Why is my new RAM causing 4 beeps?

Hello! thank you for your answer :)

If 4GB of RAM was initially installed, the top slot was most probably empty and never used, is this correct? No, I replaced one of the sticks because I thought it was defective, I'm not so sure about that anymore.

With the battery disconnected (see below) visually inspect the top RAM slot for any damage. Will try this as soon as I finish sending homework (on the same computer with the new RAM stick on slot 1).

Are the 2 new 4GB RAM modules (or did you only get 1?) identical as to frequency and latency etc i.e. exact same specifications? Yes, they're even the same brand.

Did you disconnect the battery from the laptop when you removed/replaced the RAM modules? Yes, I always disconnect batteries and ground myself before handling memory sticks (Learnt the hard way with an old comp).

Hi,

if it is you could always try 1 x 8GB in slot 1 to achiev

Apologies for the battery comment but I work on the basis that people mightn't know about this (and a lot don't)and go from there ;-)

What were the old RAM modules 2+2, 2+4 or 4 +4?

Whichever way it was configured, weren't you getting the full amount of RAM being detected before and that's what made you decide to try new RAM?

Do both the old RAM modules work in slot 1?

If so it's starting to look like a defective RAM slot 2.

If it is you could always try 1 x 8GB in slot 1 to achieve the same result as the laptop supports 16GB

Hi, thank you for following up jayeff!

According to Dell website it doesn't admit more than 4 GB per slot :/

Apologies for the battery comment but I work on the basis that people mightn't know about this (and a lot don't)and go from there ;-) hahaha, no worries, thank you for reminding though

What were the old RAM modules 2+2, 2+4 or 4 +4? 4+4

Whichever way it was configured, weren't you getting the full amount of RAM being detected before and that's what made you decide to try new RAM? It gave me a memory error so I decided to change the card since it didn't work in either slot.

Do both the old RAM modules work in slot 1? Yes

If so it's starting to look like a defective RAM slot 2. T_T didn't wanna hear that but is there any way to fix it?

If it is you could always try 1 x 8GB in slot 1 to achieve the same result as the laptop supports 16GB As far as I know only supports 8 GB (the model is M14x R1, for some reason forgot to put that in the original post as iFixit did not have the model available)

Hi,

Bit confused by two of your answers:

1. ".... I decided to change the card since it didn't work in either slot."

2. " Do both the old RAM modules work in slot 1? Yes"

It doesn't make sense that the card didn't work in either slot followed by did "both" the old cards works in slot 1 - Yes.

Also with regards to the 16GB RAM capacity.

Your last comment was the first time that you mentioned that you had a M14x R1 and not a M14x R2 as shown as the device selected with your question.

As you never stated otherwise until now my natural assumption was that M14x R2 was the model number of your laptop.

There may be a possibility, that you can install 8GB in Slot 1 and it will work, contrary to what the specifications say.

Here's a link where people confirm that 16GB is working in their M14x R1 laptop. Worth a try if you can "borrow" a 8GB RAM module having the correct specs to see if it does or not. At this stage you have very little to lose.

To fix the problem would require schematic diagrams of the motherboard which I cannot find and if it were a motherboard problem and not a component on the motherboard problem then it may not be able to be repaired anyway as most probably it would be uneconomic to do so..

I would guess that it is NOT with the slot connector itself, as I presume that it has always been populated with RAM, so no damage, physical or electrical, would have occurred to it.

Good luck!

Thank you for your patience and support!