Micro Mart - 10 March 2016_

Send your questions to:

Aaron Birch

Micro Mart

Dennis Publishing

30 Cleveland Street

London

W1T 4JD

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Aaron

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ASK

82 Issue 1404

SlotMachine

Thank you for solving arecent problem but (and

hope I'm not boring you), another has evolved.

The motherboard in questions is an HP NutmegP

Foxconn derivative with a Pentium J2900 CPU. It

has two memory slots.

With memory slot one fitted with a 4GB module

(as purchased), the PC works fine. If I transfer the

existing memory module to slot 2, the PC will not

boot up.

Does slot 1 have to be working for memory

slot 2 to accept another 4GB of RAM, or is the

motherboard playing up?

Phil

For most motherboards, it really shouldn't matter

which slot you use unless you're using two

modules. Most boards have matching pairs of

slots, which are denoted by different colours. This

means a motherboard supports dual channel RAM,

and to make use of this, you need to install the

two matching pair modules in the same coloured

slots, usually slots 1/3 or 2/4. Many would say you

should always use the slot furthest from the CPU

for best results, which usually means 2/4.

However, with only one module, there's no

real reason to pick any slot in particular, although

personally I always simply use the slots in order if

dual channel isn't an issue. All slots should work,

as long as the memory is detected in your BIOS.

That said, I can't say this is written in stone, as

there are way too many motherboards out there

for such a blanket statement. The best course

of action would be to consult your motherboard

documentation, as some do state specific

instructions for installation. This may vary from

board to board.

One thing I would check in your case is your

BIOS.You said the PC won't boot with the RAM

in slot 2, but does it get to the POST? If so, go

into the BIOS and check to see if the RAM is

detected. If it isn't, have a look for any options

that may help.

Your issue could be down to a faulty RAM slot,

as the module works fine in Slot 1. The RAM slots

for this particular motherboard are a little more

delicate, using the laptop-style slot instead of the

standard desktop motherboard slot, so damage

may be an issue. That said, laptops are often

different, and slots are often used in order, and

this Mini-ITX form factor board may be the same.

Unless you're planning an upgrade, though,

there's no reason to move the RAM to another

slot, so slot 1 will suit your needs.

jRAM slots aren't usually picky, unless you're using

dual channel sets