Add new memory sticks: which slots? Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 SFF

@Ghot
according to this shot, we're counting correctly for this mbd, and I think this table is saying that my old sticks shd be in 2 and 4 for dual. I tried them in 1 and 3 with new in 2 and 4. Maybe I shd try the old in 2 and 4 without the new and see. Then maybe try adding the new in 1 and 3, and if that doesn't boot, perhaps this new Corsair Vengeance 1600 isn't compatible.

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@Ghot
OK. I have two matched sets, and I know the old set is compatible with the mobo, so I shd try the old ones in 2 and 4, and try to boot, and if it works, see whether I'm in dual mode. The go back in and put the new set in 1 and 3, and if no boot, not compatible?

Wisewiz said:

@Ghot
according to this shot, we're counting correctly for this mbd, and I think this table is saying that my old sticks shd be in 2 and 4 for dual. I tried them in 1 and 3 with new in 2 and 4. Maybe I shd try the old in 2 and 4 without the new and see. Then maybe try adding the new in 1 and 3, and if that doesn't boot, perhaps this new Corsair Vengeance 1600 isn't compatible.

Yeah that's what I said. BUT... you need to get the RAM stick SETS together as well. Like this...








For example... in this pic, the old set of RAM, we will call the 1st set. The new set of RAM we will call the 2nd set.
You can't mix the old RAM sticks with the new RAM sticks, you need to keep them in their sets.


I'm just guessing at which slots are green and which are blue. You get the idea though.

we're crossing in the mail. I understand what you're saying and will try as in my #11 above, Huh?

I think this is all coming full circle to what I started out remembering: set in 1-3, set in 2-4. But I didn't try the old set in 2-4 yet, and I don't understand what my posted table above means about "installation sequence."

Wisewiz said:

we're crossing in the mail. I understand what you're saying and will try as in my #11 above, Huh?

Here's another version of the pic...





Try just the OLD set first... if that works, then add the NEW set.
Don't mix the SETS up.


Besides frequency, timings and voltage...RAM sticks also have "versions".
The different "version" numbers tell you who made the IC chips ON the RAM sticks.

When I use the term SET... I mean two sticks with the same "version" number.
Not to be confused with the stick's model number.












On my previous computer, I had two SETS of Corsair Dominators. Both were 1866Mhz, CL 9.
But one set was version: 8.2x and the other SET was version 3.2x

The 3.2x SET had Micron IC cips and the 8.2x SET had Nanya IC chips.
I had to keep the Micron stick with the Micron stick and the Nanya stick with the Nanya stick... OR they would generate errors.

Ghot said:

Try just the OLD set first... if that works, then add the NEW set.
Don't mix the SETS up. ... When I use the term SET... I mean two sticks with the same "version" number.

Gotcha. And so to bed. Tomorrow, my friends.

Wisewiz said:

Gotcha. And so to bed. Tomorrow, my friends.

Gnite and good luck.

@Ghot
1. Maybe I should have bought two sets of the same new memory, checked the versions to make sure they're paired, and installed all four. Still could do that, since memory is fairly inexpensive nowadays, and pandemic delivery service is next day for us in balmy Southern Ontario.
2. Nobody who has chimed in on this thread has mentioned my BIOS. Nobody. Is there anything I need to do in there while I'm dancing around with sticks of memory chips in my hands and playing the slots game?

蔚丹

/update
In #11 above, I said, "Maybe I shd try the old in 2 and 4 without the new and see. Then maybe try adding the new in 1 and 3, and if that doesn't boot, perhaps this new Corsair Vengeance 1600 isn't compatible." By isn't compatible, I was thinking "isn't compatible with the old mobo or CPU or something." But maybe it's possible for the two sets to be incompatible with each other, without regard to mobo, CPU, or anything else. I dunno.
So I'm back to the suggestion I had in this post in (1.). Four sticks, same specs, all inserted at the same time, try to boot.

Wisewiz said:

@Ghot
1. Maybe I should have bought two sets of the same new memory, checked the versions to make sure they're paired, and installed all four. Still could do that, since memory is fairly inexpensive nowadays, and pandemic delivery service is next day for us in balmy Southern Ontario.
2. Nobody who has chimed in on this thread has mentioned my BIOS. Nobody. Is there anything I need to do in there while I'm dancing around with sticks of memory chips in my hands and playing the slots game?

蔚丹

They do sell 32 GB "sets" (4 x 8GB). Which most probably are matched version numbers, or at least tested
to work together.
Like this... Choose Memory - PCPartPicker


On a normal non Lenovo motherboard, the best thing to do in the BIOS initially, for compatibility, is set it to defaults.


Lastly, in this case, I would just run the old 16GB set and save the others for spares.
As you said earlier...there's really no need for 32GB.
You also might check on Lenovo's website... they may have a list of compatible memory sets.

desktops and all in ones :: thinkcentre m series desktops :: thinkcentre m83 - Lenovo Support UA

desktops and all in ones :: thinkcentre m series desktops :: thinkcentre m83contentdetail - Lenovo Support UA

Ghot said:

They do sell 32 GB "sets" (4 x 8GB). Which most probably are matched version numbers, or at least tested to work together.

Seems to me that the odds are extremely good that if I order the same product from the same supplier within a short period of time, and I specify
CORSAIR Vengeance Low Profile 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600MHz CL10 DIMMs (CML16GX3M2A1600C10),
I should get the same thing. Wouldn't bet my life on it, but I would bet on it.

Wisewiz said:

Seems to me that the odds are extremely good that if I order the same product from the same supplier within a short period of time, and I specify
CORSAIR Vengeance Low Profile 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600MHz CL10 DIMMs (CML16GX3M2A1600C10),
I should get the same thing. Wouldn't bet my life on it, but I would bet on it.

Yeah, that's what I thought too. Back when I ordered the Corsair Dominators DDR3.
I ordered both sets on the same day from Newegg, and got two different versions numbers.

I even called Corsair, and aked about getting 2x (2 x 8GB) sets of the same exact version. They pretty much just laughed at me and said... we don't match different "sets" that way.


The 2nd Lenovo link above is the support by serial number link, which might help.

If it was me... I would just call Lenovo and find out why adding RAM isn't working.
That pic in post #11 pretty much says that all the sticks don't have to be from a "set".
They just give the "order" necessary when adding RAM sticks.


This is why a lot of folk don't buy pre-built computers, and build their own instead.
Non-proprietary parts have to be much more compatible, cause the manufacturer's don't know what build people will make.

Lie I can go to my motherboard manufacturer's site and find a list of compatible RAM.
I can also look up my motherboard on RAM manufacturer's sites, to see what RAM has been "tested" to work in my motherboard.




/edit

I don't know if this link will show the "results" of my RAM search or not...
RAM Configurator-G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Ok, it does. All those RAM sticks have been tested to work on my motherboard. All I have to do is narrow down the selection on the left side.