Ram doesnt appear to work.

[DarkenedHeart]

Ok i just bought a Kingston 1gb ddr2 667mhz ram to go with my other stick of ram which is exactly the same.
Well the only difference appears to be the chipset, on the new one it looks as though its elpida but on the current one it just says kingston on the chips.

When i put them both in though and turn on the computer i get 1 long beep, followed by 2 short beeps.
when i have just the new one in on its own the computer starts to load but then stop with no beeps. But when its just the old one on its own, it works fine.

I thought i would try here before i assume its faulty ram. What is also odd is i checked a site for asus beep codes and 1 long beep followed by 2 shorts is supposed to mean there is a video adapter error.

I dont think its a lack of power as i have a 500w PSU.
And yes before you ask, i did take anti-static precautions.

Any help is appreciated?

[Crafty]

What happens if you take the old ram out and place the new stick of ram where the old one was.

There is a bit of difference between the brand you have mentioned, and other ones such as Corsair and Kingston. These are reputuble and very good manufacturers of RAM and will almost certainly work in most computers. Other, cheaper brands may not work, because of compatibility differences.

[Eg0Death]

What motherboard do you have?  Is it set up to run the RAM in dual channel?  Do both sticks of RAM have the same latency? 

If the motherboard has dual channel enabled but the sticks have different latency, issues will most likely occur.

[DarkenedHeart]

@ Crafty, like i said in my main post, if i have just the new stick in the computer starts but then stops but does not bleep. Nothing is shown on the screen.

Looking in the manual, it does not mention that elpida 1gb is a 'qualified vendor' but 1gb kingston is. I was sold this under the impression that this was kingston?

@ Eg0Death, My MoBo is Asus M2V-MX SE. I have no idea if dual channel is enabled, think its on auto but will have to check. And i assume they are both the same latency. They are both 667Mhz DDR2 PC2-5300.

[Crafty]

Then I belive it is your ram. Try a better brand like I have already mentioned. If you have placed the new ram where the old ram was, then it should work like the old ram.

[Eg0Death]

I suggest you check www.asus.com for their Qualified Vendors List regarding RAM.  This lists the memory modules that have been tested and qualified for use with that motherboard.

According to the manual, your motherboard has dual channel capability.  If it's set to auto the board may detect that both sticks of RAM are the same speed and attempt to use them in dual channel, which sometimes doesn't work if they are from different vendors and/or have different latency. 

Even if they are both 667 Mhz DDR2 the latency can be different.  This page from newegg.com is an example.  Note the different latency values.

Assuming it is qualified for that motherboard, that new stick of RAM should work by itself.  If you put it in the first RAM slot and leave the other empty and it fails on boot, that probably means it's no good or not supported.  (Refer to the Qualified Vendors List.) 

[DarkenedHeart]

@ Crafty, this is supposed to be kingston. And the guy who sold it me say they use elpida chips. Are you saying that the ram i have is not kingston?

@ Eg0Death, Putting the new stick of ram in the first slot and leaving the other empty was the first thing i tried after it didnt work. That just stops when its trying to boot.
I couldnt find the qualified vendors list on the asus website but according to the manual the only elpida that is supported is a 512mb 533mhz. However my ram is supposed to be the 1gb kingston 667mhz which is supported, but the ram has chips made by elpida? Would this effect it.
Because it doesn't work on its own i am assuming its nothing to do with the dual channel. Maybe i should just return it?

[drmsucks]

I would RMA the RAM. If you need confirmation, run memtest86: http://www.memtest.org/. Run on each module separately for at least 2 hours. If no errors, install both modules and run test for at least 4 hours (or 7 passes). ANY error is cause for rejection.

As an aside - anytime that you add RAM to existing RAM, there is a chance for incompatability. Electrical and physical characteristics quite often differ, even among RAM of the same type and spec. However, the fact that the new RAM won't operate in your computer by itself makes it suspect, assuming that it is the right type and voltage.

If you can, buy two new modules and sell or otherwise dispose of the "old" RAM; if your board supports dual channel memory, buy a matched set and be sure to place the modules in the proper slots.

Best of luck!

[patio]

How many RAM slots on that board and where are the sticks oriented ? ?
This can also make a difference on some boards...

[DarkenedHeart]

@ drmsucks, I really dont have the time to be able to run that memtest.

@ patio, there are only 2 slots, and i have tried every possible combination. None work.


Im just going to give up and send this one back, get my money back and then do as drmsucks suggests and buy 2 the same from the same place.
Because it doesn't work when its on its own leads be to believe either faulty ram or not compatible with mobo.
Anyway returning it is. Thanks for all your help

[patio]

Sounds good...
Maybe sell the good Kingston and move on...
Welcome Aboard and stop by anytime !