Old Dell Laptop - Memory Speed

nheather

Hi,

I have just resurrected an old Dell laptop - it is a Dell XPS 1640, about 10 years old but still fairly decent.

I’m going to use it to support my hobbies, a portable computer that can be near my 3D Printer or radio control models.

I’ve probably gone over the top on the refurb, cleaned down the OS and file-store, upgraded to Windows 10 (free), put in an SSD (£16) and upgraded the RAM from 4GB to 8GB (£17.50).

It is the RAM upgrade that is a little disappointing and on reflection, not really needed.  But what is bugging me is the speed it is running at 800MHz.

It is 1600 MHz stuff, and using CPU-Z I can see it has a whole range of lower alternatives in the SPD. But it only runs at 800MHz and there appears to be no way in the BIOS to change this.  I have the latest BIOS.

I’ve googled and it seems that the laptop should support 1066 and 1333, and the original should have been 1066.

So appreciating that it wouldn’t run at 1600 but frustrated that I can’t get it to go at 1066 or 1333 even though they are in the SPD.  So popped the original 4GB back in and noticed that is also running at 800 even though it should be 1066.  When purchased this would have been running at 1066 because that was the sales specs.

So wondering there is some other way to select the RAM speed - other than the BIOS.

Any ideas?

Cheers,

Nigel

EndlessWaves

DDR3-1600 runs at 800Mhz. 1600Mhz is 'effective speed', i.e. marketing.

nheather

Yes I know that - it is running at 399 MHz - so performing as 800MHz RAM.

This is what is puzzling me.  Had the new stuff run at 800MHz but the original at 1066MHz then I would have put it down as the motherboard/BIOS not knowing what to do with 1600MHz RAM.

But what is throwing me is when I put the original stuff back in that is running at 800MHz too.  That is not how it was sold, so I wonder how Dell set the original stuff at 1066MHz.  Maybe they have a utility or access to hidden BIOS options.

Cheers,

Nigel

next010

According to the XPS 1640 setup manual (page 63) it is limited to DDR3 1066, other models in the Studio XPS 16xx series get the DDR3 1333 but not the 1640.

XPS 1640 memory config is limited to 1GB, 2GB, 3GB and 4GB.

8GB is limited to the other models, 1645, 1647.

Maybe this laptop only works with DDR 1066 with up to 4GB RAM ?

techquest

This is what I read on your system, taken from the Dell site and the last sentence, again from Dell's site, is the caveat to it running the 8GB of RAM.

Studio XPS 1640 supports DDR3 1066 MHz SODIMM memoryry speeds of 1066 / 1333 MHz.

Configuration greater than 4 GB will be supported only by 64 bit Operating Systems.

nheather

But it is still puzzling.  The original RAM that was sold with the Laptop is 1066, but when installed it is only running as 800.

My 1600 RAM works and passes the RAM tests, it has a 1066 profile in the SPD but that isn’t being selected.

I can get my head round (but am disappointed) that the 1600 is not being detected properly but really puzzled that the original 1066 isn’t detected as 1066.

Cheers,

Nigel

techquest

Your DDR3 1600 will work in the machine but will fall back to the max capability the MB supports. But as you say it's a little confusing as that rate is supposed to be 1066 according to Dell. This is a suggestion and only that, I can't see why this should be, but according to dell users has worked, try swapping the RAM modules around in their slots.

nheather

I can categorically say that my 1600 is not falling back to the highest supported by the board even though it has an SPD profile for that.

And more puzzlingly the 1066 sold with the laptop is also not running at 1066 either.

I will try swapping and combinations of single modules and report back.

Cheers,

Nigel

techquest

Yes it is confusing. Am trying to see if there is any particular reason/issue as to why this should be.

techquest

Another question ta ask here is what is the make/model of the RAM your using?

For example  PNY MN8192KD3-1066, which is supported by Dell for your Dell XPS 1640 and is confirmed as working at 1066 in your lappy by other users.