Notebooks & Netbooks

[broadstairs]

I have an Aspire 5742G which I thinnk might have a dodgy memory sodimm in it. So I went to my local shop and obtains a new one which on the face of it was the same spec. However that and another they loaned me would not work. So I need to find out exactly what spec the memory is for this laptop including the voltage, so I can obtain another to test it with.

Anyone know exactly what spec this memory should be inlcuding timings and voltage please?

Stuart

[dinsdale]

This is from Crucial:  DDR3 PC3-10600 • CL=9 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1333 • 1.35V • 512Meg x 64

1.35v or 1.50v modules will work and timings are determined by an SPD chip and you can't change them on most laptops. 

Before going any further I suggest running Memtest http://www.memtest.org/#downiso . This can be installed to a bootable CD or USB stick. Test with both original memory modules fitted. If errors occur, switch off and remove one module. If that's ok, test the other. Test the faulty one in both slots to be sure if the fault lies with the module or the slot.  

[broadstairs]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I know about memtest and have run it and it shows no errors. My problem is that the bug is very intermittant and shows with a strange symptom. As I have only 4gb I thought I would try a new 4gb stick and see if the problem returned, if it did it would obviously eliminate the memory.

My problem with the memory I got from the local shopwas that both sticks failed running memtest on this laptop but worked in one at the shop. I could only surmise that either the voltage or timings were wrong for my laptop. Mine is a 5742 with an I5 processor. Hence asking for a definitive list of specs.

My problem which started this is a strange one. Periodically when I turn it on the bios screen appears but nothing happens, I cannot get either F2 or F12 to work, the laptop will the power down and power up again and it all happens again in a continuous loop. In order to stop it I have to remove the battery, remove and replug the memory, replace the battery and try again and everytime it will then power up and work flawlessly until the next time which might be days or even weeks.

Stuart

[dinsdale]

Testing by substitution is very useful but some systems are more sensitive to chip density (number of chips per side) than others. That might explain why the RAM you bought didn't work correctly so a comparison between its spec and that of your original would be useful. Sometimes reseating the module can help. 

With generic memory the CL-tRCD-tRP timings usually follow the module's speed so at 1333MHz you'd see an average 9-9-9, at 1066 7-7-7 and at 1600 11-11-11. Intermittent faults are the hardest to find so people often leave Memtest running at least overnight. At some point you'll have to trust the test you're using so you can move on to the next stage but first it's definitely worth finding the answer to any anomaly it might reveal. 

[Alan-London]

The 'official' specifications are:

Supports DIMM type:      Support DDR III 800/1066/1333Mhz
                                     SDRAM memory interface design
Supports DIMM Speed:    800/1066Mhz SDRAM
Support DIMM voltage:   +1.5V
Supports DIMM package: 204pin DDRIII-SO-DIMM

Original (4GB) RAM is:

MEMORY ELPIDA SO-DIMM DDRIII 1333 4GB
EBJ41UF8BAS0-DJ-F LF 256*8 0.055UM

MEMORY SAMSUNG SO-DIMM DDRIII 1333 4GB
M471B5273CH0-CH9 LF 256*8 46NM

Note that your model requires 1.5V.