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

As you said earlier.. RAM with the same overall specs, should work when adding RAM.
I agree. However, because it's a pre-built... it's a LOT harder to troubleshoot things like this, do to lack of in depth manuals, etc.

Most prebuilts get support help via their serial number at the manufacturer's site.



Here, check this out. All I was attempting to do, was getting MY RAM to run at advertised speeds on my motherboard.
The RAM was tested to be compatible with my motherboard, as well.

ASUS motherboard RAM timings problem

And this was a matched set or RAM also. I only wanted it to run at 3200Mhz and at the timings it was supposed to run at.








Technically, according to the manual, all I had to do was go into the BIOS and enable DOCP, (like Intel's XMP), and the RAM would run at 3200Mhz with the proper timings.
Well, that's not what happened. It not only wouldn't boot, but I couldn't even get back into the BIOS.
So I had to remove the motherboard's CMOS battery, to reset the BIOS to defaults and.... try again.

The rest is in that topic of mine. And this is on EASY to use non-proprietary parts.




I wish I could be more help... but I don't even know what to suggest, other than ask Lenovo.
What you are doing, should, technically work.
I've even seen RAM of different speeds work together.









According to the pic in post #11 the 2nd slot away from the CPU, is the slot you should use when only running one stick of RAM.

So.... take one stick of the new set of RAM and put it in the 2nd slot, with no RAM in any other slots.
To test if that stick of the new RAM works.
Then do that with the 2nd stick of the new set.
This will test both sticks in the new set.

If they both work... then your initial plan... should work (all 4 sticks).
Just make sure you keep them grouped by version numbers, like in this pic...

Thank you so very much, Ghot and the rest of you who chimed in here. I'm a hardware ignoramus, and I know it. Well, I know it well enough to know to ASK before I whip out the screwdrivers.

I think we've accomplished all we can here, so I'm going to mark this one solved, and I'll post back with the news if and when I take any further action. Right now, I'm heavily leaning in the direction of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Dan

Wisewiz said:

Thank you so very much, Ghot and the rest of you who chimed in here. I'm a hardware ignoramus, and I know it. Well, I know it well enough to know to ASK before I whip out the screwdrivers.

I think we've accomplished all we can here, so I'm going to mark this one solved, and I'll post back with the news if and when I take any further action. Right now, I'm heavily leaning in the direction of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Dan

If you don't NEED the extra RAM, that's what I would do as well.
If you do get it working with all four sticks... definitely post it here.

It's just really hard without a typical motherboard manual.

Well thought, well said, well done, my friend.
Dan

Hey, @SIW2,
Thx, but I have had that manual ever since I acquired the comp, and I posted the table on pp. 104-5 in one of my posts above in this thread. The problem is that the comp is running now with 2 8GB sticks of DDR3 1600 in slots 1 and 2, and my attempts to boot it with sticks in 1-3 (old mem) and 2-4 (new) failed. As discussed (too much for most readers) above, I've planned (maybe) to try it with the working old in 2-4 and with slots 1-3 empty. If that works -- and I'm doubtful -- I'll try adding the new sticks to 1-3.

I really appreciate the time you must have spent finding and checking that manual. You're a good friend to have on my side.

Nope. No problem with the new or the old. Shroud is spring-mounted, and moves very slightly.

Just tried old (working in slots 1-2, but in single-channel mode) sticks in slots 2-4. Power up produced the four beeps from the internal speaker. Lenovo site says these mean "memory not found."

As above, I think I'll just live with the 1-2 configuration and the old memory. The machine is much faster than I need it to be, boots in well under thirty seconds, even with two AV programs and a small UI adjustment to make during Windows load-up. I see no delay in much of anything. Sixteen older Gigs in single-channel mode seems to serve me well.

"Leave it the ___ alone, man! It's working fine!"
(My new mantra)

- - - Updated - - -
@Ghot
You said "On old motherboards, say, from 10 years ago... the two slots that were generally used were slots 1 and 2, counting away from the CPU. This was the norm. But as CPU coolers got bigger, they changed it to slots 2 and 4."
Three different specs apps agree this mobo was manufactured in 2014.
(See #29 for the latest attempt to mess around until I get dual-channel mode.)