T42 problem with PC3200 RAM

[Half-Saint]

I just bought a stick of brand new ADATA 1GB PC3200 RAM to upgrade my T42 but the computer doesn't boot. All I get is a black screen. Any ideas? Unfortunately I haven't got another DDR1 laptop to test the stick of RAM there.

[ajkula66]

Sounds like a defective or incompatible DIMM. Just return it if at all possible.

Good luck.

[RealBlackStuff]

Stay with PC2700 RAM.

[massits]

yep stay with PC2700, you can find a cheap module on the "bay"

the following link is for specs about T42 ram
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/product ... MIGR-41751

[Half-Saint]

The problem with ebay is that it's been taken over by the chinese. I don't trust their "brand" memory one bit. Finding a legit seller and a good deal at the same time is kind of becoming hard.

Cheap = usually Hong Kong.
Legit = usually expensive.

Oh and did I mention that auctions are dying out?

[RealBlackStuff]

The problem with ebay is ...
Oh and did I mention that auctions are dying out?

That's because of the pi$$-poor performance and extremely high rip-off charges that Fee/Fleabay applies!

[ajkula66]

The problem with ebay is that it's been taken over by the chinese. I don't trust their "brand" memory one bit. Finding a legit seller and a good deal at the same time is kind of becoming hard.

Cheap = usually Hong Kong.
Legit = usually expensive.

Oh and did I mention that auctions are dying out?

You can try posting a WTB ad in the forum's marketplace here, or in the German TP forum presuming you speak the language...the transaction is likely to be painless either way.

[Unknown_K]

Quite a few Asian sellers on Ebay have BIN and are usually cheap.

Oddly enough when I purchase cheap desktop memory from ebay (Asian source) it tends to work 100%, while I have issues with a specific US maker.

Did they make high density PC3200 laptop RAM (there is a ton of DDR1 HD desktop RAM on ebay)? Generally anything PC266/333 is low density.

[Half-Saint]

Well, I ended up getting a pair of 1GB PC3200 modules from Patriot for about the same price I paid for that one Adata module. They work perfectly and my T42 now has a full 2GB of RAM

[systemBuilder]

PC3200 is superior to PC2700 in every way, I always buy PC3200 and have never had a problem with my T42's and T42p's. I think you have defective memory.

[ajkula66]

PC3200 is superior to PC2700 in every way, I always buy PC3200 and have never had a problem with my T42's and T42p's. I think you have defective memory.

Since PC3200 (DDR400) RAM will downclock on T42/p machines to PC2700 (DDR 333) speeds, there's no tangible benefits in using it unless one finds it cheaper than the original PC2700.

[systemBuilder]

PC3200 is superior to PC2700 in every way, I always buy PC3200 and have never had a problem with my T42's and T42p's. I think you have defective memory.

Since PC3200 (DDR400) RAM will downclock on T42/p machines to PC2700 (DDR 333) speeds, there's no tangible benefits in using it unless one finds it cheaper than the original PC2700.

Overclocking and easier availability for PC3200 are two benefits of PC3200 RAM.

[ajkula66]

Overclocking and easier availability for PC3200 are two benefits of PC3200 RAM.

OK, how does one overclock a T42 in order to take advantage of the full speed of PC3200 RAM?

I've never heard about anyone accomplishing that.

[Cigarguy]

Overclocking and easier availability for PC3200 are two benefits of PC3200 RAM.

Holy "usual nonsense" batman.

Easier availability? Maybe, depending on where you are and market you are in. Let's suppose it's easy to OC laptop RAM as it is with the a proper desktop setup, the overclocking gain is minimal even for benchmarks. IMO, assuming that you could, OCing laptop RAM especially RAM of this generation is an exercise in futility. I'm a geek and love to OC just for the sake of OCing but I stick to desktops where parts are plentiful and interchangeable.

To the OP, I had a recently sent to pasture T42 that had one bad memory bank. The problem was exactly that, a bad RAM slot. $30 later, some TLC and cleaning and viola, another T42 running 1 GB in each memory slot.