Samsung R20 Plus Memory Upgrade Problem

Hi

Just recently brought a R20 Plus.

Can anyone tell me what memory will work in this laptop.

I brought from Crucial but the laptop will not boot with both crucial sticks in.

It will boot with 1 crucial and 1 orginal samsung stick in and memory shows correctly in windows.

I always brought HP laptops before and I have never had a problem with memory upgrades!!

I phoned sumsung and they told me to try memory from a different supplier

 

Are both Crucial modules identical? I once found, during trying various RAM combinations in the R20, that with one combination it mattered which module I put in which slot. It was as if the BIOS looked at the timings of the first module.

So try the Crucial modules the other way round. If this doesn't work, post the SPD data from CPU-Z for each module and we can try to see the differences.

John

 

This is a kingston version I have also just brought.

I have 2 of these but again the sumsung will only boot with one sumsung and 1 kingston

Memory SPD
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIMM #1

General
Memory type DDR2
Module format SO-DIMM
Manufacturer (ID) Samsung (CE00000000000000)
Size 512 MBytes
Max bandwidth PC2-5300 (333 MHz)
Part number M4 70T6554EZ3-CE6
Serial number 7616085F
Manufacturing date Week 46/Year 07

Attributes
Number of banks 2
Data width 64 bits
Correction None
Nominal Voltage 1.80 Volts
EPP no
XMP no

Timings table
Frequency (MHz) 200 266 333
CAS# 3.0 4.0 5.0
RAS# to CAS# delay 3 4 5
RAS# Precharge 3 4 5
TRAS 9 12 15
TRC 12 16 20

DIMM #2

General
Memory type DDR2
Module format SO-DIMM
Manufacturer (ID) Kingston (7F98000000000000)
Size 1024 MBytes
Max bandwidth PC2-5300 (333 MHz)
Part number 9905295-015.A00LF
Serial number 8B032636
Manufacturing date Week 32/Year 07

Attributes
Number of banks 2
Data width 64 bits
Correction None
Nominal Voltage 1.80 Volts
EPP no
XMP no

Timings table
Frequency (MHz) 200 266 333
CAS# 3.0 4.0 5.0
RAS# to CAS# delay 3 4 5
RAS# Precharge 3 4 5
TRAS 9 12 15
TRC 12 16 20

 

Those RAM timings are identical so should not be the cause of any problem. Did you try both combinations of the modules in the two slots?

We have a similar discussion going in the main R20 thread. One of the suggestions there was to update to the latest BIOS (see the global download site).

If this doesn't work then use the electronic messaging system to provide all this info to Samsung support. It does appear that getting the R20 to run with above 3GB is a bit of a lottery and they need to sort this out since it probably also affects the other notebooks with basically the same hardware (R60, P400, P500).

John

 

I think I have the same problem with my Samsung R20! I get the 3GB working (combination 1GB original Samsung and one 2GB MDT) but no luck with 2 2GB MDT's.

Sorry for re-posting the information... (I have posted in the BIG R20 thread).

I still expect a call from Samsung for a reasonable explanation. Which BIOS version has your machine jaygsy?

Greets,

Nikos

 

Can you confirm is this is the newest BIOS (its the one I have installed)

20071221115614640_06SP_WIN.exe

dated 21/12/07

I have 2 HP laptops and have had IBMs over the years and I have never had any trouble with memory upgrades

 

just called and the guy has told me to try

14SH_WIN.exe

the first saumsung guy said to me I only buy toshiba

I think I will only be buying HP from now on


****

tried 14SH_WIN.exe but on checking it says my bios is newer so it will not install

 

Yours is an R20plus so 06SP is the right BIOS, and the most recent version. The folk who run SamsungPC haven't yet discovered that the R20 and the R20plus have different BIOSes.

John

 

Thanks John

Do you know if there is going to be a fix for this ?

Do thye have this issue with other models ?

 

I don't know. The challenge is to ensure that Samsung are aware that there's a problem. And even if we can get the UK support people to accept that there's a problem, they have to get the attention of the people in Korea.

Unfortunately, we don't have enough data to be able to diagnose exactly what is the cause of the problem, but it seems that some other brands can also have problems with 4GB. There's a few examples in the hardware forum.

We are getting little discussion about the P400 and P500 here. This could be because (a) no one is buying them; (b) they have no problems; or (c) business IT support staff wouldn't want to participate in an open forum. I note that the P400 has the same (06SP) BIOS as the R20plus.

John

 

I sent an email to Samsung support and have received this reply:

It's a fairly plausible argument as to why they aren't going out of their way to ensure 4GB support although there are minor details such as the R20plus being an updated model for which users could reasonably expect the 4GB support to have been properly tested. After all, the R20 plus has a different BIOS series to the R20 so there must be some differences.

John

 

My apologies for posting in a "R20Plus" about an "R20" issue.

@John,

I still am not satisfied with the "technical" explanation of Samsung (I got more or less the same reply from Samsung Germany -- although I still expect a call from them, as they promised to inform me in detail).

It is not "political correct" to advertise a machine supporting 4GB when it's not really tested.

@All:

Anyway,

just for the facts:

I own an R20F001/SEG, BIOS 14SH.

There is a BIOS 15SH which is available only for Windows (...no DOS-boot ISO image).

So far I have tested MDT's which don't run-up properly the machine.
I 've tried in another store some memory call Quinoda (???) and the machine boot's up AFTER waiting some time (a minute or more) till it count's up to 4096MB's!!! It is evident that the machine supports 4GB since I could get in the BIOS and see the magic 4096 number.

The same with SODIMMs called "CN" (I think they are assembled in Germany). The machine start's counting and counting and counting... and finally it is ready to boot, boots, etc.

But it's not really convenient to wait so long (believe me, it's long).

Maybe the 15SH BIOS is the SOLUTION. But I wouldn't dare to play with it even if I had Windows ;-)

Cheers,

Nikos

 

Sorry for the double post, but I thought I'd try my luck here too, since I'm having related issues:

I've had the R20 for about half a year now without problems. But my main workhorse computer has died unexpectedly so I've decided to upgrade the RAM on the R20 and use it more heavily in the interim.

I bought a Kensington 667 DDR2 2Gb and a 1Gb module.

When I install both, it refuses to boot up.

When I swap slots, only HALF the Samsung splash screen appears and it hangs.

When I remove one module (leaving one in, either one), it boots without problem.

If I leave the 2Gb module in with one of my old 512meg, it hangs on half a Samsung splash screen.

So basically the only combos that I can get working are:

512 + 512
1 gig alone
2 gig alone.

I'm running XP Pro on an R20 T2450 Core Duo 2.0Ghz.

Is there a step I'm missing? I've racked my brains but can't get 2 + 1 (or 2+ ANYTHING) working. This is not making any sense.

Thanks!

 

Sorry I meant KINGSTON not Kensington!

 

Some thoughts:

With one of your bootable RAM configurations go into the BIOS and set it to give the full diagnostics and not the quick boot. Then you you see the BIOS counting the memory.

Also try changing the allocation of graphics RAM (I think we previously discovered that this can cause problems).

And finally, try a combination a one new and one old module both ways in the sockets in case which module in which socket is significant.

John

 

Hello,
I am through the 3rd pair of memory upgrades for my R20Plus now. All of them show fine in the BIOS, but VISTA refuses to boot with 2x 2GB, using 1x 2 Gb and one of the original 512MB works fine for little while and then Vista dies (when it wants to use more then 1GB), the Windows Memory test tool also says there is some issue with the RAM.

It has done so in exactly the same way for all the upgrades.
Did anyone figure out where you can by original 2Gb Sticks from Samsung yet?
regards,
Andi

 

Are you using the latest R20plus BIOS? It would be worth testing it in case they have changed something relating to the memory.

Also, it would be interesting to try a Linux live CD, such as Ubuntu, and see if that has any problems. Perhaps open a lot of large photos in order to fill the RAM. The live CD also includes Memtest86, which is one of the widely recognised RAM testing software packages. You'll have to leave it running overnight.

It's interesting that this problem is not being reported more frequently. Perhaps the vast majority of R20 owners are content with the RAM as provided.

John