Laptop crashing after RAM upgrade

deshepherd

deshepherd

deshepherd

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My son wanted me to upgrade his laptop from 16GB to 32GB (it's a Clevo based laptop he uses for audio production on a uni course). When he visited last weekend I swapped the 2 8GB SODIMMs for 16GB versions and all seemed ok. However this week back at Uni the laptop has BSODed several times.
The SODIMMs I had bought were DDR4-3200 but the ones replaced were DDR4-2666 ... could this be the issue and would returning the 3200 SODIMMs and buying 2666 versions be likely to the solution? Or is there anything else to try (he's coming home again next weekend for IT support!)
 
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What is the laptop actually running the memory at? Usually, if it doesn't support it, it'll just downclock them automatically and laptops often don't support XMP.

It might be the new RAM is just faulty, it happens.
 
Unfortunately I'll not know until he comes with his laptop next week ... my assumption was that a faster ram was ok and would just be run at the slower speed. I'll run cpuz etc to see whats happening, check what BIOS says and worst case I can just put the 8GB SODIMMs back in and return the 16GB ones and try again at a later date.
 
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He's sent screenshots from cpuz and looks like it's running the RAM at the 3200 data rate which is likely to be the problem. I'll try remote BIOS configuration tomorrow!
 
Situation now resolved.

When I tred to explain how to check/modify the BIOS setting over the phone we discovered the BIOS was pretty well locked down with no memory related options available. So, I ordered a 2nd set of SODIMM - DDR4-2666 this time ready for when son came for a flying visit yersterday.

First thing was a check on the existing RAM with memtest86 .... ram info confirmed laptop was intent on using the 3200MHz speed and running the test generated many errors within a couple of minutes. Probably should have done this first time and not relied on the "windows boots so it must be ok" or the description where I bought it that it was 3200MHz laptop RAM which would also run at 2933 and 2666 (I had thought I had all the bases covered!)

Opened up the laptop again and swapped for the 2666MHz SODIMMS I now had and memtest86 was happy - did 4 passes without error.

So its sorted now and the first set of RAM is on its way back for a refund.
 
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