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Thread ID: 64501 2005-12-17 02:06:00 Dead Dell Slots? SurferJoe46 (51) Press F1
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413362 2005-12-17 02:06:00 A Dell tech in my service class last night informed everybody there that Dells have a really bad tendency to lose contact in #2 and #3 expansion slots . It's not the RAM stick, but the slots themselves seem to go dead .

I asked if it was bad solder joints, but he said they looked and didn't notice that to be the problem . The slots just die . . . maybe from corrosion? Lack of use?

I had a very recent experience with #3 slot showing bad RAM in the old Dell/Dimension XPS-500 I was resurrecting last week, so I just pulled the stick and finished the install and it runs ok . . not great . . but good enuff .

Here's the question:
Has anyone here had this same experience?

Has there been any repairs made about this problem?

These are the old beige hightowers that were so popular in businesses and such .
SurferJoe46 (51)
413363 2005-12-17 02:58:00 sounds like a lot of crap. it may be for a certain model ie poor motherboard design or bugy chipset. a few chipsets are well known for ram limititons and even certain brands known for problems when useing all ram slots. the chipset officall supports it, the company makes it to please customer even tho its buggy has hell to use. mt own mobo is like that. it is actually missing a ram slot but some brands have the extra one in even tho is impossible to use it. tweak'e (69)
413364 2005-12-17 03:17:00 I was replacing the heatsink on a computer, which had 2 X 512mb sticks that I had removed as they were in the way....

Upon booting windows only 512mb was reported... I spent a while until I found for that board you have to push harder than normal or else the ram doesn't connect properly... the slots are very tight for some reason.

Motherboard was MSI KT6 Delta
Agent_24 (57)
413365 2005-12-17 03:57:00 I was replacing the heatsink on a computer, which had 2 X 512mb sticks that I had removed as they were in the way....

Upon booting windows only 512mb was reported... I spent a while until I found for that board you have to push harder than normal or else the ram doesn't connect properly... the slots are very tight for some reason.

Motherboard was MSI KT6 Delta

I might try taking a soft pencil eraser to the gold connectors on the stick too...it might be a glitch in my technique too! I wonder how to clean the female side of the slot though?

"When all else fails, use a bigger hammer"
SurferJoe46 (51)
413366 2005-12-17 04:22:00 A Dell tech in my service class last night informed everybody there that Dells have a really bad tendency to lose contact in #2 and #3 expansion slots .

What rubbish . Dells . . . . . What a Dell? They have various motherboards in them depending on which model .
But then thats what you get for using CHEAP motherboards . . . .
He should have said XXmodel motherboards has . . . .
pctek (84)
413367 2005-12-17 06:17:00 As has already been noted, Dell don't make the components, they just souce cheap and nasty **** from whatever seat shop will do em for the cheapest amount. No telling what brand mobo is in a Dell untill you rip her apart,and even then you come across items of unknown manufacture.

As for thr eraser cleaning method, I have a big fat book here that states in no uncertain terms that should never be done as it leaves behind crud from the eraser.

Not that I have an opinion either way, Never occured to me to ever do that untill I read a book saying not to do so......
Metla (12)
413368 2005-12-17 08:17:00 If the connectors were really gold there would be no crud.
The only thing I ever use to clean components is isopropyl.


Apart from defluffing fans that is.

Anyway I'd toss it and buy a real PC.

BTW what is this "service class?"
pctek (84)
413369 2005-12-17 08:50:00 As for the eraser cleaning method, I have a big fat book here that states in no uncertain terms that should never be done as it leaves behind crud from the eraser.
I always thought that since erasers were made of plastic these days that there would be a small electrostatic charge building up
bob_doe_nz (92)
413370 2005-12-17 10:02:00 I recall the manual for a slot-car set saying that erasers work well to clean the tracks for the cars..... but of course computer ram is much more delicate

if you did want to use an eraser I guess any static charges could be neutralized with proper grounding equipment... but I haven't found the need to clean my ram yet (though plugging it in right does work wonders!)
Agent_24 (57)
413371 2005-12-17 10:10:00 I have used erasers with no problem. The soft plastic ones are best, the harder abrasive ones may remove too much gold plating.

I have used and handled static sensitive chips since the early 1980's, and all you need to do is be sensible in handling. I have never destroyed any, often its just not practical to use anti-static precautions in the field, in industrial locations. Just watch what is touched.

The speed you would need to rub the eraser to create a static charge would be a rather interesting event to observe ....
godfather (25)
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