New RAM won't boot Windows

I'm not sure how to title this thread, but I'm basically trying to spruce up an old PC because I need it temporarily for a project.
Anyway, here are the specs:
PHP Code:

It's a bit annoying, actually. I've been given two 4GB sticks of RAM to swap out for the 4GB currently inside, which is what I have listed here.https://memory.net/product/m393b5273...ank-x8-module/
In theory, this should work. But when I actually installed them, I turn the PC on and it runs, but Windows won't boot—just a completely black screen. Nothing happens at all. I’ve tried every combination imaginable: swapping slots, blowing out the dust, trying them one by one, moving a single stick from one slot to another... everything clicks into place perfectly, but there's absolutely zero reaction. When I put my old 4GB back in, the computer works just fine again.

I have no idea what the issue is or which part is failing. I honestly thought this would be straightforward, but it turned out to be a total waste of money.😁
So, if anyone has any decent advice on what else I could try, I guess I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

mistyhound94, look, just reset the BIOS to defaults first and see what happens... If you aren't getting any POST errors, they're probably fine. Besides, you can check if the BIOS actually sees them properly in there.

Where am I supposed to look if there isn't even a "post"? Everything is just black, and he didn't mention if there's a "beep code" coming from the motherboard speaker.

The CMOS jumper is right there 😉 it's not some fragile piece of glass...

I guess I'll give it a shot tomorrow and let you know how it goes. 👍

mistyhound94 said:Not really sure how to title this thread, but basically, I'm trying to breathe some life into an old rig because I need it for a project for a bit.
Anyway, here's what we're working with:
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 [CODE][COLOR=#000000] [COLOR=#0000BB]Operating System 
 Windows 7 Professional 64[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]bit SP1 
CPU 
 Intel Core i3 18 °C 
 32nm Technology 
RAM 
 4[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700],[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]00GB Single[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]Channel DDR3 [/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]@ [/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]665MHz [/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]([/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]9[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]9[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]9[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]24[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]) [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#0000BB]Motherboard 
 MSI FM2[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]A55M[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]E33 [/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]([/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]MS[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]7721[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]) ([/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]P0[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]) [/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]36 °C 
Graphics 
 Philips 236V4 [/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]([/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]1920x1080[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]@[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]60Hz[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]) 
 [/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]1024MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX Series [/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]([/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]Sapphire[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]/[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]PCPartner[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]) [/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]34 °C 
Storage 
 465GB Western Digital Blue[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]1BD142 SATA Disk Device [/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]([/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]SATA [/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]) [/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]31 °C 
 465GB Western Digital WDC WD50 00AAKS[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]00WWPA0 SATA Disk Device [/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]([/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]SATA [/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]) [/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]32 °C 
Optical Drives 
 Daemon Tools Virtual DVD[/COLOR][COLOR=#007700]-[/COLOR][COLOR=#0000BB]ROM0000 
Audio 
 High Definition Audio Device [/COLOR][/COLOR]

[/CODE]

So, I just scored two 4GB RAM sticks as a gift to swap out my current four, which are basically this https://memory.net/product/m393b5273...ank-x8-module/
. In theory, right? It should just work. But when I actually pop them in, I fire up the PC and... nothing. It runs, sure, but Windows won't even boot. Just a total black screen. Dead silence. I've tried everything—swapping slots, blowing out the dust, trying them one at a time, moving that single stick around... you name it. Everything clicks in perfectly, feels solid, but absolutely zero reaction from the machine. Then I put my old 4GB sticks back in, turn it on, and everything works fine again. Like magic.

I have no clue what's going on. What part is actually failing here? I thought this was going to be a totally straightforward upgrade, but nope, total bust. Currently stuck. 😁
Anyway, if anyone has any decent advice on what else I could try, let me know. I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

Not all DDR3 is compatible with your motherboard

There's a "registered" type versus "unbuffered." Some motherboards can handle both, but others? Not a chance. Registered memory usually has an "R" in the specs, and they're typically specialized server stuff—they aren't meant for your everyday consumer motherboards.

It’s probably not going to work out. Even if those RAM modules physically fit the slots and match the type, the speed difference is just too wide (666 vs 1333). I’ve run into situations before where a motherboard or BIOS refused to recognize DDR3-1333 even though it supported DDR3-1066, much like when I dealt with DDR3-1333 versus DDR3-1666 on a different board. Long story short, you're likely out of luck; while the CPU might theoretically try to downclock the RAM, the chipset and BIOS ultimately hold all the cards. If the modules aren't compatible, you're usually looking at nothing but a black screen or a series of BIOS POST alarms.

I heard some rumors online that they wouldn't match in speed, and since I was just comparing them on some forums, I guess I probably overlooked that part.
So, what, I have to hunt down an identical stick to my current one just to pair them up? That seems unlikely, given this isn't exactly cutting-edge RAM. Or maybe I just check which ones actually fit my motherboard.

Did you try resetting the BIOS yet? Maybe try mixing one old stick with one new one to see if that helps?

Honestly, if I were you, I’d prioritize grabbing an SSD over adding more RAM—though, I guess both would be good upgrades...

fadedorca66 said:Did you try resetting the BIOS? Maybe testing one old stick and one new stick together?

If I were you, I’d prioritize getting an SSD over adding 4GB of RAM, though I suppose both would help...

I was planning on messing with the BIOS today to test it, and I've already tried pretty much every combination of sticks.
I have an SSD too, so I'll get that sorted, but I really want that 8GB of RAM.😢

driftingcanyon2 said:That’s probably going to be a bust because even if those RAM modules physically fit the slots and match the type, the speeds just aren't lining up (666 vs 1333).

👍 It looks like the motherboard doesn't support that specific memory clock speed, or if it actually does, you might have some dirty contacts that need a good cleaning. If you take a close look at the RAM sticks themselves, the rated speed is printed right there on them—did you happen to miss that? 😲

Another possibility is that one of the sticks is partially faulty, or maybe both are, but honestly, I'd bet my money on the clock speed being the issue here.

ps: If it makes you feel any better, swapping out for a motherboard that supports that speed would fix it, though you'd probably end up needing to hunt down a compatible processor too... 😛