10600-Sodimm/dp/B00DUGHZ3G/ref=sr_1_3?...

Unfortunately memory has spiked up again in price recently. Crucial should accept return of the memory you purchased. 

If this is "the Answer" please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find it. 

[digivictim]

Thank you for the info, Huffer!

These are indeed the missing pieces of info I needed - that 1600 would NOT work, and the 1.5V. Seven years of problems with it and just my luck this thing is the finickiest PITA around! The rest (the possible downclocking) I knew but nowhere could I find the crucial (excuse the pun please) exclusionary information!

I will be happy to "click Accept as Solution"...if I could find where to do that! I see only 3 boxes to click, and none of them is that...wait, I opened another window to quote precisely what those boxes say and found a fourth for that that was not there until I was in mid-reply. The site programmer did not think this through very well for newbies to the site. Will do, but perhaps after I see that the problem is actually solved. As things have gone with this PITA-devil-machine, nothing is ever assured aside from endless and varied troubles! I will be happy to add another kudo to the one I already see as well, immerdiately, and consider this proof that this info should always have been spelled out properly by HP, and known by Crucial!

Yes, MC will accept the return of the incorredtly specified sticks - I was already guaranteed that.

The remaining problem is acquiring a pair of them as it looks like what few there may be are disappearing (?), and the link you give is indeed considerably (50%) pricier than the ones I bought. This leaves (me) the question of whether the other four much cheaper 1333 cross-links on that page:

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-PC3-10600-1333MHz-SO-DIMM-Upgrade/dp/B003XN3BZC/ref=pd_sbs_147_1?_enc...

https://www.amazon.com/HP-VH641AT-4-GB-DDR3-PC3-10600/dp/B0030L3B8E/ref=pd_sbs_147_3?_encoding=UTF8&...

https://www.amazon.com/621569-001-4GB-1333MHz-PC3-10600-SODIMM/dp/B005UF674S/ref=pd_sbs_147_6?_encod...

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-M471B5273DH0-CH9-DDR3-1333MHZ-SO-DIMM/dp/B0051SQYBU/ref=pd_sbs_147_7?...

are usable as the voltage is not specified. Not in pairs, either, two from Samsung and two from HP - which would seem like a safer bet...except, of course, after my experience with HP and this lemon that reminds me of that old song - the Seven Year Ache...

Again, thanks much for this crucial (heh heh) information!

digivictim

[digivictim]

Huffer,

Addendum:

(Tried to do this last night but this site was [not properly] working - like my computer! - and vaporized the note almost done then would not "redirect properly" to let me back in.)

I want to get this at Micro Center since I have to drive there to return the wrong RAM anyway and want to return with the correct to make the trip practical. Determining the right one from their stock is difficult - even their (latest) OH tech center guy either couldn't really figure out if the store has what I need or not, or was being dense or lazy - though I have to say their search engine is hit/miss/or hopeless.

This left one spec not yet covered: some are "CL9", some are "CL11" (latency?) that may fit, and some are "for Apple" but either 1.35V or not specified. So...does the CL designation matter - not mentioned above - and can the Apple designated ones work, given how insular Apple is about their stuff?

This, as best as I can tell, is the only thing in stock that looks like it should work, but is not HP (Centon), and there has been no answer as to the cheaper ones at the bottom of the previously suggested link:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/363854/4GB_DDR3-1333_SO-DIMM_Notebook_Memory_Module

Will it?

Again, Tx a bunch for the help!

digivictim 

(Over ten hours into trying to get this simple thing done and third road trip coming. PAINFULLY expensive laptop!)

[Huffer]

DDR3-1333 1.5 volt low density (2 rows x 4 on a side of the module) and CL=9 are the key specs. The Centon looks good but so do the other cheaper ones you linked. 

[digivictim]

Huffer,

TX!

Will do the accept answer thing as soon as this difficult and painfully costly in every which possible way Beelzebyte-Beast boots up.

digivictim... with one foot and four toes in the grave, and hair torn out, from this torture...