M50 Thinkcentre Memory issue -help!

[VFR_firefly]

I've got an M50 Thinkcentre (8414-KUA) that I wanted to upgrade the memory on. I had the 512M stick in that came with the computer and another generic 512M stick that I had laying around from another old computer.

Since I had 4 Dimm slots I figured I'd buy what I could afford and I found 2 1G sticks from NewEgg for $70-ish delivered. I got the AMPO PC2700 3AMD 1333 - 1G - R/802 -0010855

This is non EEC regular PC2700 DDR and should work fine.

I threw them in and it would hang up at the splash screen. Then I pulled the old memory out and tried just the new pair. Still hangs at splash screen so I tried one more thing:

I put just ONE of the new Ampo sticks in and it starts just fine and windows sees 1GB. I tried the other one alone and it boots fine too.

I tried using different slots and every combination known but the Ampo sticks would ONLY work if they were alone and by themselves but not paired or mixed with any other stick -not even with each other and they are supposed to be a matched pair.

Is this just bad memory? Is this an issue with the 8414? Can it not recognize a 1M stick unless it is all by itself? I'm going to try and do a bios upgrade, maybe that will help? Since Lenovo has killed TVSU dead dead dead I guess I have to do it the old fashioned way by hand and pray it doesn't screw up.

I'm at my wits end here. darn Lenovo or darn the cheap memory? If the memory was bad why would it work fine when it was all alone?

[VFR_firefly]

The memory seems to work just fine in my Asus-boarded P4 that also takes PC2700 DDR.

I guess there is an issue with the IBM bios not liking it. I checked and it is the latest bios version.

Is there something in the BIOS setup menu that I could change here that would let the board recognize this memory in any other configuration except for when it is all alone?

And I appologize for using the 13th century English language word meaning, "to condemn as a failure by public criticism" -perhaps I should limit my vocabulary to the bowdlerized 500-word limit for 5th graders.

[VFR_firefly]

One more thing:

It seems that after putting it back the way it was it STILL won't startup past the splash screen unless there is ONLY ONE memory card in it.

This is VERY strange. Maybe something happened to one of the slots when I was removing/switching memory? -and this is causing some weird problem when there is more than one memory slot being used????

Now I can't even seem to get it to start with just the single new 1G card. It will only start up without locking using a SINGLE 512M. This is getting weirder and weirder. Did I somehow mess up the motherboard? Why would it do this? I went into the BIOS setup and clicked "long" system test at startup and then it wouldn't start up on ANY card at all. When I went back to "quick" it will still start up. It's like one of the memory self-diagnostic tests is hanging on start right at the splash screen. I've never had an issue anywhere like this and I'm about to just give up and buy a new computer (no more lenovos that is for sure!).

[gb_ibmguy]

Hi,

I've got a similar unit (along with a bunch of other IBM's ), From my experience, they all are a little touchy on the type of memory that will work in them.

From the HMM for your model:
* System memory is divided into two channels (channel A and B). memory connectors 1 and 2 are channel A, and memory connectors 3 and 4 are channel B.
* If memory connectors 1 and 3 (or 2 and 4) are filled with the same technology and size of memory, the system operates in dual channel mode.
* Use 2.5 V, 184-pin, 333 MHz double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM).
* Use 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB or 1.0 GB (when available) memory modules in any combination.
* Memory modules are 25.4 mm (1.0 inches) in height.
* Note: Only DDR SDRAM memory modules can be used.
If the seller of the memory does not state that it will work in your model, then it probably will not work or will do strange things. I would see if Newegg would accept a return. Then try Crucial or even E-Bay.

Just my .02

[VFR_firefly]

Thanks. I think that the problem is either the mainboard or the power supply now.

I gave up on the new memory and put the old ones back in and even THEY wouldn't work together. It would only work with ONE at a time. The more I messed with it the worse it got and eventually got to the point where even one memory at time wouldn't work every reboot and would hang up sometimes. I messed around some more and then it would start to hang 9 of 10 times.

Now it won't boot at all.

I think I must have cracked a solder-ball under one or more of the DIMM sockets and this is causing a problem that kept getting, as Alice might say, worser and worserer.

The other theory is that the power supply is failing and not giving me a proper voltage and it would only start with less memory (the memory really draws a lot of power and using more of them would cause power issues maybe). So I pulled out EVERY bit of non-essential equipment like my HDTV tuner, my nice video card, even all the drives other than the HD and the board STILL won't start now and hangs on the IBM splash screen. Half the time it won't even get that far.

I'm thinking I have a dead board.

I put the memory into my other P4 and it loves it. This is a machine that I had planned on throwing away soon as it has a very slow FSB compared to this M50. I hope to find another used M50 to get a board from or maybe buy a motherboard off of ebay -they seem to be about $70-ish plus shipping. I only paid $95 for this whole M50 but the place I got it from is all out of the M50's that they got on surplus. I might just wait until maybe they get some more. But I can't really send back the PC2700 memory as there isn't a problem with them. I'm out $70 for perfectly good memory for a computer that is now dead.

There are some days when I really hate computers. I guess IBM/Lenovo's aren't as tough and bulletproof as I once thought. They break just by putting in new memory if you are super-carefull. I've been working on computers my whole life and never ruined a mainboard like this changing memory although I did mess one up a few years ago changing the CPU (it was an emachine) I guess Lenovo is the new emachine...

[VFR_firefly]

I was disgusted with this machine and gave up on it Saturday. I was even shopping around for a new board on ebay.

But last night I had an epiphany. Why not just clear the CMOS and then reflash the BIOS and see what happens?

Fixed!

Gosh, I'm dumb.

And maybe, sometimes, more than a little bit EMO...

System posts fine, I've stuffed it full of deh memoreeze and it is registering 3 Gigabytes RAM. 2x 1024M, 2x 512M

This is the first time in my life I have a 3G machine. -yeah I'm just barely poking my head into the 20th century. I can't afford to be at the bleeding edge!

• 3 Gigahertz Processor or greater
• 3 Gigabytes of RAM or greater
• 3 Gigabytes of Hard Drive Space or greater (by more than a factor of 100)

I'm doing the snoopy dance

Should I get another 1G PC2700 DDR and push it to 3.5G? It's not worth it probably. If it ain't broke DON'T FIX IT!

[T22 4me]

Nothin wrong with that setup...............I been running an 8189 M50 for a couple years(see my sig) and recently bought the same boxes for my Brother and Wife.Of course they got a ways to go to catch me.

I have run into very little that requires more resources than what you got.and imho you cant find a system more stable than the M50 with XP

[VFR_firefly]

I just picked up an 8415-LUA M50 Thinkpad for my dad. Found some really cheap memory to get it up to 2G and a 320gb SATA drive. Total cost $200. Windows XP-pro license still affixed to the case.

This should last him for a while! He was still using an older P4 system with win2k on it and was having some issues with a few programs like his tax-prep stuff. Now he's good to go for a few more years.

Building it up as we speak. I'm getting <s>good</s> OK at resurrecting this IBM stuff.