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Dell Dimension 3000 and CMSS512MB-400


nix4me

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Hi,

I bought 2 sticks of CMSS512MB-400 (Lot 0537105-1)and they don't work in my Dell Dimension 3000. I get 5 or 6 long beeps and then nothing.

 

The memory configurator says they should work.

 

Before this i tried a stick of value select and it didn't work (I found out why on your website after the fact).

 

Im very mad now because newegg charges for returns so now I have wasted alot of money and Corsair memory refuses to work.

 

Any reason why?

 

Mark

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No, it's right, just generalized.

 

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/dimen_3000?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~tab=specstab#tabtop

Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology (3GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache)

Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor (2.80GHz, 533MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache)

Intel® Celeron® D Processor 320 (2.40GHz, 533MHz FSB, 256KB L2 cache)

Intel® Celeron® D Processor 330 (2.66GHz, 533MHz FSB, 256KB L2 cache)

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nix4me,

 

Actually, both Dell and Intel are right. Wired is also right about Corsair's compatibility list being generalized.

 

Dell Dimension 3000 owners have run into the strict limitations of Intel's chipsets on OEM systems. Officially, Intel supports asynchronous memory operation only up to HCLK +/- PCI. This means that you can only use DDR333 memory with a 533MHz FSB processor; using that DDR400 System Select memory (which runs at an actual memory clockspeed of 200MHz) on a 533MHz FSB Celeron or P4 CPU (actual FSB clockspeed: 133MHz) will result in a 67MHz differential between the memory clockspeed and the CPU's FSB (which is clearly beyond Intel's official spec of HCLK +/- 33.3MHz). What's more, neither the Value Select nor the System Select DDR400 modules have SPDs programmed for any other clockspeed besides the stock 200MHz - and the Dell OEM BIOSes offer no way at all whatsoever to manually adjust the memory clockspeed. (And since the system always sets the memory clockspeed at DDR400 with either Corsair DDR400 module no mater what, your system will hang at the BIOS level with the CPU's FSB at QDR533.) Thus, if you're buying Corsair memory for the Dimension 3000 with a 533MHz FSB CPU, the only modules which will work would be the CMSS###MB-333 modules. (Dell's original equipment DDR400 modules do work on the Dimension 3000 with a 533MHz FSB CPU only because that memory uses an SPD which supports both DDR400 and DDR333 operation, and is programmed accordingly. And according to the JEDEC specification for DDR400 memory, support for DDR333 and DDR266 speeds is optional.)

 

By the way, the CMSS512MB-400 modules will work on the Dimension 3000 - but only if your CPU uses an 800MHz FSB. You have the 533MHz FSB version of the P4.

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