Gateway ML3706 laptop not seeing new RAM

[vj9usa]

I recently purchased a 512MB PC2-5300 SODIMM for a Gateway ML3706. Prior to attempting to install the new stick, the laptop had a single 512MB stick of PC2-4200 RAM with a second free slot (the PC2-5300 was much cheaper than any PC2-4200 RAM I could find, and I assumed it would automatically match the speed of the slower RAM).

However, the new RAM does not show up in the BIOS, or in Windows (Vista Basic). Task manager still shows 446 MB (512 with ~64MB used for graphics). The strange thing is, it shows up just fine in CPU-Z, which reports 1024MB total RAM and shows that the system has 2x512MB sticks installed. I tried taking out the old stick and running just the new one, and it worked fine. I also tried swapping slots, and it still only shows 512MB.

Any help would be appreciated, as I can't think of anything else to try to get the OS and the BIOS to see both sticks of RAM (incidentally, Belarc also only shows 446MB). I know the problem can't be within the stick itself, since CPU-Z sees it and it works on its own.

 

[robisbell]

did you verify that the ram would even work in the laptop? what make and brand?

http://www.ec.kingston.com/eco...butor=0&submit1=Search
http://www.ec.kingston.com/eco...ck=&ktcpartno=M6464F50
http://www.ec.kingston.com/eco...ck=&ktcpartno=M6464E40

 

[vj9usa]

This is the stick:
http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16820145049

I assumed it would work as I hadn't read of any incompatibilities between Crucial RAM and Gateway laptops. And like I said in my first post, the new stick is fully functional when it's installed by itself.

 

[robisbell]

you got the wrong stick. the 512MB is CT651051

 

[vj9usa]

I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by CT651051. Could you elaborate?

 

[robisbell]

that's the crucial part number for the correct 512MB for your laptop.

 

[vj9usa]

Are you sure that isn't just 2 of what I purchased? It has the exact same specs: "DDR2 PC2-5300 ? CL=5 ? Unbuffered ? NON-ECC ? DDR2-667 ? 1.8V ? 64Meg x 64"

 

[robisbell]

the part numbers do not match the one you bought, and even crucial does not agree that model will work in your system.

 

[vj9usa]

Why would it not work if it's essentially the same thing? If it's unbuffered, non-ECC, has the same latency, is the same speed, same voltage, same chip configuration, what else could be different? Also, how would that explain the new stick working perfectly by itself and also being detected properly by CPU-Z when installed with the old stick?

 

[robisbell]

I'm not a clean room tech for crucial, and I am going off the info I can find, there must be something different enough. the memory you have is not correct, per Crucial. plain and simple, send the one you have back an get the correct one. I would also suggest you get the same speed 512 as the one that the system came with.