Is my new RAM dead, or incompatible?

[none]

I have a ThinkPad T30 (2366-92U), which recently lost the use of it's secondary memory bank (something that is surprisingly not uncommon, I'm told by Bill)... I had 2 SODIMMs of 256MB in there, there's no way I can use it with only 256MB for my purposes... So I got a 512MB SODIMM from eBay. When I put it in though, the laptop will not boot up. It turns on, and sits there with a black screen and the fan in high speed mode. It does not POST or anything. I am not getting error beeps like when no RAM at all is detected... Do you think it's the RAM or the ThinkPad?

I wish I could go into a little more detail about this memory, but there's not much info on it. The seller said it came out of his Inspiron notebook. There are no labels on the RAM, just a small sticker that says 512MB 63x64 PC2100 SODIMM... Below is a long number that reads "ICX190DDR(32x8)-O (32x8) Inf. O". And below there is a tiny "Warranty Void If Removed 19050301". I had no luck Googling any of this, does anyone know who made this module?

Here's a link to an eBay acution which has a photo of what appears to be a SODIMM identical to mine (down to the little numbers on each chip)... Also Dell, interestingly enough. So what do you think?

[MadeInJapan]

I too have a T30 so I am concerned of my computer's future when it comes to the memory slot. Is your computer no longer under warranty? If it were, they would replace the motherboard, or whatever it takes to fix the problem. Anyway, you forgot the link. I'd like to see what memory you purchased. Could be it's not compatible. You might try goint to www.kahlon.com or http://www.18004memory.com/? and put see if your memory and the Insperon's memory match. Would also be helpful here to know which Insperon.

Also, do you have the memory you bought in the right, "good" socket?

[MadeInJapan]

I did a cross-reference on Coast to Coast Memory's site. The following can use the same 512MB memory (just compared Dell and Thinkpads):

Dell Precision Workstation M50
Dell Latitude C840 C1.6G
Dell SmartStep 200N
Dell SmartStep 250N
Dell Inspiron 4150
Dell Latitude C840 1.8G
Dell Latitude C840 2.0G
Dell Latitude C640
Dell Inspiron 5100
Dell Inspiron 1100
Dell Inspiron 600M
Dell Inspiron 8500
Dell Latitude C540
Dell Latitude D600
Dell Latitude D800
Dell Inspiron 500m
Dell Latitude D500
Dell Latitude D400
Dell Inspiron 5150
Dell Precision Workstation M60
Dell Inspiron 300M
Dell Latitude X300
Dell Inspiron 1150
Dell Latitude 100L

IBM ThinkPad A31p 2653-H3U
IBM ThinkPad A31 2652-C3U
IBM ThinkPad T30 2366-xxx
IBM ThinkPad R32 2658-A5U
IBM ThinkPad A31 2653
IBM ThinkPad R32 2659-xxx
IBM ThinkPad A31 2654
IBM ThinkPad T30 2367-xxx
IBM ThinkPad R40 2681-xxx
IBM ThinkPad R40e 2684-xxx
IBM ThinkPad R40 2722-xxx/2723-xxx
IBM ThinkPad T40 2373-xxx
IBM ThinkPad T40 2374-xxx
IBM ThinkPad X31 2672-xxx
IBM ThinkPad G40 2388-xxx
IBM ThinkPad R40 2896
IBM ThinkPad R40 2897
IBM ThinkPad X31 2884
IBM ThinkPad G40 2384
IBM ThinkPad R40e 2685-22x
IBM ThinkPad R40 2724
IBM ThinkPad T40p 2373-xxx
IBM ThinkPad A31p 2654
IBM ThinkPad G40 2387
IBM ThinkPad G40 2389
IBM ThinkPad R40 2683
IBM ThinkPad X31 2673
IBM ThinkPad R40 2892-xxx
IBM ThinkPad R40 2893-xxx
IBM ThinkPad T42 2373-xxx
IBM ThinkPad T42 2379-xxx
IBM ThinkPad T42 2378-xxx
IBM ThinkPad T42 2374-xxx
IBM ThinkPad T42p 2379-xxx
IBM ThinkPad T42p 2378-xxx
IBM ThinkPad T42p 2373-xxx
IBM ThinkPad T42p 2374-xxx

Sorry, cut and pasted so the ordering may not be all that great.

[none]

Oops, I was sure I put that link there... Here it is:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 30349&rd=1

As for your T30, you are correct, mine is no loner under warranty. They do replace the motherboard under warranty. Although I am seeing a very mixed response between "victims" who experience the problem again about 6 months after replacing the board, and ones who never see the problem once the board has been replaced. Many of the online forums that discuss this problem say it happened in the summer. Mine died on a hot day as well. I suppose it wouldn't be surprising if the issue was thermal.

[MadeInJapan]

After doing a bit more searching I realized that my last post wan't correct so I edited it. You might want to take a look. I was wrong that Dells and Thinkpads don't use the same memory....some do.

[none]

Hmm this guy pulled it out of an Inspiron 8500 apperantly. That one is on the list, so the SODIMM must be dead... Atleast he agreed to take it back. Anyone selling a cheap 512MB? I think I'll stick with IBM original RAM this time around.

[Plinkerton]

You could try Crucial.com. They have good RAM, at decent prices.

[jwschmid]

If your T30 2nd slot is bad and you're out of warranty and don't want to pay the huge price for a new mother board...see my post.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... hlight=t30

Not the most elegant but it works. You just need to "hold" the memory down.

Hope this helps.

John

[Plinkerton]

Don't buy IBM RAM, there's no need for that. Definitely check out Crucial, as I, and MANY others on this site will recommend them highly. Everything I have purchased from them has been top notch.

[lvlolvlo]

i normally bought ram from crucial for laptops until i found out they were kinda giving me the wrong one. in one notebook i believe it was a dell it told me pc2100 however the bank took pc2700 and the 512 chip that was in there was in fact pc2700. so i stopped buying from them.

i use bixnet to do a quick chk and use them to purchase ram for older model notebooks. as to newer notebooks i buy my ram from atacom.com or ewiz.com since both are in calif i normally get the item relativley quick.

[Plinkerton]

Woah. I didn't realize this was an old thread. My second post is like a month later, and says the same thing I posted a month ago...

i didn't mean to nag...

[sprung]

If your T30 2nd slot is bad and you're out of warranty and don't want to pay the huge price for a new mother board...see my post.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... hlight=t30

Not the most elegant but it works. You just need to "hold" the memory down.

Hope this helps.

John

Thanks so much for posting this tip. I just got an A31 that would 'sometimes' see the 2nd slot RAM but mainly wouldn't. I was going nuts trying all sorts of tests and RAM types but finally I saw your suggestion. I took a plastic Subway gift card and folded it in half. Then I placed it over the RAM in the second slot. Ta-da, no more RAM issues. The second stick is seen every time. Awesome!

[rkawakami]

Wow, talk about digging up an old thread .

P.S. Welcome to thinkpads.com!