G73JW - can it be run on just 1 memory chip? troubleshooting issue...

Hi, I've aposted here ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...asus-g73jw-owners-lounge-254.html#post9033509) but am posting over here too to see if anyone can answer the question.

In short, I am working on a G73JW that I helped my sister buy for my neph. It has an intermittent black screen on boot or wake from sleep / hibernate. When it happens the screen and keyboard backlights don't come on and only the power/top left buttons are lit, plus the far left one on the front (the little light bulb). After about 15 seconds the fans run at full speed and the laptop stays like that forever.

As you'll see in the other thread, I've done some digging and suspect the first memory chip (the internal one), but it would be really handy to know if the lappy can be booted on just the first chip. I would think so, but I'd like to confirm that this laptop doesn't have some wonky setup that requires two chips.

Can anyone confirm/deny that fact for me? Also, can the lappy be run without a chip in that first socket?

Thanks for any help!
W

 

It doesn't have some wonky setup that it needs two SODIMMs to run, but if it is like the G73, it needs a SODIMM in either slot 1 or 3 which are under the back panel for the G73, you'd have to check the JW's manual to know.

 

Thanks Tijo. According to bob_p in the other thread, when he took his 3 extra chips out and left just the 1 in, his machine wouldn't boot either. Strange.

Thanks for the tip on the #3 slot though, if it will boot on #3, maybe I'll just leave the #1 slot empty to see if that works around the problem.