N61vn memory questions

Hey, I just got hands on of a 4gb module (1066 mhz), and tried to replace one of the exisiting modules (currently 2x2 gb is installed, also 1066 mhz). It just won't work. I tried every possible scenario, switching them there and back, but any time I try to boothaving the 4gb installed, nothing happens, just a black screen. It's a corsair ram, brand new. Anyone has any idea what might be the problem?

 

Yes. It's Asus' locked ram-timing settings in the bios. That they lock to braindead settings in order to "prevent overclocking", to quote a rep.

It doesn't make any sense. It affects 100% of Asus' laptop models. And apparently Asus won't change it. Or even deign to descend and give us a response fit for mere human minds.

 

s. Any way to fix it? Update bios or something, or I have to just live with it?

 

Mm. If you add two sticks that specifically have the same timing as the original sticks, it should work. Lower clocked ram (lower Mhz) tends to have delay timing that is fairly low. And "standard" ram with higher timing (also expensive ram) might not be able to run at those timings at any speed. So if you bought a couple of standard sticks - that would work perfectly fine in any amount of laptops - they could end up not booting because the delay timing is set/forced too low.

.. so.. well.. you can "unlock" the user-control for the bios settings yourself. With a particular tool. And then softly put the ram-timing settings to auto/determined by spd, etc. This would not just fix the problem with certain configs not booting, but probably also make the computer run smoother than before, since you would not be having settings either higher or lower than the ram/mainboard can support. You could also set the ram to prefer a particular type of profile, or if the mainboard supports it, a dynamic profile to clock down and up as the processor states suggest it. Higher speed and higher delays with max speed. Lower speed and significantly lower delay timing when in lower states, etc. This saves a bit of battery, without actually lowering the performance. Specially useful on the nvidia/intel notebooks..

The problem with doing this is that if we as users brick the laptop, or even if we end up just needing to do a cmos reset - we have to send it in for service. And that could take a very long time, and possibly involve data loss or worse. Costly and unnecessary for everyone.. There's also the problem that we don't really know how Asus' own power control software works, or if it might cause problems to unlock or change settings that that program expects. So it's difficult to predict any other issues that might turn up later. I can make a guess, and it might work - but then again it might not.

Ideally, Asus would have one guy test two-three combinations of differently timed and matched ram for... fifteen minutes, in the lab. And then put out a bios version that would not actually threaten to break something when you install it. This is possible to do, for one guy, in about the time I've spent typing this post. But sadly, it turns out that Asus won't do that. And I'm not very eager to "mod" a bios, and post it untested, while encouraging people to potentially brick their laptop.. Even though that at least would get the support guys off their arses. But that's something I won't do, and we obviously shouldn't need to do this on our own to get the laptop to work..

But the sad thing is that Asus spends more time on editing the "specification sheet" and manual to specify how the models "support only up to 8Gb RAM" (or, whatever the default setup is for the particular model), or specifying in the manual that you should only change hdd/sdd and ram (through the conveniently placed service hatch that we're apparently not supposed to use) at an authorized repair-service -- than it would take to just fix it..

Imo.. very difficult to understand how they've ended up there. Asus was my favourite mainboard maker for a long time since they specifically didn't go the Apple route with simplifying by cutting features. And I suspect that it won't actually work to message support, even if they're swamped with "requests" to let the bios-settings be default/spd-timing. Since they're simply going to say - well, you shouldn't upgrade. I.e., "we would like to be like Apple", and you're doing it wrong, buy a new computer if you want a new hard-drive, etc.

It's also difficult to understand how resellers who offer upgrades with the standard kit accepts this from Asus, since it makes it more difficult for them to sell the upgrades. You would think that there are a lot of people - including Asus - who are invested in making simple things like RAM and hdds easy to change. But... apparently not.

I'm just hoping that some wiz with the Republic of Gamers, or some random Asus representative could eventually pick up on this, and have it fixed.. So if anyone knows of a way to make this request find it's way to someone like that, please go ahead.

 

Thanks a lot, at least I have an understanding now what this is about. Even though I'd like this RAMto be working, I don't want to brick the motherboard, so if there is no easy way I'll have to look up a RAM that actually fits :/