Resolved Adding RAM Memory causing freeze up

Hi, I have an XP Pro computer (socket 939) that has 4 DIMM slots with 2 containing 1Gb sticks. I decided to re-install XP and add 2x1Gb more of RAM (max). The two new sticks are the exact same Brand, spec, etc as existing. However, it will not get beyond the first part of the boot up without freezing up. It stops after it accurately indicates memory and drives, and then says what the mobo is.

Now, this Opteron 165 is overclocked and has worked perfectly for 5 years without a single hiccup. Any suggestions on what is causing this? Thanks.

 

Bad stick of RAM comes to mind. Put the original sticks back in. You can add RAM anytime.

 

Hmm. I took out the new ones already. I will try a swap next to see if it runs on the 2 new ones alone.

 

Hi LarryB, 32 bit XP won't go any better with 4GB - it will go just as well with 3GB's. As MrBill has suggested try i GB at a time to see which one might be faulty. Neil.

 

I urge you to return the clock settings to the defaults while troubleshooting this problem.

Then I would urge you to stop using XP before your system becomes a threat to you, or worse, a threat to the rest of us.

 

Well noted Bill. I'd missed that little point in his System Details.
LarryB, your motherboard manual would have stated usual warnings that Over Clocking can cause instability. Neil.

 

I upfront mentioned in the first message that I have oc'd it!! I asked if adding RAM can be an issue for the computer. I know what the warnings are. I just need some insight as the possible/likely causes and I have gotten some good ideas. Thanks to those contributors. I just need to get back to the computer in question to ck it out. It's at a relative's house.

 

Yes, but the point is, overclocking CAN cause problems when adding new RAM - even if the system ran fine OC'ed before adding RAM. Overclocking messes with voltages, increases demands on the power supply and motherboard voltage divider and regulator circuits, and overclocking increases demands on system cooling.

When solving any problem that does not have an obvious cause, you need to eliminate the variables until you have isolated the cause. So to eliminate overclocking from the equation, return the clock setting back to the default settings.

 

Makes sense. Thanks for addressing the o.c. issue.

 

It is beginning to look more and more like I need to dump this box and move on. Between issues such as this and the fact that it is a slow, old technology (Win 7 or 8 will just overpower it over time), maybe it is time to say adieu.

I appreciate all your efforts. Sometimes the fix is actually found between the lines of text and not in them.

 

I think that is a great idea. New operating systems will support old hardware (to a point) but new operating systems thrive and excel on today's hardware - if not under resourced.

That means get W8. W7 was and still is an excellent OS, but it is already pushing 5 years old!!!! Installing W7 on new hardware today is fast forwarding your system into early retirement, and into the same situation XP is in today.

It is easy to make W8 look, feel and behave like W7 with Start8. $5 but well worth it, IMO. Popular alternatives include Classic Shell, StartIsBack ($3), and Pokki.

Bottom line: W8 is more secure! And faster - especially with today's hardware. 'Nuff said on that.

Just be sure to get 64-bit and gobs of RAM. I recommend 8Gb bare minimum for a dual-channel motherboard (6 for triple). But 16Gb would be better. Not twice as good as 8, but better. It is MUCH better and cheaper to buy "more than you will ever need" now, than trying to find compatible RAM 2 or 3 years from now when decide to upgrade.

If you have to cut back on the budget somewhere, do it in your CPU. Gobs of RAM is much more important than a faster CPU - though I would ensure a quad or you will restrict Windows 8. If considering a 6 core, then consider even more RAM - but frankly 4-cores is plenty, with gobs of RAM of course! If the CPU, any CPU has gobs of RAM to play in, to shuffle data into and out of (instead of a slooowwww hard drive, or even a sloowww SSD), the CPU will have all the room it needs to fully stretch out, instead of "waiting" for data to be retrieved, perhaps again and again. Data that should have been right at hand.

This is important when handing off tasks too - like graphics tasks. If the budget was tight, I would rather have better graphics than a better CPU.

The more capable the graphics solution, the less "crunching" the CPU has to do, and the more it can just hand off tasks to the graphics solution. More and more of today's computing is graphics intensive. But it takes very little CPU horsepower to hand off tasks.

Do NOT skimp on the budget with the PSU. You wouldn't put no-name gasoline from the corner Tobacco Hut in your new Porsche, don't do it to your high-speed digital electronics and it will love you for it. Below is my canned text on sizing and selecting a good PSU.

Then as soon as budget permits, get a "good" 1500VA UPS with AVR. That will protect and provide several minutes of backup power to your computer and "2" or even "3" 24 inch LCD monitors, and all your network gear too. Surge and spike protectors are inadequate and little more than fancy, expensive extension cords.

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Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your minimum and recommended power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plan ahead and plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, BluRay drive, etc.).

I recommend setting Capacitor Aging to at least 10% and setting both TDP and system load to 100%. These steps ensure the recommended supply has adequate head room for stress free (and perhaps quieter! ) operation, as well as future hardware demands. Setting Capacitor Aging to 30% will provide an even nicer amount of headroom.

And remember, if the computer's components need 300 watts, they will draw 300 watts from the PSU regardless if the PSU is a 400W, 650W, or 1000W PSU. In turn, the PSU, regardless its size, will draw from the wall only what it needs to support the computer; 300 watts plus another 45 "“ 90 watts (lost in the form of heat), depending on the PSU’s inefficiency.

Buying way too big hurts only the budget. Extra is better, excessive is not. But do make sure you buy a supply from a reputable maker and that it is 80 PLUS certified to ensure at least an 85% "flat" efficiency rating "across all" realistic loads. I prefer Corsair and Antec PSUs. ​

 

Bill, thanks for the treatise. I will print that out and keep it forever!!

One important thing that I did not mention (for the sake of brevity) is that the reason I have been trying to rehab my Opteron Dual Core is that it is for my 96 year old father in law who only surfs and checks email. His current Dell has an E8200 CPU with 4Gb RAM and it has just gotten dog slow as old computers are want to do. Often, I thought that just an OS re-install is all that is needed. So, I was trying to get my Opteron up and running and just do a straight swap out to eliminate downtime for him and eliminate the need for any type of learning curve. I thought that upping my RAM from 2GB to 4GB would just be a nice thing to do.

Those are the needs driving my original query. Any thoughts?

 

I can certainly understand that. Our seniors want desperately to stay in contact with their families. Sadly, XP, which so many are used to, is just not safe enough - and sadly too is these seniors are often targeted by the badguys.

To make matters worse for many is they were used to Outlook Express - which is no longer available. So in addition to learning a new OS, they must also learn a new email program - not to mention all the hassles of exporting and importing (if possible) all their email contacts and messages they don't want to lose.

Upping from 2Gb to 4 would be nice - if it worked.