Laptop Memory Problem

[tungtung]

Just wondering, I bought a memory from one guy and he claimed the memory is in perfect working order.

However after installing the memory on my machine, I experience random crashes quite often. These crashes are quite severe, I mean the machine just stop working, and the only way to get it back is to unplug the power cord, and battery. Even the power button cannot shut down the machine for whatever reason.

I have tried using MemTest86 and it totally fails.

The guy claim that my laptop is just not compatible with this memory. Is this possible? I mean if a memory is not compatible with the laptop won't the machine just stop working totally, and not even load Windows.

The memory is a generic brand PC 133 SO-DIMM memory and the laptop is a Dell Inspiron 4100. As a sidenote, I have actually bought another PC 133 SO-DIMM from other eBay seller that work perfectly with this laptop.

 

[FlyingPenguin]

OEM computers (especially lappies and DOUBLY especially Dell lappies) are very fussy about RAM. If I had a dollar for every time a client called with problems after installing Ram... (but the guy at Office Depot says it'll work in any computer!).

It's very possible the RAM is fine but is not compatible with your laptop. It might even be a compatibility issue between your old and new memory - the new stick by itself may work fine.

This is why I ALWAYS recommend that instead of blindly buying memory from anywhere, you go to the RAM manufacturer's website and use their online database to look up and order the correct RAM for your computer that's guaranteed to work with it. I recommend CRUCIAL.COM (Micron's mail order store).

 

[tungtung]

What I just don't understand is why the machine still works with this stick installed ... alone and with another stick.
On rare occasion, the machine will work for several hours before it crashes.