You win this one, RAM.

[HCHTech]

I have a small delivery company, luckily close to my place. They've got a couple of consumer-level workstations they use primarily to access their web-based check-in system. They don't have much money, so I'm happy to keep these things running the best I can until they can afford to replace them. They are Inspiron 560 desktops, with Win7-32 on them. They only have 2GB of RAM, so we decide to upgrade them all the way to 3 GB or 3.5GB, whatever the motherboard will recognize.

I do what I normally do to spec Dell memory, I check the service tag against their site to get the precise model number, then head over to Crucial to use their configurator to get the specs on compatible sticks. Then, I'll check their prices against my other vendors and order.

In this case, Crucial said their part number CT5509004 would work. The specs are

• DDR3 PC3-12800 • CL=11 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1600 • 1.5V • 256Meg x 64 •

Before ordering, though I check through the small stock I have, and what do you know, I find a couple of 2GB sticks, part number CT25664BA160BJ. It is also PC3-12800, so I google that and get the specs, they are:

DDR3 PC3-12800 • CL=11 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1600 • 1.5V • 256Meg x 64 •

The very same. Cool. I head out there to install them, and you guessed it, they don't work. Oops - Sorry customer, bad part. I'll have to come back. I check to see what is actually installed, it's a 2GB Samsung stick, PC3-1600U (which is 12800).

So....when back in the shop, I go to Crucial's site again and look up the part number of the sticks that don't work. I click on the "Is it compatible" link, put in my Dell model number, and NO, it isn't compatible. Wonderful.
You win, Crucial, I ordered their identically-specced-but-compatible-we-promise sticks. Sigh.

 

[WindsorComputerRepair]

I love dell and their non standard form factor FOR EVERY PC THEY MAKE ****.
Sorry That's Dell for you

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

That's actually what we've always done....is specifically order RAM from Crucial tested for/approved compatible for the specific computer we're installing it in. That way there is a guarantee it will work.

Seen too many oddball quirky situations where doing the pizza tech move of "grabbing any old stick of RAM that appears the right speed" will end up in some unreliable system. Always a bigger gamble on motherboard of the month club cloners.

 

[HCHTech]

grabbing any old stick of RAM that appears the right speed

I don't normally do that, but, to be fair, it wasn't a casual thing. The specs appeared to match exactly. Speed, chip configuration, latency. It was new in the package, and In my mind, it should have worked. I'd love to know the actual difference between the one that is certified as compatible and the one with the very same specs that wasn't.

 

[nlinecomputers]

So you haven't gotten the new memory in yet? Let us know how it goes.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I'd love to know the actual difference between the one that is certified as compatible and the one with the very same specs that wasn't.

Sometimes it is a mystery and makes you wonder. And probably 99% of the time you can get it to work in a system you think it should work in. It's that 1% I try to avoid though. Seen enough quirks that cost me time to make it right....and I hate saying to myself.."Uh..I should have ordered the right one from Crucial" when I've grabbed one from our pile of RAM and just stuck it in there.
I know a lot of people run shops that do residential and its beneficial to have tons of RAM "in stock"...so they can sell/install a RAM upgrade right then and there. We do all SMB...so we have the luxury of waiting for RAM orders to arrive for upgrades. Or...what we do have in stock (often quite a bit)....is RAM for the HP and Dell business models that we manage at our clients.

 

[ZenTree]

Crucial aren't infallible, we had one order of memory that just refused to work but their support were really good and swapped it all out with no quibbles. I've done what you did HCH and to be honest if the customer is in a rush and local enough then I'd probably do it again. It's when the customer is 2 hours away that it really sucks! Like you though I would love to know what the difference actually is in these cases.