Guild Wars 2

Good morning/afternoon/night everyone, thank you all in advance for taking your time to read my post, really appreciate it.

My system is branded . “HP elite mini tower convertible 8000” ( so far I’ve changed the video card and hard drive )

My Current Specs are:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0Ghz
Mobo: Intel chipset Q43/45 ( its a weird model thou….it doesn’t have 24 pin cable connector, just 2 4 pins, ill provide picture )
VGA: GTX 750 TI
4GB of Ram ( ill show picture of my current/old ram cpu-z )
Win 7 64 bit
PSU: Custom HP 325w

Since i felt 4gb weren’t cutting it anymore, I looked up for the motherboard supported ram specs which are;
For proper system operation, the DDR3-SDRAM DIMMs must be:

? industry-standard 240-pin
? unbuffered non-ECC PC3-8500 DDR3-1066 MHz-compliant or PC3-10600 DDR3-1333 MHzcompliant
? 1.5 volt DDR3-SDRAM DIMMs
The DDR3-SDRAM DIMMs must also:
? support CAS latency 7 DDR3 1066 MHz (7-7-7 timing) and CAS latency 9 DDR3 1333 MHz
(9-9-9 timing)
? contain the mandatory JEDEC SPD information
In addition, the computer supports:
? 512-Mbit, 1-Gbit, and 2-Gbit non-ECC memory technologies
? single-sided and double-sided DIMMs
? DIMMs constructed with x8 and x16 DDR devices; DIMMs constructed with x4 SDRAM are not supported

So I ordered http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004DDI0IE/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_M3T1_ST1_dp_1, which to me it seemed it fitted the supported specs, but once I place the new ram sticks in DIMM socket #1 and #3 the system beeped 5 times in a burst then stops…rinse and repeat ( Yes i tried one at a time and both sticks right next to each other …socket 1 and 2). So is the ram faulty? or my motherboard for some reason doesn’t support it?.

here is the mobo ark
http://ark.intel.com/products/36527/Intel-82Q45-Graphics-and-Memory-Controller-Hub

Another question

I plan to upgrade my motherboard and processor but I am in a tight budget, will i be able to get a decent Mobo/Processor for 230~250 bucks combined? i normally play GW2/Aion and hopefully GTA V when it comes out for pc, Is the i3-4130 a good cpu or should I go for FX-6300?

Thanks alot, have a nice day.

This generally happens when the chip density on the RAM doesnt match the system specs.

Usually Ram comes in 2 Flavors for desktops;

Single sided with 8 Chips

Dual sided with 16 Chips

Both are configured in a *8 spec for compatibility.

What I think the issue is for your system is the fact each Chip on those modules are 512MB and there’s a single bank on each DIMM. If you got Dual sided DIMMs instead (256MB*16, rather then 512MB*8), you system probably would have seen the DIMMs just fine.

DESCRIPTION
HyperX KHX1333C9D3B1K2/8G is a kit of two 512M x 64-bit
(4GB) DDR3-1333 CL9 SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM), 1Rx8
memory modules, based on eight 512M x 8-bit FBGA compo-
nents per module. Total kit capacity is 8GB. The SPD’s are
programmed to JEDEC standard latency DDR3-1333 timing of
9-9-9 at 1.5V. Each 240-pin DIMM uses gold contact fingers.

On your other question;

A i3 will do well for this game. But for the cost of what is out there now you would be better off going with a G3258 and a Z97 decent Motherboard and saving cash on the CPU.

The G3258 is a unlocked K dual core haswell CPU. You can easily clock that CPU to 4.6Ghz (if not more due to the lack of 2 cores and HT). And that would give you the best bang for the buck in the sub 200~ range for the CPU alone.

To put it in perspective :-)

FX8350 vs i3-2120; The FX would not see more then 65FPS with the best ingame settings for that FPS. Only swapping the MB/CPU to a i3-2120 the FPS doubled with no tweaking of settings (120~)

i3-2120 vs G3220; Going from a dualcore+HT to a Dualcore did not do what I expected. Performance actually improved. The normal FPS was still 100+, but Boss fights, WvW, and heavy Zerg Content did a lot better on the G3220 then the i3. Instead of 18FPS I was getting 22-24FPS. I think hitting the 2 cores with 4 threads actually hurts for this game then helps it. On Light CPU loaded areas you get 4-8 more FPS (thats where HT shines I think) but heavy CPU hitting areas (WvW, Zergs, Boss Fights) it does worse.

I did all this testing when I was upgrading/building my wifes PC that started with a FX8350, moved to a i3-2120 then to a G3220 and finally is on a 4670K.

So take my experience and make the smart decision. If you cannot spend 239~ on a 4690K, then spend 80~ on a G3258 instead.

Thanks a lot for your advise, so basically my mobo is to old to handle that ram? so will any recent mobo handle it?. Well ill be basically doing my first build so overclocking is dark territory for me, sound exciting thou.

Could you recommend me a budget motherboard? also since this is a branded system, i am able to unplug all connectors, remove the motherboard, place another one, plugged everything and will it work?.

Zephyr.9576:

Thanks a lot for your advise, so basically my mobo is to old to handle that ram? so will any recent mobo handle it?. Well ill be basically doing my first build so overclocking is dark territory for me, sound exciting thou

The ram config usually comes down to a microcode design of the BIOS. I would first try and update the BIOS on your current PC and try the RAM again.

Any PC that can take 16 or 32gigs of ram will work with 512MB*8 banks of ram. And that is everything made in the last 2 or so years.

OCing is not that hard to do. For Haswell you just need a decent thermal paste, and a big enough air cooler to keep temps down. I Highly recommend a Hyper 212 Evo cooler today. They are 25-35bucks and keep my 4670K at 4.0Ghz at and below 60C’s. the Stock cooler is not capable of doing that.

I rarely disagree with sirsquishy, but, in this case, I believe the RAM should work according to the specifications listed here:

http://www.kingston.com/datasheets/KHX1333C9D3B1K2_8G.pdf

According to the OP’s information:

DIMMs constructed with x4 SDRAM are not supported – but x8 RAM is supported, which these are.

One thing that could be happening, is that the BIOS is remembering the timings for the old RAM (CAS latency 7) and the new RAM cannot run at that latency. Try a CMOS reset (with the new RAM installed – 1 stick at first). There will be a jumper on the motherboard which will allow you to do this (or you can try removing the battery as shown in the link below). More info:

http://www3.intel.com/cd/channel/reseller/emea/eng/membership/411560.htm

Edited to add: You should really get a better power supply – 325 Watts is really borderline for that GPU and the CPU upgrade you want to do.

abomally.2694:

I rarely disagree with sirsquishy, but, in this case, I believe the RAM should work according to the specifications listed here:

http://www.kingston.com/datasheets/KHX1333C9D3B1K2_8G.pdf

According to the OP’s information:

DIMMs constructed with x4 SDRAM are not supported – but x8 RAM is supported, which these are.

One thing that could be happening, is that the BIOS is remembering the timings for the old RAM (CAS latency 7) and the new RAM cannot run at that latency. Try a CMOS reset (with the new RAM installed – 1 stick at first). There will be a jumper on the motherboard which will allow you to do this (or you can try removing the battery as shown in the link below). More info:

http://www3.intel.com/cd/channel/reseller/emea/eng/membership/411560.htm

If the BIOS is holding the Timing that would account for that. Though personally I have never seen that happen. a CMOS reset would definitely wipe those settings :-)

I have seen RAMChip size effect support though. I have had banks of Ram not work in systems cause of the 512MB ram chips, but 256MB and 128MB worked just fine.

Also remember this is an OEM motherboard with a chopped down BIOS. Unless the Manufacture added support for the bigger modules that would also account for the issue too.

abomally.2694:

You should really get a better power supply – 325 Watts is really borderline for that GPU and the CPU upgrade you want to do.

1 year ago I bought a Thermaltake TR2 500w psu ( here is a link to the specs http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/products-model_Specification.aspx?id=c_00002031 ), but since my current mobo doesn’t have a 20+4 pin power connector I wasn’t able to use it. I also have a 6850 hd sitting down on my closet….will it perform better than the 750 ti?.

Tried the CMOS clear and it still beeped 5 times then stopped.

Did you try the jumper or the battery method?

On some motherboards the settings are stored in Flash RAM – removing the battery won’t work in that case.

Also (depending on BIOS), a memory error is usually 3 long beeps. Any chance that your video card got knocked loose (5 beeps)?

5 beeps could indicate a CPU error for that mobo from the info I’ve seen.

Try here for some beep codes using the exact motherboard model number:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/cs-010249.htm

Cant find the flash ram. CPU error? The E8400 is not compatible with the RAM i bought?

The jumper should be near the battery.

It’s possible the RAM is incompatible, but it seems unlikely looking at the specs. What’s the exact model number of your motherboard (not the chipset number)?

For some odd reason…cant find the jumper, if you want a picture of the case/mobo ill gladly provide it ( btw thanks for your help )….here is the model “3647h”.

Btw, could you tell me a cheap LGA 1150 socket motherboard?

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01960471.pdf
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01944841.pdf

5 beeps means ram error.

does your old ram work when reinserted into the correct sockets?

If so then either the new ram is non functioning, or has a newer SPD (Serial Presence Detect) version that your older board cannot read. Most boards will accept any memory as long as the 1) SPD version is correct 2) the SPD is readable 3) the board has the relevant profiles stored in relation to the SPD profiles (ie clocks, cl, voltage, etc). This problem usually only arises with very “old” computers such as yours.

Your options are to return your memory for another set to see if they are dead on arrival. If the new sticks are not broken but rather incompatible then you must update your mb bios to accept new SPD versions or choose older memory that uses the older SPD revision 1.0 and also fit the other requirements your older board has.

As for a new MB/cpu, be aware that you are using a prebuilt machine and that a new MB/CPU combo will most likely require a new copy of windows as HP uses non-transferable OEM versions of windows locked to specific motherboards. So you must consider that in your budget as well. Also since your MB is propitiatory, your case is might have proprietary standoffs and holes as well and not accept a standard u/mini/atx board, i would say budget for a new case just in case.

@sirsquishy, the Pentium performing better than the i3 is expected. 4 threads are good, but HT is not magic especially in those large zergs. =P

Thanks for your reply!

My old ram worked perfectly when i reinserted it, I tried just 1 stick in DIMM 1 ( old ram/current ) and the system booted fine, tried 1 stick of old ram in DIMM1 and the 2 new sticks in DIMM3/4 and it beeped.

I bought a Win7 copy few months ago. So i am just missing a motherboard/cpu and case to buy. Could you recommend me a “newbi/starter” friendly case?

pcpartpicker.com is a good resource to explore parts, prices, and throw together lists as it checks for part compatibility.

the MB depends on the cpu really. If you plan on getting the overclocklable pentium g3258 that sirsquishy suggested then go with a low end z97 board that are coming out specifically for that chip. but if you go with a non overclockable i3/i5 then a h series, b series board will be fine. Pcpartpicker will check compatibility for you.

As for cases, that is really up to your budget/personal taste. Most big brand cases are similar in features and really comes down to style and budget. After you pick a cpu/mb combo, Pcpartpicker will be your friend here as it will also check for board/case compatibilities. You can then sort by average rating along with price, color, material, features, etc. My only suggestion would be to get a case with front usb 3 ports.

Edit: also getting a good cpu cooler like a hyper 212 evo is important if you plan on buying the Pentium to overclock.

Good info dodgy. I don’t tend to think in terms of the scaled-down BIOS (my systems are home built).

But yeah, I’ve ran into that exact issue before where the RAM wasn’t detected before a BIOS update. Hopefully, the OP can do that and resolve the issue.