Ram Upgrade on Acer Aspire 5610z (4GB)

Hello,

I have an Acer Aspire 5610z. I have recently purchased a ram upgrade for it, So that I can go from the standard 1GB of ram, to 4GB of ram, I read everywhere that sells the machine itself, as well as in my packaging that this system is cappable of supporting up to 4GB of ram.

How ever,

When I install the Full 4GB of ram, The sytem will not boot. I re-install the original 1GB(2x512) stick(s) of ram, it works fine. When Ever I install a single stick of the 4GB(2x2GB) stick(s) of ram, It works fine.

I have yet to try a 2GB and a 512, But I don't imagine that will make much difference, Nor am I interested in that configuration, as I want/need the 4GB ram upgrade I bought.

Any ways,

I am curious if there is some release/proceedure I must go through in order to make the motherboard/operating system detect up to 4GB of ram, I checked about in the BIOS and found nothing. Perhaps there is something I am missing.

Also,

As An additional note, I recently downgraded to windows XP(I will be re-upgrading to windows Vista very soon. As after running windows Vista for almost a year, I have gotten used to it, Plus my system now behaves very strangely at the oddest times with XP instead of vista installed.)


My Hypothesis,

-Windows XP is not cappable of reading over 3GB of ram without special modifications.(I do not know this for a fact)
-The packaging/acer, and sellers lied, and the system is only cappable of reading up to 2GB of ram.
-One of my sticks of ram is damaged(I have yet to test this out.)

Thank you for your help, in Advance.

Muezick,

 

I have exactly the same problem with my Aspire 9802. I have tried everything that you have done. Just waiting on a reply from the board.

Check to see if your modules are both working. Simple process of elimination. Try new with old, then another new with old etc.

 

Both Modules work fine.

I have eliminated that problem.


Do you have Vista or XP on your system?

 

I run XP, SP2. I had been thinking that maybe XP needs some kind of patch to enable it to allocate the extra memory, but I'm yet to find anything about it.

 

Well, In about 10 minutes, I'm going to upgrade to Win Vista.

So..I'll let you know if my 4 gigs works afterwards.


By chance did you downgrade that Laptop to XP?

 

I had XP Media Edition on it. I haven't downgraded.

 

Welp, I've upgraded to vista.

And still no improvement on the situation.


I will be contacting Acer tommarow.

I will post here if Any Discoveries are made, and I will continue to check back regularly.

 

No probs, I got a reply from the company that I bought the memory from asking for serial numbers etc so they can investigate to see whether or not my modules can work together. Will post if I receive anything.

 

Seem like same issue on the 9410 i got one that will run with 1 x 2 gig no problems
but when put match set of 2 x 2 gig it will not post both mudules work great alone
The Manual clear state machine will take 4 gig

 

I have been in contact with some tech people from the company I bought the memory from. They have been asking for serial numbers etc.

I have a feeling that it's maybe due to chipset conflicts. I have been looking to see whether or not Intel processors can only work with certain brands of memory. Some brands just don't work together.

This is not a total fix to the problem just a suggestion. I waiting for more info back from the tech people. They did suggest that I try a different make of memory.

I'll keep you posted.

 

Well,

Kingston is the bran of ram I purchased, I emailed them, Gave them all the valuable data.

I emailed acer at the same time I emailed Kingston.

Guess who replied first?

Kingston...


They tell me "that modle does not take 4GB of ram, the max is 2GB"

So, My Manual "clearly states 4GB" Is a load of bull ****.

I'm selling this Laptop after I return the ram and I'm never buying an Acer again.

The shotting Construction and abstract hardware profiles was tolerable, But my own manual lieing to me and costing me in the nieghborhood of $60 bucks? (Bought ram, got expressed shipping, Now I gota return it, %15 restocking fee + Pay shipping to get it returned)

I don't think so.

****'n Acer.

 

I have,nt test it yet but i got 4 gig kingston to install on client laptop

 

Hi. I think your problem is much more simple then you think, the aspire 5610 max. out at 4 gb ram total for the two slots. each slot max. at 2 gb. So if you at trying to put one 4 gb into one slot thats the problem each slot can only have a 2 gb. I attached a pic of the site were I read that.

 

it seem most the z model only take 2 gig
where one with out the z normaly take 4 gig

 

This seems a lot like my thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=211117

gumper03 #13: if you read carefully, you will see that he is using two sticks of 2G SODIMM memory.

The best theory I have is that my machine (based on Turion + nVidia) won't take 4G due to a BIOS bug. My second-best theory is that it won't take DDR2 800 memory if it is in dual-channel mode (it does work single-channel, i.e. when not paired) [edit: same problem with a pair of 667MHz 2G sticks]. My third-best theory is that my particular 9300 has a defect. I have no way to resolve this since each vendor and manufacturer has said "not my problem".

Muezick: you say the system "will not boot". What, exactly, do you mean by this? In my case, the BIOS POST screen does not even come up. So it is clearly not an OS issue.

 

Hey, I have a very similar story to Muezick. I bought the Acer Aspire 5610Z (5610-2013) from CompUSA almost a year ago. I checked with Acer's online support (Online Agent-09) before upgrading the memory. They told me my machine will support: DDR 400/533/667 MHz SDRAM, 2 DDR SODIMM slots
up to 4GB (with two 2GB SODIMM) Dual Channel support. They said nothing about brands that had been tested.

They also confirmed all 32bit OSs like Vista Home Premium I'm running will not be able to properly recognize or support 4GB or memory (only 3GB). They provided this link to confirm what they told me about Vista: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx
Funny thing is the information on this link says Vista 32 bit can use 4GB.

So I bought a Mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit from Newegg.com and installed it. The machine would not boot, not even POST. No errors, nothing on the screen at all. It will however POST and boot Windows with either one module installed by itself, but not with both installed.

I contacted Acer online support again and told them what happened. Their reply (Online Agent-09) said "…brands that we know are compatible are Infineon, Nanya and Micron and Samsung. You may want to try different memory……" I told them they should have told me that in the first place. No response.

I contacted Mushkin support and they said this:

I am sorry but the Acer tech support is mistaken your system runs a 943GML express chip set specs can be found here on the Intel site http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/943gml/index.htm

This chip set can only support 2 GB of memory.
Also here is the link to the Acer specs page verifying the chipset used in the unit as well as there documentation stating a 2 GB cap. http://www.acerpanam.com/synapse/fo...m/us&siteid=7293&words=all&keywords=&areaid=7

Mushkin also said this:
Also in addition to my previous email your system will only support up to pc-4200 memory which means the proper model for your machine would be the 991479 found here on our site. http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/memory_detail.asp?id=211

So I got an RMA from Newegg to return the Mushkin 4GB kit. I guess I'll get a 2GB kit. 4GB would have been nice. Has anyone been able to disprove the 2GB limit on this machine????

I will check if there is a BIOS upgrade available that might resolve the problem per the 2/1/08 post in this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=211117

 

I flashed the BIOS to v3.50, was 3.33. This is very simple, not like the old days. Still got same result with 4GB installed.... no POST. Boots fine on 1GB original RAM or single 2GB module from 4GB kit. Still hoping to hear someone's success story before I ship back the Mushkin 4GB........

 

have an Acer 5610Z ( 5610-2966) I just got 2 2GB modules from Crucial and when I install both, the computer will start and then lock up on a black screen. I I tried and think that successfully installed the latest BIOS. I have tried to install a single module on either in slot A or B and they both work,singly, but when I have both modules the machine won't boot. I tried one 2GB and the 512mb that came with the machine and the machine will boot. I don't really know what to make of this. Does the machine run more than 2 GB? If so what is the memory limit, because it appears not to accept 4GB? Can I really derive any benefit to take this machine to whatever limit it may have using a 2GB plus a module of a different size or having two different modules is just a waste of money. I called Crucial back and they are going to send me a different make ( Samsung I believe) Can anyone tell me if it is worth to have more than just a single 2GB? Would anyone care to venture as to where the memory limit problem actually lies? Computer or O/S ( Vista Home basic)
Thanks

 

Here's my two cents. Check what I found in a Q&A at crucial.com:

" Q: Will my system recognize the maximum upgrade?

A: Possibly

How much memory your Windows OS will recognize depends on which version of Windows you are running. 32-bit versions of Windows will see (and utilize) only 3GB or 3.5GB. To utilize more memory, install a 64-bit version of your OS. More information about OS memory maximums can be found at http://www.crucial.com/kb/answer.aspx?qid=4251."

That quote can be found at http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Aspire 5610

This is right beneath the product selection for memory upgrades for the Aspire 5610 notebook.

So, anyone here have a 64-bit system that can give some veracity to this claim?

 

I also believe this ..

My thread http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=225353 also has the exact same problem (though I have not got any <1GB sticks to test) ...

My reasoning is that in the many threads having the same problems, nobody seems to be getting past (or even TO) the BIOS or POST screens ...

Regards,
Kwah

 

This is also what I have heard. I have an Aspire 5610Z and it will only support 2 GB. Also be careful because if you scan on crucial it will tell you it supports 4 GB. But crucial mistakenly thinks the 5610Z is a 5610.

 

The 2 Gb stick on one slot orks for sure? I just ordered a 2 GB stick on ebay but got the seller to switch to 2 x 1 GB sticks because I didn't think the 2 GB would be compatible. I also have a 5610Z and I know for a fact it doesn't support 4 GB. Its the chipset that is the problem. However if you can confor,m that 1 x 2GB was no problem I will go back to that because it would be more useful in a future upgrade for a different laptop.

 

I searched the net to see if i could find a good memory brand to update my aspire 9300-5024. I found out that it was discontinued. Then i came in this forum for more info and i find this. I bought my laptop at Staples (bureau en gros). I called them and asked about this. They said they didn't know. Then i asked which RAM do you sell. They said ONLY 2X1 GB. Why only 2X1 GB? He said he couldn't tell me. Strange...
I SMELL CONSPIRACY!!!
*gets the pitchfork*

 

Hi, I bought an ACER 5610 from Bestbuy about a year ago. I wiped the Vista and downgraded to Windows XP (which first requires an upgrade to Vista Ultimate btw) I researched this RAM issue because I had bought it for it's 4gb expandability. Here is the response I got from Acer on the issue:

Acer Wrote:

I received more information on this matter after I responded to your email. Maybe this will clear it up. The unit does support 4GB of memory; but only 3GB is addressable by the system. This means that in Windows, you will only see up to 3GB reported. The other 1GB is used for BIOS items.This is a limitation of the intel based chipset (which affects all brands; not just acer notebooks).


My guess after reading this thread, is that you can't put 2 sticks of 2gb in this machine because the bios as of last year wouldn't support it. From her email it appears that you may be able to put 1 2gb stick and 1 1 gb stick in and it may work, but I haven't bought the ram yet or tried it. Did anyone else? Did anyone try it with a 64 bit OS? The software I sell did not support 64 yet, but I got a VMWare drive that should take care of those needs, so potentially I could switch to 64 OS if it will support the larger ram (3 or 4 gb)

 

FYI Vista with SP1 reports more than 3.2G of memory if your BIOS supports it. Note: I don't mean on this notebook (I would not know) but in general.

Until I did research for this message, I thought that Vista with SP1 would actually use the extra memory (using PAE) but the MS documentation of SP1 carefully only claims that the memory is reported! Sheesh.

http://technet2.microsoft.com/Windo...f706-401e-abb5-eec42ea0a03e1033.mspx?mfr=true

BTW, a cheap and non-destructive way to test with a 64-bit OS is to use a Ubuntu AMD64 live cd: just boot and play and don't install on the hard drive.

 

Acer Aspire 5610 Z only supports 2 gig. It does not matter how you try to confugure, it's 2 gig only

Vista HP runs good on mine with 2 gig, but for someone that NEEDS more than 2 gig, you relly need a more powerful processor and everything that goes with it. The Z is a cheaper alternative and that puts limitations on its ability.

 

Similar problem with acer 5612ZWLMi: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3498864#post3498864 anyone know solution?

 

it normally depends on the chipset....for instance the 5610z has an i943 chipset so it ll not support more than 2gig and PC2-4200....no matter what....!!
Dont go by the manuals as it ll confuse u since each acer has about 3-4 models with different chipsets and mobos....the ones with i940 and i943 wont take more than 2gig....whereas the ones with the i945gm and above can take 4gig with PC2-5300....!!
same for u nadinecross since it is the 5610z i wud assume it has the i943....so it ll support a max of 2gig and PC2-4200 speed.... not PC2-5300..!!
since the 5610 has the i945GM and i945PM chipsets....it will support 4gig PC2-5300 ram....!!

 

-- I am presently having the identical problem, but I can add that using (1) 2GB stick plus (1) 512KB stick, the computer booted fine...........BUT when I checked on how much memory was available, the answer was 2GB.....not 2.5GB.

 

My Acer is a 5610-4537 I wanted to add 4 GB into it and replace the 2x512.

After reading this post I don't' know if I should even try or just go with 2GB, but mine isn't a (z) model anyone know?

Also if I were to upgrade to 2gb (instead of 4) shoudl I buy (1) 2gb stick or 2 (1GB) sticks?

Thanks

 

Go for the 4gig....or play safe and do a system test at www.crucial.com

 

I just completed a series of phone calls and emails with Crutial and Acer concerning the 4GB issue. After receiving conflicting information (Even with different people at the same company) I now think I have it straight.
I am told that the 5610 will support 4GB, however the 5610Z will not, and cannot.
The final rep I spoke to at Crucial initialized the paperwork for the return and refund of the two 2GB sticks I had purchased, and reordered for me the proper two 1GB sticks. I had to pay for the replacements, however I will receive a full refund for the 4GB once they receive my return.

 

:GEEK: Here is something you all will enjoy. Try flashing your BIOS to v.1.17. Do not use any other BIOS due to a bug that will not allow the host to recognize the 4GB of memory. I have (3) Aspire 9300 that work with this BIOS and recognize 4GB (2X2GB) DUAL Channel Kits. Let me add that the chipsets are Crucial and OCZ Technology. Have fun.

 

make sure to FLASH YOUR BIOS ONLY with VERSIONS for YOUR MODEL

most people here are talking about the aspire 5610,, not the aspire 9300

and there is no FIX for 4 gigs on an aspire 5315 to the best of my knowledge
(other than running VISTA 64bit.,, if that even solves the issue)

 

Hi,
Searching here because I went to buy two 2GB sticks of RAM for an Acer Travelmate 6492. Glad I found this discussion.

I brought my laptop in to buy two 2GB sticks (Acer Travelmate 6492) and the fellow in the store offered to install the memory for me. Same thing, he put two 2GB sticks in and the machine wouldn't boot. Not even POST. But the machine worked fine with 2GB (2X1GB, the original memory), 3GB (1X2GB + 1X1GB), and with just 2GB (one stick 2GB). The laptop would boot fine with 1GB, 2GB (any configuraton), and 3GB on board but not 4GB. So I now have 3GB which is 50% more memory. But the story sounds similar, the laptops can only recognize up to 3GB and no more.

 

I have a Aspire 5610Z series notebook (5613ZWMLi) with 2GB (2 X 1GB). When i tried to put 4GB (2 X 2GB) on it I had the same problem.
Searching on the Internet I found this forum and taking the instructions, I had downloaded the Intel® Chipset Identification Utility that gave to me the following: 945GM/GMS/940GML or 945GT Express chipset. Based on this I bought 2 X 2GB 667MHZ Kingston's Memory modules, and got surprised with the results - nothing happened. Whit both modules inside the notebook doesn't works. Then I had downloaded the CPU-Z program which gave me the following results:

Northbridge : Intel i943/940GML rev. 03
Southbridge : Intel 82801GHM (ICH7-M/U) rev. B0

Anyone know if this model of notebook can work with 4GB? How to do it?

Thanks in advance

 

No, the 5610z has the 943GML, which physically does not support 4GB, or anymore than 2GB.

 

Andy, thanks a lot.
I'll ask ACER about the manual's indication of upgradeable up to 4GB to see what happen. I'm very dissatisfied with this situation. I'm feeling betrayed.

 

MGARSON...

Guaranteed you will get no help from Acer. I have an Aspire 5610Z and it is not upgradeable...you should have read the fire print before you bought the computer. You really have no recourse other than to start a class action suit against ACER. Good luck.

 

Hey guys i am just about to give you a little Tip

( i am an IT engineer, so dont think i am guessing )

FIRST... This has nothing to do with GRAFIC CARD NOR OS
This is POST BIOS

IF YOU DONT SEE YOUR BIOS SCREEN IT MEANS ITS NOT EVEN detecting the RAM TO LOAD THE BIOS...SO nothing to do with graphic card or WINDOWS version...

i have the same issue and here is the thing (get the global.acer.com)
brows to FTP download and get BIOS version 3.60
It contains a READ ME TEXT THAT STATES CLEARLY
4GIG MEMORY NO BOOT FIX... WISH IS NOT TRUE,,,
( I AM working on editing my BIOS MANUALLY TO FOR IT)
if i get a satisfactory ROM file y will uploaded for yall

WE NEED TO SHOW THIS TEXT FILE TO ACER AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY

THEY NEED TO FIX THIS FOR US FOR FREE...

If you want to download the 3.60 an try is up to you
but is not working..


i hope this makes it a little clearer..
peace

 

Seems that I'm having similar problems with my Aspire 9300. Left in the 512 module and installed 1x2 GB module. The upgrade was recognized and everything worked fine at first. Then, like others have said, the screen went black but the power and hard drive were running; just before this happened the screen was blue for a few seconds and something about BIOS came up. I took out the 2GB and got it back working on the 512 only. Am I wasting my time trying to upgrade to more than 2GB? What's the key to fixing this? I ain't too smart with computers so explain slowly!!

 

Myself I am trying to upgrade my acer aspire 5610z laptop from the base 1 GB .
What I understool from this forum that I will not be able to upgrade to 4 GB .
But it upgrading to atleast 3 GB possible or 2 GB is the best option I have ?

 

fermartz

do you have a BIOS that recognises the 4gb now ?

 

I've researched this problem for three days and here is what I've determined.
A: You will have to wait for Acer to post a bios update to use 4gb of ram
B: Until then, using 2x1gb is the best option because it utilizes the dual channels. The computer rating with 1x2gb is 2.2 with 2x1gb it is 3.0
C: If you are ambitious you can switch out the 5610z motherboard with the 5610 motherboard which acepts 2x2gb of ram.
D: If you are really ambitious you can switch out the 5610z motherboard and case bottom with the 5680 motherboard and case bottom which is the same as the 5610 with the exception that it has nVidia video w/256mb, an express card/34 card slot in addition to the pc card slot, ir port, s-video and dvi-d ports.
Hope this helps

Just recieved a reply from Acer:

Thank you for contacting Acer America. I apologize for the inconvenience that you have experienced. The User's guide covers all the variations of this model that ship worldwide. Options seen in the manual may not be the same as what is available on the computer. To verify what options should be on the unit you purchased, please go to xxxxxxxxx.com under Specifications. Search for your product to see a list of the specifications included. I hope this information is helpful.

Respectfully,Acer America Online Technical Support

Following is that Spec sheet.

Product
Aspire 5610Z
Language
English
Model
Aspire 5610Z Specifications
Specifications
Model
PN
CPU
RAM
HDD
Optical
LCD
LAN
OS

AS5610-2013 LX.AXL0X.003 PMDT2060 2*512 533 120 SuperMulti 15.4" 802.11bg VHP EN
AS5610-2225 LX.AXL0Y.010 PMDT2060 2*512 533 120 SuperMulti 15.4" 802.11bg VHP ES
AS5610-2273 LX.AXL0X.032 PMDT2060 1*512 533 160 SuperMulti 15.4" 802.11bg VHP EN
AS5610-2328 LX.AXK0X.001 PMDT2060 1*512 533 160 SuperMulti 15.4" 802.11bg VHP FR
AS5610-2381 LX.AXK0Y.018 PMDT2060 2*512 533 120 SuperMulti 15.4" 802.11bg VHP EN
AS5610-2556 LX.AXK0X.022 PMDT2060 1*512 533 60 SuperMulti 15.4" 802.11bg VHP FR
AS5610-2714 LX.AXK0Y.013 PMDT2060 1*512 533 60 SuperMulti 15.4" 802.11bg VHP EN
AS5610-2759 LX.AXL0X.029 PMDT2060 2*512 533 80 SuperMulti 15.4" 802.11bg VHP FR
AS5610-2933 LX.AXL0Y.007 PMDT2060 2*512 533 80 SuperMulti 15.4" 802.11bg VHP EN
Part Number

See models above


Processor / Speed

Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core processor T2060 (1 MB L2 cache, 1.6 GHz, 533 MHz FSB)


Core Logic Chipset

Intel® 943GML Express


System Bus Speed

533 MHz


RAM / Max RAM

up to 2 GB of DDR2 533/667 MHz memory, maximum 2GB using two soDIMM modules (dual-channel support)


Video Subsystem

Intel® 943GML Express chipset with integrated 3D graphics, featuring Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 with up to 224 MB of shared system memory, supporting Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0 and PCI Express® MPEG-2/DVD hardware-assisted capability


LCD Properties

15.4" WXGA TFT LCD, 1280 x 800 pixel resolution

Hard Disk Drive

up to 160GB


Optical Drive

8X DVD-SuperMulti double-layer or 24X DVD/CD-RW Combo
(varies by model)


Battery, Primary

44 W 4000 mAh Li-ion battery pack (6-cell):
up to 3-hour battery life with 6-cell battery
80% charge in 1 hour, 2-hour rapid charge system-off, 3-hour charge-in-use

Sound Subsystem

Intel® High Definition audio support
Two built-in Acer 3DSonic stereo speakers
Built-in microphone
SoundBlaster Pro™and MS-Sound compatible


PCCard Support

1Type II PCCard slot


Pointing Device

Touchpad


Peripheral Subsystem

4 USB 2.0, 1 VGA, 1 Microphone/Line-in,
1 Headphone/Speakers/Line-out
5-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD)
1 S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) (on selected models)


Acer OrbiCam integrated 1.3 megapixel CMOS camera
(on selected models)


Modem

56K ITU V.92 PPT approved, Wake-on-Ring ready


Ethernet

10/100 Fast Ethernet, Wake-on-LAN ready
Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® solution, supporting Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology



Dimensions / Weight

14.09" x 10.43" x 1.15/1.41"
6.35 lbs (with primary battery)


AC Power

100-240V AC AutoSensing Adapter



Environment



Shock
Operational/Non-Operational

5 G max. pulse / 40 G max. pulse


Vibration
Non-Operational

5-27HZ, 0.16" p-p, 2g peak, 27-500HZ


Temperature
Operational/Non-Operational

+5ºC - +35ºC / -20ºC - +50ºC


Humidity
Operational/Non-Operational

10% - 90% / 10% - 90%


Altitude
Operational/Non-Operational

10,000 ft / 40,000 ft


Operating System

Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2
Windows XP Home with Service Pack 2
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with Update Rollup 2
Windows Vista
(varies by model)







Date
01-17-08
Specifications are subject to change without notice. Warranty covers only Acer purchased parts that are listed as supported and serviced. Please see limited product warranty for full details. Acer, the Acer logo, AcerPower, AcerAcros, AcerEntra, AcerAspire. Aspire by Acer, and Veriton are registered trademarks of the Acer America Corporation and Acer, Inc. The Intel Inside logo and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, Windows, Windows 95, and Windows 98 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other brands and products names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

In other words they have changed thier specs since the product first came out and they now have no intentions of supplying a bios update to allow a 4gb upgrade.
So your only options are B, C & D

 

Madmodeler wrote:

...To verify what options should be on the unit you purchased, please go to xxxxxxxxx.com under Specifications...

Why did you block out the url?

Thanks,

JPinPA

 

The "Z"s specifically state it is 2 gig. Live with it.

 

Hey,

same problem here with my Extensa 4620Z. again, the manual clearly states that the system is upgradable to 4gig in dual-channel mode. the dual-channel is key. I can run two 1gb sticks, a 2gb and a 1gb stick, and CPU-Z reports that the RAM is running in dual-channel mode. if I try two 2gb sticks, I get a BSOD with IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL and PFNs list is corrupt errors. the BIOS recognizes all 4gb - it is Windows that crashes the system. I even tried starting it with one 2gb stick and then inserting the second while it was running (it worked). CPU-Z reports 4gb memory, but only running in single channel mode. The Windows system properties utility reports only 2gb RAM.

Below is a whole bunch of system data obtained from PC-Wizard. what I want is to run 4gb in dual channel mode. The only thing that looks suspect to me is in the Chipset info where it states that dual channel is OK, but then it reports the type is DDR2-SDRAM PC2-4300. I do not know if this memory is for what is in the machine now, or what the chipset is capable of running. If it is the latter then maybe this is the problem as the 2gb sticks are DDR2 PC2-6400 (400mhz)? Its my understanding that faster RAM is OK, it will just be limited by the slower RAM - which in this case is the 1gb stick (so the damn thing will boot): PC2-5300 (333mhz).

Does anyone have any advice they can give me (and the other users here)? I am pretty much clueless ...

thank you, david

Model: Acer ExtensaZ

OS: Vista Home Premium, 32bit, all SP's and other updates have been installed to date.

RAM (the 2 identical 2gb sticks I have):

Manufacturer : Hyundai Electronics
Part Number : HYMP125S64CP8-S6
Serial Number : Unspecified
Type : DDR2-SDRAM PC2-6400 (399 MHz) - [DDR2-800]
Format : SO-DIMM (67.6 x 3)
Size : 2048 MB (2 ranks, 8 banks)

Memory controller:

Memory Controller : System Memory
Location : Mainboard
Error Correction Capability : No
Number of connectors : 2
Max. Module Size : 2048 KB

Mainboard is:

Manufacturer : Acer
Product : Biwa
Version : Rev
Serial Number : LXEA00X00173707EA42000
Support MP : Yes, 2 CPU(s)
Version MPS : 1.4

BIOS:

Manufacturer : Phoenix Technologies LTD
Version : V1.33
Date : 03/21/2008 (mm/dd/yyyy)
Address : 0x0 on 1024 KB

Chipset:

General Information :
NorthBridge : Intel GM965
SouthBridge : 82801HEM (ICH8M-E) LPC Interface Controller

NorthBridge Information :
Architecture : Direct Media Interface (DMI)
Manufacturer : Intel (Acer Inc)
Codename : Crestline
Revision : C0
Bus Speed : 133 MHz
FSB Frequency : 532.2 MHz (QDR)

Memory Information :
Type : DDR2-SDRAM PC2-4300
Frequency : 266.1 MHz
DRAM/FSB Ratio : 2/1
Supported Channels : Dual (128-bit)
Activated Channels : Dual
ECC Diagnostic : No
CAS Latency (tCL) : 4 clocks
RAS to CAS (tRCD) : 4 clocks
RAS Precharge (tRP) : 4 clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS) : 12 clocks
Shared Memory (video) : Yes

PCI-Express Information :
Number of ports : 3 - (x1, x1, x1)

Video Information :
Integrated Controller : Yes
Enabled : Yes

Functionality :
SATA AHCI Enabled : Yes
RAID 0/1/10 Enabled : No
RAID 5 Enabled : No
PCI Express x1 Enabled : Yes
Intel AMT : Yes
Intel QST : Yes
SPI Interface : Yes

Device Capabilities (PCI) :
I/O Access : No
Memory Access : Yes
Bus Master Capable : Yes
Special Cycle Recognition : No
Memory Write & Invalidate : No
VGA Palette Snoop : No
Parity Error Response : No
Cycle Wait : No
System Error Line : Yes
Fast Back-to-Back : No
Detects Parity Errors : No
User Defined Format : No
PCI 66Mhz Bus Support : No
New Capability List : Yes
PCI Support : Vendor-Dependant
DMI Version : 2.4