Series of three beeps after installing RAM

I just bought 2GB of ram. I did research to figure out what type of ram would work with my computer and was sure I got the right kind. Now I'm not so sure.

I installed the ram and when I turned the computer on nothing would appear on my screen and a series of three beeps came from the computer.

I reinstalled the two cards 256mb of ram(a total of 512mb) and it worked fine. I removed one card leaving just 256mb and it worked fine (if a bit slower.) I then placed a 1gb card next to the 256mb of ram and the beeping started again.

Did I buy the wrong type or am I making a stupid mistake?

The manual of your motherboard should specify how many and what types of RAM can be inserted, and in what order (if any is applicable). If you don't know your motherboard brand & model, you can probably find it printed on the board, or within any documents you gained with the computer.
Motherboards always have a limit of how many memory they can handle.



[edit on 21-5-2009 by scraze]

So those beeps mean I have too much? I don't have the original manual of this computer because I inherited from my aunt a couple years ago and it was most likely thrown away with a lot of her possesions.

reply to post by Draiden


It's most likely incompatible RAM, judging from what you've said. Some MB's need either ECC or Non-ECC RAM. Some can handle both. Also, check to make sure it can handle 1GB modules, cause some older MB's could only handle up to 512MB modules, or less. CAS specs can also affect things, but MB's are usually pretty good about auto sensing and adjusting for this. Some BIOS allow you to set this, and in one case, I was able to get some RAM to work. But that is rare. The new RAM could also be bad, especially if you bought it used.

You could try and pop it in a friend's machine somewhere, if you can find one that will take it. Obviously if it's good in their machine- it's incompatible with yours. RAM purchases are easy to screw up, as there a lot of specs- but the ECC/non-ECC issue is one that occurs most frequently that I've seen. You may have just overlooked it.

incompatible memory.

I've had memory purchased directly from Dell, stating on their website that it's the proper upgrade, end up being incompatible with a particular system/motherboard.

... more issues with DDR2 than any other.

Also,
Some boards Do require installation in pairs and some even All pairs must be the same (size, speed, etc). Again, mostly in the proprietary package systems (Dell, HP, etc.).

What is your make/model/system?

[edit: to add]

Most motherboards do have a limit with regards maximum size memory module they will accept/support per slot. If it's an older system, even by a few years, it may very well Not support 1Gb sticks per. Once again, mostly in the package systems.




[edit on 21-5-2009 by 12m8keall2c]