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

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  1. Posts : 843
    11 Pro 21H2 (22000.832)
       #1

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


    This'll take a minute, so if you give it a TL;DR, I'll understand completely.

    Okay, my last thread on memory had everyone thoroughly convincing me that replacing my old memory sticks with new ones would accomplish little or nothing. I've been thinking about the new memory I've got, though, and thinking maybe I could ADD IT TO the old memory. That would give me 32GB of 1600MHz DDR3. No idea why I'd ever need that much, but what the heck. I've got it; I'm gonna use it!

    Four slots. Comp specs say up to 32GB OK. Slots are Green Blue Green Blue counting away from the CPU. Figured since the installed sticks are working really well, I'd just slip the two new sticks into the available slots and see what happened. But I thought I remembered from way back that you paired matching sticks in matching (-colored) slots, so stick 1 goes in Green 1, stick 2 in Green 2. That would mean the two new sticks go in Blue 1 and Blue 2. Hadn't paid any attention to the memory slots in the several times I've been inside the machine (changing the case fan and switching out the old SSD and HDD for two new SSDs). So ... surprise! Today I opened 'er up and really looked at the memory slots, and the old 8GB 1600s are sitting in the first two slots, one Green, one Blue, and I have an empty Green and an empty Blue.

    OK. Tried the new sticks in G2 and B2. No boot, and some scary beeping from the internal speaker. Powered down. Left old stick 1 in G1, moved old stick 2 to G2, put new sticks in B1 and B2. Now I've got old new old new. No boot; many beeps. Took out the old sticks completely and put the new sticks in G1 and B1, where the old sticks were (remember: replacing the old with the new was ruled likely ineffective in my last thread), just to be done with it and at least know that I was getting some use from the new sticks. Boot! No beeps.

    But I went to Speccy to see what that program had to say about the new kids on the block, and saw this report: 16.0GB Single-Channel DDR3 @666MHz. The old sticks produced this report: 16.0GB Single-Channel DDR3 @798MHz. Hmmm.
    Something isn't quite as right with the new sticks as with the old ones. Small diff, but a diff.

    I'm back running happily on the old sticks in G1 and B1, but I'm really curious about what I tried and what failed and what I should have done (and could still do). You brilliant hardware engineers are probably full of ideas. Please share.

    Dan
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 56,806
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #2

    OT from your post, but Speccy is suspect sometimes, hasn't retained it's "glamour" last few years. Get a copy of HWINFO64, you get real good data on those sticks, along with other good data. Just a better tool for what you're looking at. and there are others. List could go on and on. Just give it a try, price is right.

    HWiNFO - Free System Information, Monitoring and Diagnostics
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 843
    11 Pro 21H2 (22000.832)
    Thread Starter
       #3

    On my way.

    Wow! Many thanks. I think I learned ten new things in the first thirty seconds I had those windows open.

    The need for information I currently have, however is not about what IS, but about what might be or should have been.
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 23,014
    Win 10 Home ♦♦♦19045.4239 (x64) [22H2]
       #4

    @Wisewiz

    CPU-Z will tell you if your memory is running in single channel or dual channel.
    Dual channel is what you want.
    CPU-Z | Softwares | CPUID


    Get the .zip (portable) version.



    Add new memory sticks: which slots? Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 SFF-image1.png



    This will let you know if you need to put two sticks in two green, for example... or one green and one blue.
    Once you see "dual" in CPU-Z, then you will know, which slots to install the old and then the new RAM into.

    Keep in mind that they still might not be compatible, even if they are in the right slots.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 56,806
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #5

    Add new memory sticks: which slots? Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 SFF-2021-05-07_20h38_29.png
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 843
    11 Pro 21H2 (22000.832)
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Well, what can I try that might change the current "single channel" label to "dual channel"? The packaging and online info for both the old and the new sticks agree that the sticks are indeed dual channel, but it's clear my comp isn't seeing it that way.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 23,014
    Win 10 Home ♦♦♦19045.4239 (x64) [22H2]
       #7

    Wisewiz said:
    Well, what can I try that might change the current "single channel" label to "dual channel"? The packaging and online info for both the old and the new sticks agree that the sticks are indeed dual channel, but it's clear my comp isn't seeing it that way.


    With a proprietary Lenovo motherboard, there's no way to be sure.

    BUT, for most modern motherboards, to get dual channel, you need to stick the two RAM sticks in slots 2 and 4 counting away from the CPU. These slots are generally the same color.
    To add two more sticks of RAM, you generally put them in the other two slots, namely, slots 1 and 3, counting away from the CPU.

    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..
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 843
    11 Pro 21H2 (22000.832)
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Weeell, I've got four sticks of "dual channel" and three reports that the momboard doesn't agree: Speccy, HWiNFO, and CPU-Z.Add new memory sticks: which slots? Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 SFF-cpu-z.jpgAdd new memory sticks: which slots? Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 SFF-hwinfo.jpg

    - - - Updated - - -

    Ghot said:
    With a proprietary Lenovo motherboard, there's no way to be sure.

    BUT, for most modern motherboards, to get dual channel, you need to stick the two RAM sticks in slots 2 and 4 counting away from the CPU. These slots are generally the same color.
    To add two more sticks of RAM, you generally put them in the other two slots, namely, slots 1 and 3, counting away from the CPU.

    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..
    Okay, so I can't know whether this machine that was built in 2013 has the 1-2 or the 2-4 requirement to get dual, but I tried as above:
    Left old stick 1 in G1, moved old stick 2 to G2, put new sticks in B1 and B2. Now I've got old new old new. No boot; many beeps.
    Suggestions as to what I try next?
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 23,014
    Win 10 Home ♦♦♦19045.4239 (x64) [22H2]
       #9

    Here's an old pic, from a previous build of mine... showing the memory speed difference when running in single channel vs. dual channel.
    This is WHY we try to always run in dual channel if we can...


    Add new memory sticks: which slots? Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 SFF-00-single-channel-vs-dual-channel.png




    These are the SAME two RAM sticks. In the left pic, they are in slots 1 and 2 counting from the CPU (single channel), and inthe right pic they are in slots 2 and 4 counting from the CPU (dual channel).
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 23,014
    Win 10 Home ♦♦♦19045.4239 (x64) [22H2]
       #10

    Here's the RAM installation page from a modern Intel motherboard... this board has black and yellow slots.

    The yellow slots will run the RAM sticks in dual channel. The black slots will also run the RAM in dual channel.
    Putting TWO RAM sticks in a black slot and a yellow slot, will run the RAM in single channel.



    Add new memory sticks: which slots? Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 SFF-image1.png




    When you buy a set of two RAM sticks they are "matched". In other words, they have been tested to run together.
    So, IF you have two "sets" of RAM sticks... in order to get dual channel, you need to run one "matched" set in the green slots, and the other "matched" set in the blue slots (your motherboard colors).

    If you run one stick from one set, AND one stick from the other set... even if they are in the right slots...they may cause errors.
      My Computer


 

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