Can't locate bad RAM slot/stick

I just installed three 4GB DDR3-1333 (PC3 10600 ) UDIMM 240-pin RAM stix into slots 1,3, & 5 of my Dell Studio XPS 435 System running Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit OS which had 6 RAM slots with six 1GB RAM stix installed. After installation, I had trouble getting the PC to boot up. Finally, after several tries it did boot. I went to MyComputer and looked at its properties. It showed I had only 10GB RAM and not the 15 GB that I expected (three 4GB stix and three 1GB stix). I then went to the Crucial website (RAM stix seller) and ran its system scanner tool. It showed that one 4GB RAM slot and one 1 GB RAM slot were empty, but not which of the 6 slots/stix were empty/bad.

I called Crucial tech support. They suggested that I pull out all of the RAM stix and just install one stix in RAM slot #1. If the PC would boot, then repeat several times until I isolated which stix might not work in slot #1. If the 6 boots were successful, move to slot #2 and repeat. I said this would be extremely time-consuming in my office setup. I asked if there was any tool which could analyze my PC and they suggested Speccy.

I ran Speccy, and it also shows that I have 6 total memory slots and that only 4 are being used. When I look at the six slots individually, they all look like they have nearly identical information, i.e., they show nothing unusual about any of the slots. Is there any way for Speccy to show which memory slots/stix are not registering/functioning?

I tried to attach a Speccy snapshot, but your forum wouldn't allow it, so here is a copy/paste effort to show the Speccy screen for the RAM:

RAM
 Memory slots
  Total memory slots 6
  Used memory slots 4
  Free memory slots 2
 Memory
  Type DDR3
  Size 15360 MBytes
  Channels # Triple
  DRAM Frequency 532.0 MHz
  CAS# Latency (CL) 7 clocks
  RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD) 7 clocks
  RAS# Precharge (tRP) 7 clocks
  Cycle Time (tRAS) 20 clocks
  Command Rate (CR) 2T
 Physical Memory
  Memory Usage 24 %
  Total Physical 9.99 GB
  Available Physical 7.88 GB
  Total Virtual 7.99 TB
  Available Virtual 7.99 TB

SPD
Number Of SPD Modules 6

Slot #1
Type DDR3
Size 4096 MBytes
Manufacturer Micron Technology
Max Bandwidth PC3-10700 (667 MHz)
Part Number 16JTF51264AZ-1G4D1
Serial Number DF670442
Week/year 34 / 10
SPD Ext. EPP
JEDEC #6
Frequency 761.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 10.0
RAS# To CAS# 10
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 28
tRC 38
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #5
Frequency 685.7 MHz
CAS# Latency 9.0
RAS# To CAS# 9
RAS# Precharge 9
tRAS 25
tRC 34
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #4
Frequency 609.5 MHz
CAS# Latency 8.0
RAS# To CAS# 8
RAS# Precharge 8
tRAS 22
tRC 30
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #3
Frequency 533.3 MHz
CAS# Latency 7.0
RAS# To CAS# 7
RAS# Precharge 7
tRAS 20
tRC 27
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 457.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 17
tRC 23
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #1
Frequency 381.0 MHz
CAS# Latency 5.0
RAS# To CAS# 5
RAS# Precharge 5
tRAS 14
tRC 19
Voltage 1.500 V

Slot #2
Type DDR3
Size 1024 MBytes
Manufacturer Elpida
Max Bandwidth PC3-8500F (533 MHz)
Part Number EBJ10UE8BAFA-AE-E
Serial Number 2B003E99
Week/year 40 / 08
SPD Ext. EPP
JEDEC #3
Frequency 609.5 MHz
CAS# Latency 8.0
RAS# To CAS# 8
RAS# Precharge 8
tRAS 23
tRC 31
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 533.3 MHz
CAS# Latency 7.0
RAS# To CAS# 7
RAS# Precharge 7
tRAS 20
tRC 27
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #1
Frequency 457.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 18
tRC 24
Voltage 1.500 V

Slot #3
Type DDR3
Size 4096 MBytes
Manufacturer Micron Technology
Max Bandwidth PC3-10700 (667 MHz)
Part Number 16JTF51264AZ-1G4D1
Serial Number DF670457
Week/year 34 / 10
SPD Ext. EPP
JEDEC #6
Frequency 761.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 10.0
RAS# To CAS# 10
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 28
tRC 38
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #5
Frequency 685.7 MHz
CAS# Latency 9.0
RAS# To CAS# 9
RAS# Precharge 9
tRAS 25
tRC 34
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #4
Frequency 609.5 MHz
CAS# Latency 8.0
RAS# To CAS# 8
RAS# Precharge 8
tRAS 22
tRC 30
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #3
Frequency 533.3 MHz
CAS# Latency 7.0
RAS# To CAS# 7
RAS# Precharge 7
tRAS 20
tRC 27
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 457.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 17
tRC 23
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #1
Frequency 381.0 MHz
CAS# Latency 5.0
RAS# To CAS# 5
RAS# Precharge 5
tRAS 14
tRC 19
Voltage 1.500 V

Slot #4
Type DDR3
Size 1024 MBytes
Manufacturer Elpida
Max Bandwidth PC3-8500F (533 MHz)
Part Number EBJ10UE8BAFA-AE-E
Serial Number 2B003E92
Week/year 40 / 08
SPD Ext. EPP
JEDEC #3
Frequency 609.5 MHz
CAS# Latency 8.0
RAS# To CAS# 8
RAS# Precharge 8
tRAS 23
tRC 31
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 533.3 MHz
CAS# Latency 7.0
RAS# To CAS# 7
RAS# Precharge 7
tRAS 20
tRC 27
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #1
Frequency 457.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 18
tRC 24
Voltage 1.500 V

Slot #5
Type DDR3
Size 4096 MBytes
Manufacturer Micron Technology
Max Bandwidth PC3-10700 (667 MHz)
Part Number 16JTF51264AZ-1G4D1
Serial Number DF67044E
Week/year 34 / 10
SPD Ext. EPP
JEDEC #6
Frequency 761.9 MHz
CAS# Latency 10.0
RAS# To CAS# 10
RAS# Precharge 10
tRAS 28
tRC 38
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #5
Frequency 685.7 MHz
CAS# Latency 9.0
RAS# To CAS# 9
RAS# Precharge 9
tRAS 25
tRC 34
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #4
Frequency 609.5 MHz
CAS# Latency 8.0
RAS# To CAS# 8
RAS# Precharge 8
tRAS 22
tRC 30
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #3
Frequency 533.3 MHz
CAS# Latency 7.0
RAS# To CAS# 7
RAS# Precharge 7
tRAS 20
tRC 27
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 457.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 17
tRC 23
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #1
Frequency 381.0 MHz
CAS# Latency 5.0
RAS# To CAS# 5
RAS# Precharge 5
tRAS 14
tRC 19
Voltage 1.500 V

Slot #6
Type DDR3
Size 1024 MBytes
Manufacturer Elpida
Max Bandwidth PC3-8500F (533 MHz)
Part Number EBJ10UE8BAFA-AE-E
Serial Number 2A00CD9A
Week/year 36 / 08
SPD Ext. EPP
JEDEC #3
Frequency 609.5 MHz
CAS# Latency 8.0
RAS# To CAS# 8
RAS# Precharge 8
tRAS 23
tRC 31
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 533.3 MHz
CAS# Latency 7.0
RAS# To CAS# 7
RAS# Precharge 7
tRAS 20
tRC 27
Voltage 1.500 V
JEDEC #1
Frequency 457.1 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 18
tRC 24
Voltage 1.500 V

I added code tags for easier reading. But with speccy you can upload itand link it, or save it as a text file and attach it as an attachment here.

I encountered a very similar situation with a new Win 7 64-bit system just this week. One of the pair of 4 gig RAM cards went bad.

  • Windows identified the problem in Control Panel >> System by reporting only 4 gigs of RAM
  • SIW identified the problem in "System Summary" by reporting only 4030 megs of physical memory
  • Speccy continued to report 8060 megs of RAM available.

Speccy has been removed from my system.

Trial and error - just remove the sticks until you find the bad one in your system.

Richard S.

Interestingly, I did install the stix one at a time, and they all worked when only one was installed. However, when I installed all three of the new stix, the PC would not boot.

After reading about this same problem in a Dell Studio XPS 435MT owner's forum, I realized the Crucial RAM stix will not work "as a team" in my PC; others reported the same problem. So I sent the items back to Crucial and bought the PC "owners" recommendations from Kingston. I actually bought six 4GB RAM stix, installed them all, and they all work fine.

The only reason I posted my original post was to alert Speccy programmers that even when Speccy shows that not all of the installed RAM is summed to the correct total becaise of faulty RAM stix/slots, the Speccy data on the individual stix does not point out which stix/slots are bad. It seems like that might be a nice addition to an already good product.

Trial and error - just remove the sticks until you find the bad one in your system.

Richard S.

Group the three 4 GB sticks together into slots 1, 2 and 3. Then test that setup. If there are no issues, install three of the 1 GB sticks into slots 4, 5 and 6. Then test this setup with the total of 15 GB of memory. If you now run into issues with the 1 GB sticks installed, remove all sticks, put the 1 GB sticks into slots 1 through 3 and the 4GB sticks into slots 4 through 6. If this configuration still causes problems then there is a compatibility issue between the new 4 GB sticks and the older 1 GB sticks, then your only option is to install the 4 GB sticks back into slots 1 through 3 and not use any of the 1 GB sticks in the computer.