Thinkpads Forum

Bummer

Now that 8g memory sticks are coming down in price, I scored a couple used Samsung sticks...arrived today, but I couldn't get 'em to work. Tried every combo possible - single, together, mixed with the previous 4g sticks, etc. Every time, all I got were the beeps at bootup that indicate a memory problem. Boot stops at the point. Can't even get into the bios to check the 'perceived' config.

Tried this in two separate W700s; one dual core, one quad core. Same result.

Nada.



Anyone out there ever tried 8g sticks in either a W700 or a W500? I think I'm dead on this one, but would like to know what others may have encountered. There is the possibility that both 8g sticks are defective, but I doubt it. Can't verify one way or the other with my current laptops.

I'll probably pickup a W520 within the next few months, so will keep these on ice till then. Too bad, as I could really use 16g vs my current 8g.

AMATX, are you using the latest BIOS release for the machine?

Not that I'm telling you to update, which has its own risks, but support for this type of thing is often BIOS-dependent. If you do update the BIOS, don't do so within Windows, but instead do it using the boot CD process.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo- ... ticks.html

No, I haven't done any bios updates or checked my bios levels, for that matter. I did post this same question on the NBR forum(above) and got some answers; none of which I liked.

Looks like I'm outa luck on this one, but it was worth a try.

Actually, in the NBR thread, lead_org is wrong about the T500/W500/W700 all using the same chipset, as they don't. The W700 uses a different Intel chipset which doesn't support switchable graphics (see this). And, in contrast to what Tsunade Hime says, just because the computer-maker doesn't officially support a memory configuration doesn't mean that the configuration won't work. That was proven in the original Centrino laptops, many of which were able to run 8 GB of RAM after a BIOS update, even though the computer-makers often only supported 4 GB. So, I've just invalidated every assertion in that thread, except for the part that lead_org couldn't get the memory to work in his T500.

Running an SSD as your system drive may help alleviate the effects of a memory shortage, especially if you swap to the SSD. That may reduce the lifespan of the SSD. But you can always replace an SSD, whereas you can never replace your time once it's wasted. You may have to update your BIOS, to support TRIM if you want to run on an SSD. So if you update the BIOS for that, you might want to try the memory again at that point.

I suspect you'll have to remove any Turbo Memory installed in the W700, if you want to run on an SSD. They're redundant, and data will be needlessly transferred from the SSD to Turbo Memory which, overall, will slow down the system.

W500 uses the Intel GM45 chipset. W700 uses the PM45 chipset. They are almost certainly the same physical chip - but with different capabilities enabled at the factory. The Intel datasheet for these parts (they share a datasheet) says that they are limited to 8GB total using either 2GB or 4GB SO-DIMMS.

We've seen before that we can't believe everything that these manufacturers say in their docs. Just one example is shown here, in which Intel's docs tell us that a family of CPUs can supposedly only support 2 SO-DIMMs, when in fact many manufacturers used 4 SO-DIMMs with them. Plus, as a wise man once said "Sometimes there are deep, dark secrets in these boxes..."

I think the odds that 8GB modules will work in the W700 are slim, based on the fact that lead_org couldn't get them to work in the T500. He doesn't say in the thread that he tested using the latest BIOS for the machine, but he's very smart so I'm assuming that he did. But the chipset for the W700 is significantly different, and I'd like to see someone test known working 8GB modules with the machine's latest BIOS before closing the case. That's the final test, assuming Lenovo releases no more BIOS updates for the machine.

QFoam wrote:We've seen before that we can't believe everything that these manufacturers say in their docs. Just one example is shown here, in which Intel's docs tell us that a family of CPUs can supposedly only support 2 SO-DIMMs, when in fact many manufacturers used 4 SO-DIMMs with them. Plus, as a wise man once said "Sometimes there are deep, dark secrets in these boxes..."

I think the odds that 8GB modules will work in the W700 are slim, based on the fact that lead_org couldn't get them to work in the T500. He doesn't say in the thread that he tested using the latest BIOS for the machine, but he's very smart so I'm assuming that he did. But the chipset for the W700 is significantly different, and I'd like to see someone test known working 8GB modules with the machine's latest BIOS before closing the case. That's the final test, assuming Lenovo releases no more BIOS updates for the machine.

Yeah, I noticed the same things you mentioned in regards to the NBR thread and crappy Lenovo/Intel doc, but didn't feel like going into detail about it. Either the 8g sticks work for me or they don't. Five minute test and I have an answer.

This garbage reminds me of the old Intel 8086/8088 math coprocessor mess back in the 1980s. Make all of the chips the same, then turn off a feature and sell -one- of the chips a little cheaper. Would be nice if chipsets/bios/mboard/etc. came fully enabled for the features already built in, wouldn't it?

If I get some $cash$ sooner than later, I'll get a W520 quickly and will be able to test whether the sticks I picked up are working or not. And, since I -do- intend to get a W520(eventually), if I come across a good deal on a couple more 8g sticks, I'll scarf them up. That would give me a couple more chances to try 'em in the W700. Right now, Crucial has these sticks for under $400 each, which is getting into my territory, so I might just grab one or two in the next month or so.

Dunno on all of this; just trying to get some more memory.

As far as your SSD comments, I've been there, done that. I run a dedicated ramdisk and am cramped now with 8g total on my W700. Going to 16g would allow me to run all(vs. some) of the intensive I/O stream I'm currently doing in memory and none to disk. I'm using a throw away SSD in lieu of ram and am prepared to swap it out if it craps out, but a ramdrive is really the way I want to go.

well my name is mentioned.

I am not smart, but rather i wanted to know whether the 8 gigs ram chip was indeed possible in that series of machine. Since i am eyeing a refurbed W700ds from a second hand reseller, which is around 1200 dollars cheaper than the W701ds, and if it can support 16 gigs then that would give me enough reason to get that W700ds and use the money towards some other upgrades rather than getting the W701ds.

and yes i did test it with the latest BIOS firmware on my T500 with the Intel Integrated GPU.

lead_org wrote:I am not smart...

Of course you are.

Thanks for filling us in on the details of your test, lead_org.