Member Avatar for jengland

Ugggghhhh! Tried upgrading my Dell Dimension 8100 from 128 MB to 1Gb (2x512 cards) Got the cards, put them in, got 3 long beeps, no monitor screen and 2 orange lights (instead of green) under my keyboard plug in. Oh, now my old memory doesn't work either. After this happened, looked at the cards and realized they shipped ECC cards for my non-ECC motherboard. I hear that ECC can work with non-ECC but, obviously, it didn't work in my case. Should I exchange for the non-ECC cards? Did I know just enough about computers to zap mine? I'm at a loss right now. Please advise.

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Practical takeaway and short recommendation: the Dimension 8100 uses Rambus RDRAM (184‑pin RIMM) in matched pairs; pick non‑ECC RIMMs that match the board speed (PC800 if the machine supports it). For a 1GB upgrade the simplest, most reliable choice is a matched 2×512MB PC800 non‑ECC kit — fewer modules to seat, easier troubleshooting, and two slots left if later expanding to 2GB. (kingston.com)

Why that works: RDRAM implementations expect matched pairs and in many boards empty sockets must be completed with CRIMMs (continuity RIMMs) so the bus is intact. Mixing ECC and non‑ECC or installing unmatched sizes/frequencies often prevents POST or disables ECC; mixing PC600/PC800 will just force the system to the lower speed. Those population rules are why buying a matched, non‑ECC kit is important. (rambus.com)

Practical install and troubleshooting checklist (applies after the CMOS clear that used to recover the machine): 1) power down and unplug, then discharge any residual power; 2) install one matched pair in the bank location shown in the service/solution guide; 3) fit CRIMMs into any required empty sockets; 4) boot and check BIOS memory detection; 5) if it fails, reseat modules and try the other pair alone to isolate a bad stick; 6) if the screen stays blank, reseat the AGP card and VGA cable or try a spare video card/monitor — POST failures usually show up as beep codes or no display and point to memory/graphics. Updating BIOS can affect supported densities, so check for the latest Dell updates if larger RIMMs are needed. (rambus.com)

Buyer notes and cautions: confirm the part is explicitly “RDRAM RIMM 184‑pin PC800 non‑ECC” and buy as a matched kit from a seller with a returns policy. If prioritizing redundancy over simplicity, 4×256MB will also reach 1GB but increases the number of modules and potential points of failure; 2×512 is the practical balance for an 8100. (memorystock.com)

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Member Avatar for jengland

After reviewing the monitors section on this site. I'm wondering if the video card went bad when trying to upgrade memory. (Sorry, not at my computer to have all the specs for this post). My screen stays blank but goes from green light to yellow upon start up. Not sure how to test this. Maybe this site is beyond me and the local computer store would be my best shot for fixing. I've seen other posts with my same problem on this site but not the solution so I was hoping for some words of wisdom. Thanks much in advance!

Member Avatar for Suspishio

3 Beeps means a memory test has failed. You could go into BIOS setup (with the old memory properly installed) and see whether is an ECC memory option.

I don't see how the wrong sort of memory can screw the whole thing up. It may be that your CMOS has a naff configuration and you could short the CMOS pins (see your Dell handbook) and try again.

Member Avatar for jengland

The problem is, the moniter switches to stand-by with the old memory in also. My DELL handbook says my computer is upgradable to 1GB total but ALL the memory sites say it's upgradable to 2GB total. My thought is to return the (2x512MB) ECC cards for (4x256MB) non-ECC cards. If I shorted the CMOS pins, would replacing the CMOS (most likely) fix it? Any words of advice is greatly appreciated.

Member Avatar for Suspishio

As I say, I don't see how the wrong memory could fry anything in your motherboard. The CMOS idea is a reasonable long shot whic h will enable the boot process to rediscover your hardware.

The monitor goes to standby because the boot process is failing at the self test stage. So, you short the pins according to instructions that should be in the Dell maintenance guide; this'll clear out the CMOS and when you re-boot, the self test of the BIOS will re-populate the CMOS and just possibly it'll work.

Member Avatar for jengland

Resetting the CMOS worked. Computer back up and running on 128MB. I've returned the ECC cards and WILL be getting the non-ECC cards to upgrade. I'm encouraged by others more knowledgeable then myself to still go with the 2x512MB non-ECC vs the 4x256MB non-ECC as my manual suggests. Last question for you: Any recommendation on the card size?

I'm looking forward to getting my "dinasour" up to a faster speed.

Thank you very much! Problem solved, just looking for direction on the memory cards now.
Joyce

Member Avatar for Suspishio

You're welcome. I'd go with 2 x 1GB because if one card goes down (shouldn't) you still have a respectable 1GB.

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