RAM upgrade is affecting monitor

[xmadmanuk]

Since installing 256MB PC100 SDRAM the image on my monitor screen shakes and distorts, particularly when the system is working hard. I have no other problems with my system which is a 700MHz Pentium III running XP Professional. I have had the problem with 3 different sticks of new RAM so it is definitely a fault with my system. The last stick, I bought at Crucial, where I selected the RAM recommended for my Motherboard ( an MSI Technologies MS-6334 ). After informing Crucial of my problem they advised me to update my BIOS and run a test program on my RAM. I have done both, the RAM tested fine and I still have the shakes etc. I have tried swapping the RAM around in the various different DIMM slots. If I put the original 128MB PC100 SDRAM stick in the problem is more pronounced but when I put my old 128 stick in on its own it works fine. I have installed the latest VGA driver for my system as provided by MSI (my motherboard manufacturer) website. I have an onboard video adapter and my system is virtually identical to how it was when I bought it. The only hardware I have added is a firewire card. Can anyone please advise me as to what else I can try? Are there any specific BIOS settings I can alter? I have changed the memory setting from 'Auto' to 'PC100' in the BIOS. I did read somewhere that altering settings for AGP Aperture in BIOS may improve monitor performance, but I am not sure what this should be set to or if in fact it would help. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Neil

[mike breck]

Hi again xmadmanuk,

I'm sorry to hear you're still having problems.

Usually, I would tend to suspect the video card, refresh rate or the monitor in a case like this. The only thing that's throwing me is the fact you say the problem is not there AT ALL if you just use the original Ram that was in the system.

Is that correct? There are no shakes at all when you use the original Ram? Has it ever shook when you are in the BIOS?

Are there any settings in the BIOS regarding how much Ram is allocated to the onboard video?

Just to humour me, do you have, or can you borrow, another monitor and try it with the PC? If the problem continues, then at least we can eliminate the monitor being faulty.

Try pressing the Degauss button on your monitor and see if that helps.

Do you have any other electrical equipment attached or near the monitor which may be causing electromagnetic interference e.g. speakers, answering machines, AC adapters.

Do you have any electrical motors running on the same ring circuit as the PC in your house e.g. washing machines, tumble driers etc.

Have you tried taking out the Firewire card and seeing how that affects the problem.

You haven't installed any programs or made any changes to increase the refresh rate in XP?
What is your refresh rate according to Windows?

What size of Power Supply does your PC have?

[xmadmanuk]

Thanks for the reply Mike.

I did try the degauss but no luck.
I dont believe the other appliances are an issue as it has never been a problem before and I have had the PC on the same circuit for 20 months and it is ok with the old RAM in.
It certainly didnt shake at all when I was in the BIOS.
Today I am tied by family commitments so havent had chance to try your suggestions but certainly will tomorrow.
I'll let you know how I fare.
Thanks again,
Neil

[xmadmanuk]

HERE ARE MY RESULTS/ANSWERS TO MIKES QUESTIONS

Is that correct? There are no shakes at all when you use the original Ram? Has it ever shook when you are in the BIOS?
There is no shake/flutter when I use the original RAM. It never shakes when I am in the BIOS.

Are there any settings in the BIOS regarding how much Ram is allocated to the onboard video?
There is a setting entitled "AGP GRAPHICS APERTURE SIZE" and if I remember correctly they are 32MB and 64 MB, would that be applicable to my onboard video?

Just to humour me, do you have, or can you borrow, another monitor and try it with the PC? If the problem continues, then at least we can eliminate the monitor being faulty.
I havent had this opportunity yet but will try it if I can.

Try pressing the Degauss button on your monitor and see if that helps.
I tried this but it made no difference.

Do you have any other electrical equipment attached or near the monitor which may be causing electromagnetic interference e.g. speakers, answering machines, AC adapters.
I do but even when they are switched off I still have the same problem.

Do you have any electrical motors running on the same ring circuit as the PC in your house e.g. washing machines, tumble driers etc.
No, and even with all other appliances including the boiler etc. switched off I still have the problem.

Have you tried taking out the Firewire card and seeing how that affects the problem.
I took it out today and it was still shaking/fluttering.

You haven't installed any programs or made any changes to increase the refresh rate in XP?
What is your refresh rate according to Windows?
I cant be sure there are any programs that may have altered anything to cause this, would Premiere 6(DV editing software) cause this?
My refresh rate according to windows is 60Hz

My power supply is 90Watts
+12V - 4A
+5V - 14A
+3.3V - 7A
-12V - 0.3A
+5VSB - 1.5A


The problem is definately apparent with the original 128MB RAM stick unless of course it is to small to be seen with the naked eye. With 128 it is unnoticeable, with the 256 stick in it is there most of the time and particularly when the system is busy, with both the 128 and the 256 stick the problem is even worse so it appears that the more memory I install the worse the screen shake gets.
Someone suggested installing a graphics card as I have an AGP slot on my motherboard to see if this would solve the problem.
After that I am out of ideas.

One more point just to humour all the experts out there. I had a little scare today due to my desperation to solve this problem. I adjusted some settings in my BIOS and came across one called "ON-CHIP VIDEO WINDOW SIZE" and decided to see if disabling it would solve the problem. "MMMM" I thought as I hit F10 to save, and then Y to confirm, "I dont think I should have done that". I shouldnt, I then could not get my monitor to display even the BIOS let alone anything in Windows. After 2 hours of blindly trying to get to the right menu by reading my Motherboard manual and trying to remember what keys I had pressed I gave up and nearly threw my PC in the bin. I phoned someone who I thought could help but alas no. Then I asked my neigbour when he came home and within 5 minutes he had it working for me. I didnt know you could reset the BIOS by switching a jumper on the motherboard. Well I wouldnt and I couldnt consult my Motherboard manual either. Why not I hear you cry!?! Well I dont have it in printed form, oh no I am far too advanced for that, I have it in electronic form on my PC stored right there on my hard drive. Stupid idiot that I am, not only do I adust settings in the BIOS that I dont really understand, I also entrust my important documents to a PC.

Boy am I relieved I have my PC back but it would be nice to solve this problem I have with my RAM and monitor.

[glc]

90 watt power supply? You are running out of clean power, my friend. You need to approximately double that if you are gonna add components to that PC.

[JMERRIFE]

oh wow. Yeah, glc's right. You should have at least about 250W.

[glc]

Well, that's a micro ATX board with onboard sound and video so 250 watts is not really needed, most micro cases come with power supplies in the 150 to 180 watt range which is sufficient - but 90 watts is a joke. Even the tiny Book PC's we sell have 120 watt power supplies.

[xmadmanuk]

But does RAM require a higher power supply and if so, why?

[xmadmanuk]

But does RAM require a higher power supply and if so, why?

[glc]

I can't answer that, except that you are adding components (that use power) to a system that already has an undersized power supply. I'm grasping at straws here.

[mike breck]

Yes, it could be the PSU is underpowered or is not supplying enough, clean 3.3V power for the additional Ram. Or the PSU might just be faulty.

Definitely worthwhile putting in another one. A 250 Watt will do if you can't get a anything smaller locally. The PC will just draw the power it needs.