Hey everyone! I recently upgraded my office PC with a larger SSD and more RAM. The SSD upgrade went smoothly, but I'm having trouble getting the new RAM to work. I've tried using both the new RAM and the old one, but the PC won't boot with the new RAM installed. It just beeps and shows a blank screen. The only way I can boot up is with the original RAM module. My PC is an HP 280 G2 SFF, and the original RAM is a Samsung 1x stick model M378A1K43CB2. The new RAM I bought is an 8GB SK Hynix DDR4 server/workstation RAM. I suspect I might have picked the wrong RAM, so I'd appreciate any advice on finding compatible RAM. Thanks a lot!
5 Answers
Mixing RAM can be hit or miss. It’s usually best to match the specs of your existing RAM. Since your old RAM is Samsung and the new one is from SK Hynix, the timings might not line up, which could be why it’s not working together. You could try to get RAM that's the same brand and specs as your original.
Since you have two different sticks, that might be why it’s not working. Ideally, you want the RAM sticks to be of the same specifications and brand if you mix them. You got Samsung for the older one and SK Hynix for the new one, so that might be causing the boot issues as well.
While getting RAM from different brands can work, it's usually the ECC and Registered type that's causing the problems here. My Corsair and Kingston sticks mixed fine, but they were both unbuffered, unlike what you’ve got.
It looks like that new stick won’t work in your machine. Registered ECC RAM generally doesn't work with desktop motherboards like yours. ECC RAM is designed for servers, and your link indicates it's categorized as server RAM. If you want to get something that will definitely work, just opt for regular DDR4. You could try this one: [link].
Thanks a ton! I suspected something was off, but your confirmation helps. I’ll grab that non-ECC stick you linked before trying it in another machine.
Always check the QVL (Qualified Vendor List) on your motherboard manufacturer's website. It shows which RAM is guaranteed to work with your motherboard, making your life a lot easier.
Yup, looks like you bought the wrong RAM. RDIMM (Registered DIMM) is different from UDIMM, which is what you need. Here are a couple of links to the right types: [link1] and [link2]. Good luck!
Thanks for the recommendations! I pass by that store a lot, so I’ll definitely check those out.
Thanks for the insight! I think you’re right about the RAM brand differences. I’ll make sure to stick to matching pairs in the future.