Is it bad RAM?

Alright so I ordered 1 GB of RAM of of newegg.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145068

I am sure that this is the right type of memory for this computer (HP ZV6000), people on newegg reviews say it worked fine in their computer. Currently I have 2x256MB sticks so I was planning on taking out one of them.

So yesterday I contacted HP to ask if taking off the keyboard would void the warranty and they said no. I did this just incase the new RAM didn't agree with my old RAM for some reason.

Today my RAM arrives for my desktop and notebook, so the RAM in my desktop works flawlessly. I then go about installing my new Crucial 1Gb stick in my laptop and I turn on the computer and it powers on but with nothing showing on the screen! So I reinsert my old RAM to make sure I'm not doing something wrong, but they computer starts up fine.

So then I was frustrated that I was going to take off the keyboard to take out the other 256MB stick. So after I do that , I put the new RAM in by itself and it still does the same thing!! So I try the RAM in the other slot but with no avail.

Aright so now I am irritated that my new RAM isnt working, so I reinstall the old RAM to chat with HP support and they said it was defective RAM, and now I am coming here for a second opinion before I send that RAM back to newegg.

What do you guys think about this? Defective RAM or did I make some stupid mistake?

Thanks a lot! I need to get my new RAM asap.

 

Are you sure this matches your bus speed? It seems rather slow. I thought the ZV6000 took faster RAM than that.. If it does, then that's definitely your problem.. The RAM could be good, but you got the wrong speed (way too slow I think). But I could be wrong.. Does anybody know the speed of RAM the ZV6000 takes? I'd think it'd be more than 333 Mhz. My sister's Athlon XP 3000+ system takes DDR 400 Mhz. And that system is several years old.

EDIT: According to this site, it says its 800 Mhz:
http://geek.pricegrabber.com/search_techspecs_full.php/masterid=13796581/
Of course that's Double-Pumped so you should be buying RAM that is rated at 400 Mhz right?

 

Hmm... I'm no sure on that one. I just checked and the memory in my computer right now says PC2700 333Mhz, just like the one I ordered. Also if you read the reviews for the RAM I ordered, there are a few people with ZV6000's that bought this RAM and it worked for them.

EDIT: IN this review it says they used PC2700 (333Mhz) http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2341

 

Sorry for posting again, but does anybody know what the problem could be. Or do you think it is defective RAM? Thanks

 

can you get into the BIOS?

what about putting the 1GB in and one of the 256 in at the same time? does the problem persist?

 

Nope, can't even get into BIOS. Yeah I've tried like every possible combination of in both slots, but the computer just turns on but won't boot anything.

 

Were you able to run memtest or does it crash the minute you turn on the laptop. Since you have already tried isolating the RAM and it failed, the most logical reason would be bad RAM.

 

I've tried isolating the RAM but what is memtest and how do I do it. It doesn't crash when I turn it on, its just nothing boots up.

 

Memtest basically test your RAM for any errors/defects. If you find any errors at all then it usually due to faulty RAM. It is pretty accurate in finding out any issues early on.

Download the zip file and burn it as an iso image onto a CD. Let the CD be in the tray and trun off the laptop. Insert the 1GB(suspect) memory in and turn on the laptop. If you have burnt the image correctly and set the laptop to boot off a CD, memtest should run automatically and basically it should run error free for a few hours.

Download Memtest86 from here: ( http://www.memtest.org)

If you dont have a CD burner which can burn ISO images then CD Burner XP Pro is free and does that( http://www.cdburnerxp.se)

 

I have a cd burner but Im not sure how to burn as an iso image. Sorry about all of the questions

 

What CD burner program are you using?

The default Windows Cd burner software does not have the capacity to burn images. So you will have to use a CD burn software which supports burning images.

If it is CDburner XP(CDXP). then follow these steps:

1. Download the zip file from memtest and extract the file onto your desktop.
2. Open CDXP and click on "Create a data CD/RW, Data DVD/RW....convert an ISO image"
3. Then click on File and goto "Write Disc from ISO file"
4. Select the ISO image and set the write speed to the slowest mode(the slower it writes, less the chance of any errors)
5. Write disc

After it finishes writing the disc follow the same steps as I suggested in my previous post.