Old Dell Laptop - Memory Speed

nheather

Tried every combination - all will only run as 399MHz (800 MHz).

And that includes the 1066 MHz modules that were in the laptop when Dell sold it.

I know that there is no such thing as 1066, 1333 or 1600 RAM, it is all 800 RAM that can run faster with slacker settings.  My experience with desktop PCs that I built is that RAM usually runs at the low rate by default and has to be changed in the BIOS.  But for this laptop there is nothing in the BIOS that allows any RAM settings.

This is why I was wondering whether there are any utilities or hidden BIOS settings that Dell might have used to set the RAM speed when sold.

Cheers,

Nigel

techquest

Can you supply the model numbers please?

nheather

As I said, I’m quite open to accept that the 8GB RAM I have just bought may not be fully compatible - it is much newer than the laptop.  But really puzzled that the 4GB that was in the laptop when Dell sold it is not compatible.

It is

Hynix HMT125S6TFR8C

Cheers,

Nigel

techquest

According to the SkHynix site your modules are 2GB versions of their SODIMM RAM

In the number you supplied they have two variants:

Hynix HMT112S6TFR8C- G7/H9 1GB - - Data transfer rates: PC3-10600, PC3-8500, or PC3-6400

Hynix HMT125S6TFR8C- G7/H9 2GB - Data transfer rates: PC3-10600, PC3-8500, or PC3-6400

HMT125S6TFR8C < PRODUCTS < SK Hynix


This is their 4GB module

Hynix HMT351S6CFR8C - G7/H9 4GB  - Data transfer rates: PC3-12800, PC3-10600, PC3-8500, or PC3-6400

HMT351S6CFR8C < PRODUCTS < SK Hynix

Is the model number you supplied your new RAM or original RAM as supplied by Dell? If new what was the model number of the old original RAM supplied by Dell?

nheather

I gave you the original 2x2GB 1066 RAM  - because I had said that I accepted the new 2x4GB 1600 stuff wouldn’t be listed as compatible because it post-dates the laptop.

My puzzlement is why the original RAM supplied by Dell doesn’t run properly as 1066.  It has run as 1066 before so there must be a way of making it do it again.

My thinking is if we can solve that mystery then we may be able to apply the same solution to the new RAM.

1) original 4GB runs at 1066
2) remove original 4GB and fit newer 8GB
3) 8GB runs at 800
4) remove newer 4GB and refit original 4GB
5) original 4GB now only runs at 800

Question: what did Dell do to make the original run at 1066?

Cheers,

Nigel

techquest

I notice you updated to the new BIOS, is that A15?

Just wondering if that update has caused the issue or did you have the same with the old bios version? Maybe Dell used a modified BIOS which was a tweak in their original BIOS.

Also did you update any drivers?

nheather

Hi,

It has been on A15 for many years.  The original RAM was working at 1066 on the laptop.  It survived at least one BIOS update and remained at 1066.

It is only since I have removed it inserted the new stuff and then refitted the original stuff that it is refusing to run at 1066.

All I can think is that on most motherboards when you insert RAM and it is detected it will default to the nominal speed (800 in this case).  If the RAM has a higher supported speed in the SPD then you have to select that in the BIOS.

The problem is that this BIOS does not have any functions to change the RAM settings.

So I'm guessing that Dell must have a utility or access to a hidden BIOS functions to change the settings of the RAM.  All was fine until I used the new stuff which the motherboard defaulted to 800.  Then when I put the original stuff back in the motherboard is also defaulting that to 800.  And I have no means of telling the BIOS to use 1066 on either of my RAM pairs.

Cheers,

Nigel

techquest

Yes it's a strange one. I know that Dell do stuff with their products that only they are able to do as they lock it out to the general user base. I can well imagine that they did a BIOS tweak, but what is baffling is such a tweak would revert from 1066 to the lower 800 by just inserting new RAM. Whatever they perhaps did would have been  done at a chip level, the chip being blown with new firmware. I can't see how this could be changed by inserting the new modules but obviously something has happened as you are now where you are.

It's quite an interesting one so I will dig around and see if I can find anything further on it.

MarkE19

I get that you want to get the best out of the PC and the RAM in it, but in real terms does it matter?

https://www.howtogeek.com/303455/how-does-ram-speed-and-timing-affect-my-pcs-performance/
Mark.

Baooky

Maybe OP is the programmer.