FL90 and Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (2x2) - Compatible?

First of all I want to thank you and this forum. I've been lurking this whole week now. Reading threads from '08 and '09. My 8600m GT broke, found out you could bake it so last week I did it and it worked. I am now looking for the HD4650 or HD3650

So I thought I would upgrade my laptop a little and I bought the Hitachi Travelstar 7k500 500gb (I have 90gb, heh) since I read some posts that this is quite a good and fast one.

I also ordered some ram. the Kingston ValueRAM 4 GB (2x2) DDR2 SODimm 667MHZ CL5. (I currently run win7, x32 but will soon install win7 x64 version so I will have max profit from the 4gb. I just to switched my ram. Pulled out the old ones (2 x 1gb) and insert the new ones. Then I rebooted my laptop but nothing happens. The power switch is on and lights up..but other then a black screen I see nothing happening.

Did I do something wrong or did I forgot to do something? I'm kinda late with upgrading and wish I had found out sooner but oh well, better late then never.

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi,

only insert one piece of 2GB RAM, run a test.

Does not work?

Try other new piece of 2GB RAM, run a test.

Does not work?

Try old piece of 1GB RAM, run a test.

Still not working?

Doing so will ensure you find the problem, even if the procedure is a bit lengthy ... which it actually is not, hehe.

Maybe your baking didn't work too good. You know that this is no final solution. It can break again, maybe even quite soon. Maybe you were very unlucky ...

Good luck!

 

Thanks for your reply. It was a good tip to try and run test with either of one.
I think I've tried every option.

2 x 1 GB = works fine.
1 x 2 GB = works fine.
2 x 2 GB = black screen, nothing loads.
1 x 1GB & 2GB = see picture. (doesn't matter wich of the 2GB I use, same result)

Imageshack - 101020170410.jpg
Imageshack - 101020172356.jpg
Imageshack - 101020172436.jpg

It's indeed like there is something wrong with the 8600m GT, besides the regular fault.. I have no idea.

Also yeah I am looking for a new card, have seen two. Hopefully will buy one of the other soon.

 

Hi,

so it only does not work with 4GB, while 3GB work in every combination?

Do you see anything with 4GB installed, like BIOS POST?

I think it should at least boot with 4GB, if the memory is okay (with a 32 bit OS you cant utilize 4GB, as you know), unless you motherboard does not support 4GB - which would be odd.

Well, I'd just run it with 3GB for now, should be enough for most use cases.

Good luck!

 

It does work with 3gb, but as you can see in the first picture it looks like it is running in 16 bit.

I also installed win 7 x64 on the new hdd. Still have to copy paste all the data. I also tried booting my laptop in win7 x64 with 4 and 3 gb but it gave the same results.

 

Sorry for double post but..

I still am looking for a new card for my laptop. I know the HD3650 (ATI Mobility Radeon HD3650 MXM-II) should work without any problems. Now I have seen the HD 4650 (ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 videokaartM96 DDR2 1GB MXM A Vedio VGA) for sale but I am not sure if I should get it or not. I've read a couple of threads where people succesfully made it work. I've read some posts where they say it's MXM 3.0? (too much information in my brain!) But ofcourse there is no guarentee. I've to honestly say that I have never updated/flashed my bios and have no idea how to. I tried searching for it but it seems all the sites that were hosting the drivers don't seem to work anymore.

Also I think and hope that once I have a new card, the ram should work. What do you think?

 

Strange that RAM and gfx interfer ..?

Anyway: HD3650 works normally (DDR3 256MB is better than DDR 512MB). I have DDR3 256MB, but I never got an external monitor to work - I am not alone with that, but I think others got it working. I have no clue why it does not work for me. BIOS flashing was not needed.

HD4650 works (you need MXM II, they are out there) normally, but some people have problems running it, as the PCI-E link drops from 16x to 1x, giving really low performance. I cannot comment on this any further, as I never tried this card myself ... yet.

 

Yeah weird isn't it? I have no other idea wat it could be. Im not that into hardware but am trying to learn heh.

From what I understand the HD 4650 MXM A and B does not work with fl90, correct? the MXM II wich is 2.1 does, right.

And if it helps. I have never had an external monitor to work. And I gave up trying. What is also weird on my laptop is that when I look at my display I seem to have three displays:
Display VGA
Mobile PC Display
Generic NON-PnP Monitor.

 

Correct. I think A and B are aliases or subtypes of MXM 3, yes. You need MXM II. You can easily distinguish them when looking on the connectors. MXM 3 is split at around the middle, while MXM II has on long connector, and a second very short one.

Not even with your original 860M GT? This worked for me, only since replacing my broken one, I am out of luck ...

Cheers

 

Well I remember in the early days when I first got the laptop it worked. But after a while I didnt get it to work anymore. That then was also when the problems with the 8600 started.

I just found this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/2876760-post11.html

where it says in a changelog (from a bios udate):

[ - Fix system will hang on boot (black screen) when attached 4G RAM

tbh I have never updated my Bios as I guess I was too scared to do it then
Now I only need to find a decent guide and the newest version and try it out.

/edit
can I even update while having win7? :s

 

Go here -> Marcin Wilk Homesite Compal FL90 BIOS disc

I used that one (1.18 !!! not 1.19) two weeks ago. Burn the iso to CD ... boot from the CD ... watch ... all good.

Recharge your battery and plug in power before you update the BIOS! Power-outage would be real bad, hehe

Good luck!

 

Thanks, I did what you said. downloaded 1.18, burned it on a cd and booted it! thank you for that link. Worked without any problems. I did nearly die when it was busy installing and suddenly shut off. But it was only rebooting. )

After that I replaced the 2x1gb with 2x2gb sticks in and rebooted the laptop. And that worked also! Replaced the hdd with the one with win7 x64 and it does show 4gb now!!

It's all goooodd! I'd kiss you if you were a girl, but I guess Ill e-shake your hand instead

 

Sorry, I can#t help with that, but great you got it working!

As for replacing the GPU - stick to this guide, I think it's pretty complete.

I am also thinking of replacing my (perhaps damaged HD3650) with an ATI 4650 or ATI 4670 from mxm-upgrade.

This should happen in the next weeks (hopefully not more than three).

I will sure report on that, so you can choose on that basis for which replacement you should go ...

Have fun with your almost new machine!
Cheers

 

yeah I'm already having fun with it thanks.

I really do want a HD3650 or HD4650 as soon as possible. I'd really wouldnt like it if my 8600 quits while I don't have a new one yet.

I've found a site where they also sell the hd4650 but I'm not sure if it is the right one (mxm-II), and if the site is valid. (mailed them 2 days ago, without a response)

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for your update and will post when I have something new!

/edit it just reminded me about the connectors. Seeing the pics on that site I believe its a new version. It has a split in the middle of the connectors :s

 

Yep, these are MXM 3 or A/B .. don't know.

DDR3 versions of the 4650/4670 that fit into the FL90 are practically nowhere to get (you might run into "The Card" in some posts in the forum here .. only one MSI model seems to fit).

So you have to settle for DDR2 versions of the 4650/4670.

 

Hey yeah i've been searching for one of these cards whole week now and it is indeed hard :s MXMupgrade seems to be the easiest way. That is if they still have them (4650) and have a link with contact info somewhere.

 

Hehe, several people are having problems spotting it ... but its right there.

Go to MXM Store Legacy cards and scroll to bottom of the page ... it's there in HUGE letters ... its [info AT mxm-upgrade.com].

He seems to be rather busy these days, so a reply might take a couple of days.

Cheers

 

found someone that is selling:

ATI mobility HD 4850 MXM 2.1 type III 1 GB GDDR3
from a MSI GT725

ive not read anything about the 4850, but would it work?

thread 1 bout 4850

 

Also found someone that sells: ATI RADEON HD 4650 1G DDR2 with MXM-II

 

Who? Where?

Regarding the 4850 - taking wild guesses, but that might bake your system. I doubt the FL90 could take the heat. But I don't know, as I said, just taking guesses.

 

Apperently this site has them in stock. I mailed them and they said that they have them in stock for € 169,- What is weird is that I cant find it on their site as product.

btw do you know an easy way when you see the card, if one is a 3650 or 4650?
Is it correct that VG.86M06.xxx is 3650 and VG.M9606.xxx is 4650? Seems logical right because of the codename.

 

Hmmm, I rather stick with mxm-upgrade ...

Sorry, no idea - and I wont take my laptop apart to have a look on

And I can't see anything on my fotos either

 

like this.

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5120/snc18494.jpg

 

Hi,

I either took them off, or they are an the back side of the card ... I won't take the laptop apart just for this - at least not now, sorry!

I can offer you this, tough. Hope it helps.

Cheers

 

Still, do you think the 1gb might work? Or do you know anyone who tried it?

hehe no problem man I wouldnt open it either, it's just too much work. It's just when I google the code VG.86M06.06 it mostly shows that it is the 3650,512 ddr2 and when I google VG.M9606.xxxx it directs to the 4650.

 

The cheapest MXM 2.1 ati 4650 ddr2 you will see anywhere are these 2.

ATI HD 4650 MXM II Vedio VGA Card Acer VG.M9606.005 1GB - eBay (item 260556752817 end time Nov-17-10 10:38:26 PST)

ATI HD 4650 MXM II Vedio VGA Card 512MB ddr2 - eBay (item 320602264201 end time Nov-10-10 05:55:44 PST)

 

To be sure, you have to try it, that's all I can say. I do not remember someone specific here that had the 1GB version of a 3650/4650. You need to search the forum and the net.

Sorry that I can't be of any help.

Cheers

 

Wow what a horrible price. Thats what quadro fx 3700m, gtx 260m stuff like that go for.
dumb seller

 

you should all give this a try "HP 502338-001 8530P 8530W VIDEO CARD 512MB " - eBay (item 170552670873 end time Nov-13-10 07:57:35 PST)

you can probably flash it to the original 8600m gt bios. or it might work with the 770m bios it comes with. OR you can find a 9600m gt VBIOS that will work best.

 

well for the IFL90 model the 9600m gt wont work, its only the 8600m gt that works and the bios has to be from clevo. some people have tried to flash bios to clevo but in the end it did not work. so its either buy a ati video card (which its much simpler) or buy a 8600m gt off another clevo laptop.

oh yea the prices on that ati 4650 ddr2 is the cheapest right now and among the fastest video card you can fit into this model (MXM 2.1), well the fastest really is the ati 4670 ddr3 but those are so rare, this one is more common.