Did I bugger up? or just DOA

So I got on "ye ol' ebay" and started looking for a ram upgrade for my cf-18 mk2.

After reading through some forums I have been under the impression that I could get a -

1GB
200 pin
Backward compatible to PC2100
PC2700 333FSB

and this should be good to go with my CF-18

so i order, (about $30) and i wait...and i wait, and today it comes in the mail (anticipation is a killer ain't it)

open up the bay, pop & swap the sticks, seal bay, slide switch and...
nothing...
open bay, reseat... nothing,
remove stick, boots to 256 on board
pop in old stick, boots to 512

ok.. either i got the wrong one.. or it's DOA
so before i go crying to the seller figured i'd post here & see what the general concensis is,

A.I ordered the wrong one
B.Stick is DOA and I should send for replacement
or
secret option #C. Magical gnomes have crawled inside the toughbook again, and adjusting things to make me think I'm crazy.

 

Guess I'll throw the full ram specs up in case i missed something that's important.

Product Details:
• 200-pin unbuffered DIMM
• Density: LOW 64 X 8 Configuration (Low Density - compatible with most Laptops)
• Backward compatible to PC2100
• PC2700 333FSB
• 2.5 Volts
• 6 Layer unbuffered
• CAS Latency 2.5,3
• 4 Bank
• Off-chip driver (OCD) impedance adjustment, and on die termination (ODT)

Technical Information:
Memory Size : 1GB DDR SODIMM
Number : 1X1GB
Memory Speed : 333Mhz DDR333/PC2700
Form factor : 200pin

More Information:
Non ECC
Non Registered
UnBuffered
6 Layer
Non Parity
64 X 8 Configuration (Low Density - compatible with most Laptops)

Physical Characteristics:
Form Factor: 200-pin DDR, Gold Pin, Green PCB
Warranty: Life Time Manufacturer warranty

didn't think i'd ever be getting this specific with a stick of ram

 

Does it make any attempt to boot whatsoever? Any lights?

I know that on a CF-28 it has posted with the wrong speed of ram installed, it just ignored it. I can't speak for the 18 but i see nobody has replied yet so i wanted to ask the above questions and see if i can help.

 

Thats the right memory AFIK, same as I use in my mk4 TB-18's with no issues

 

MK2s and MK4s use different RAM I believe. At some point... It goes from DDR to DDR2.... PC2100 sticks and should be avoided....

Google is your friend...

http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Toughbook 18 (Pentium 4) Series&pl=panasonic&cat=

However... my experience is more with the fully rugged CF-29... I'm sure the 18ers will chime in.... Have you checked the stickies at the top of the forum?

 

got a steady power light, no boot black screen and no other lights

EDIT: by the time i finished typing there were three more posts,

i'm using a mk2 and i checked that it's DDR and not DDR2 so i'm pretty confident it's not a ddr1-2 error (tho i'm sure it wouldn;t be the first time that ever happened to someone)

 

Wrong module

 

hmm well maybe i'll be able to get an exchange, i was pretty sure the 1GB would work, that's too bad. think it might be mine isn't compatible with the 1gb and will only take the 512mb? oh, well looking over the ram i noticed it wasn't a familiar brand, it's labeled "Trump" I've never heard of that before, kingston and corsair are the first that come to mind but i've never had any computer have a ram error that was brand related.

 

I dont think its the size as much as the speed. Technically i faulty module could do the same thing, but its more likely (imo) that its the wrong speed.

 

you mean the FSB speed right? the 333mhz, all the sites i found for cf-18 ram upgrades all listed 333mhz as the FSB so when i went searching i made sure i got the same and 200pin so i'd be the same. what other FSB would it be at?

 

You want PC2700 min!

I tried "Fred's RAM" one time.... It didn't work either....

 

this one is a PC2700 333FSB
supposed to be compatible with 2100 systems as well

 

You have the right ram but you have a deffective module, time to exchange with new one.


ohlip

 

and there you have it

 

thanks for the help everyone, will be contacting the seller to get this sorted

 

I should work
Mk-2 units take an additional 1GB pc2700DDR ram
Could you try reseating the ram module a few more times, with the power off battery removed
I have seen issues if the module is not installed right


Alex

 

So i contacted tyhe seller and they were very helpful, they contacted panasonic and found out why it wasn't reading the module. It's apprently the pickyness of the toughbooks not accepting just any stick.

The seller was very quick to respond and offered a whole bunch of option such as full refund or upgrade to a non-major brand that met panasonics specs to a t, and a major manufacture brand that is accepted by panasonic to work.

Either way I mentioned this all to a friend of mine yesterday who suddenly turned and said "oh hey i got a couple sticks kicking about somewhere try em out if they work i'll trade you" and wouldn't ya know one of them did. So no more shipping needed, and a simply trade got me up and going. Now to get this HDD swapped over!