Forcing a Dimm into an Asus A8V

[halfpower]

I have an Asus A8V Deluxe motherboard. The manual states, "DO NOT force a DIMM to avoid damaging the dimm." I am firmly pushing on the dimm and the memory is not sliding in. If I push any harder I will be effectively forcing the dimm into the board. I've tested force required to trip the retaining clips and I think I am applying more than twice that force. When I look at the dimm there is a slight bow, but still I do not see any obvious reason why the dimm would not pop in with the amount of force I am applying.

thanks for any help
halfpower

 

[PurdueRy]

you aren't installing it upsidedown are you...I doubt it...

Thats all I can think of

 

[halfpower]

no, I've got the notch in the right place and the metal teeth meet the 'lower jaw.' Maybe I need more force.

 

[imported_Kensai]

Hmm. Use controlled force and try not to break the DIMM or the pins.

 

[InlineFive]

I really think you are using incompatible hardware. Make sure you aren't trying to plug a two prong SDRAM stick into a one prong DDR slot.

 

[halfpower]

Originally posted by: PorBleemo
I really think you are using incompatible hardware. Make sure you aren't trying to plug a two prong SDRAM stick into a one prong DDR slot.

I've have an Asus A8V with Kingston KVR400X64C3AK2/1G memory. My motherboard manual says that the A8V Deluxe is compatible with the KVR400X64C3A/512 which I believe is the same as two sticks of KVR400X64C3AK2/1G. Kingston's site says that they are compatible. This is the description from their site


Description:
1GB Kit 400MHz DDR PC3200 DIMM 3-3-3 Dual Rank

Detailed Specifications:
Standard 64M X 64 Non-ECC 400MHz 184-pin Unbuffered DIMM (SDRAM-DDR, 2.6V, CL3, Gold)


By the way, this is my first time building.

 

[Delbert]

Could the motherboard be warped from the HSF clamp?

 

[halfpower]

Originally posted by: Kensai
Hmm. Use controlled force and try not to break the DIMM or the pins.

I am already approaching the amount of force that can crack a circuit board. The pins, on the other hand, do not appear to be very vulnerable to damage. They are barely sticking out.

 

[halfpower]

Originally posted by: Delbert
Could the motherboard be warped from the HSF clamp?

I have screwed the fiberglass mounting thing (for a Thermalright XP120) onto the board. I just loosened it and tried again to put the memory in. No such luck.

 

[Silversierra]

Sometimes it does take a good bit of force to get it in. It's also harder to do when the board is in the case. Is the notch in the middle of the dimm lining up with the divider in the ram slot?

 

[Concillian]

DIMMs without a heatspreader can be difficult to put in.

I've had times when it's difficult to get straight up and down force, and the DIMM is a little tilted, and I've had slots that simply required LOTS of force.

Try pressing it in gently just to get it in the right place, then putting one side in until it clamps, then put the other side in. Sometimes this works better than a "straight down, both at the same time" approach.

 

[halfpower]

Thanks. Pushing it in on one side first and then the other while using LOTS of force seemed to work.

 

[tcsenter]

Take the board out of the case, set it on a flat surface and on top of the foam piece that came in the antistatic bag for padding. Then insert your CPU, HSF, and DIMMs. The board doesn't flex this way and you can use almost as much force as you want (within reason) without that anxiety caused by the board flexing.

Try it with the retaining tabs at the halfway point, so they move a bit back and forth, instead of pushed all the way open as far as they go.

I have in my time seen one motherboard with a bent contact in a DIMM socket. It actually had two adjacent bent contacts. And of course, I chipped the edge of my memory module before realizing what the hell was going on.

 

[Delbert]

Sorry I posted just as I was running out the door and didn?t have much time to explain. What I have seen is the whole motherboard warp just from the tension applied by the new amd64 heat sink attaching method. I had to put a block of ¼ inch thick acrylic under my ram (between standoffs) to lift it straight when the motherboard screws were installed. See pics.
Pic 1
Pic 2
If you search around you will see that others have had problems seating their ram with the warped board.

 

[NokiaDude]

Originally posted by: Delbert
Sorry I posted just as I was running out the door and didn?t have much time to explain. What I have seen is the whole motherboard warp just from the tension applied by the new amd64 heat sink attaching method. I had to put a block of ¼ inch thick acrylic under my ram (between standoffs) to lift it straight when the motherboard screws were installed. See pics.
Pic 1
Pic 2
If you search around you will see that others have had problems seating their ram with the warped board.

Geez! That's why I always install the CPU/Heatsink and RAM OUTSIDE the case!! There aren't enough studs to supoort all that pressure to prevetn warping!

 

[Delbert]

The AMD64 heatsink retention module puts lots of clamping force on the studs that pass thru the motherboard. The studs are rather wide and all that tension can warp the amd64 motherboard. Again, what I had to do with a KV8 wasput a block of plastic under the motherboard to straighten it.

 

[Peter]

Maybe there is a reason he's calling himself "halfpower"

Seriously ... yes, DIMM slots can be ridiculously tight. Sticking the CPU, HSF and RAM in while the board is still sitting on the workbench is a good idea.

 

[halfpower]

Originally posted by: tcsenter
Take the board out of the case, set it on a flat surface and on top of the foam piece that came in the antistatic bag for padding. Then insert your CPU, HSF, and DIMMs.

I think I will definitely go this route next time around.

 

[halfpower]

Originally posted by: Peter
Maybe there is a reason he's calling himself "halfpower"

Maybe.