I'm dealing with an older PC that doesn't let me change any RAM settings in the BIOS. Right now, I've got a 4GB stick running at 1600MHz, but my system seems to struggle with anything over 1333MHz or even 1033MHz, causing it to freeze when I open programs. Using my old 2GB stick works, but it just isn't enough anymore. I'd like to use both RAM sticks together, but whenever I try, my PC doesn't boot and shows an "Unregistered Exception Handler" error. I think this is because of the different speeds. Is there a way to limit the speed of my 4GB stick to 1033MHz?
3 Answers
Unfortunately, you can't control RAM speed from the OS since those settings are determined before Linux even loads. If your BIOS supports it, you'll have to look there, but you mentioned it doesn’t.
Sounds like you might have faulty RAM rather than just a speed issue. If your motherboard specs say it can handle up to 1333MHz, your 1600MHz stick should clock down to that automatically. But if you're encountering errors, you might want to run a memory test. Mixing RAM speeds often leads to problems, so that could explain the booting issues with both sticks in.
That error message you described is usually a Windows thing. If it's happening with specific programs, it might be the software's fault rather than your RAM. If your BIOS isn't handling the sticks well, consider testing with a live USB Linux system to see if that runs any better.
Just a heads-up, if you're getting that error early during startup, it could point to compatibility issues with older DDR2 memory. If your PC can run DDR3, then trying that might help.