Replaced the RAM but now experience frequent crashes.
Replaced the RAM but now experience frequent crashes.
A few days back my laptop (HP Pavilion 14-ec0003na - 53L76EA specs) started acting sluggish. I checked Task Manager and noticed my RAM was 8GB, while I had purchased a 16GB unit. I opened the machine and, through testing, found one stick was faulty—though I initially suspected a damaged slot. Eventually, I replaced it with a new Lexar SODIMM DDR4 RAM kit (2x8GB, 3200 MHz). It functioned well at first. But when I closed the lid (without powering off), the computer shut down as if it were sleeping. In Windows Explorer, Opera GX failed to launch, though Microsoft Edge worked fine and even offered to restore my pages. Then I encountered a BSOD that wouldn’t restart. I manually powered off the laptop via the shutdown button and tried again, but it didn’t help. Later, when I mixed the old stick with a new one in the first slot, Windows booted into a messed-up home screen with artifacts, and after several restarts I still faced BSODs. My old RAM stick remains in the first slot and is now working properly. I’m wondering what to do next—I suspect HP may have software restrictions requiring specific RAM, and after trying two sticks, it seems the issue isn’t the slot. I’m considering returning the RAM since it’s mostly caused problems.
Looking at the options, I see 14 inches with a 5700U, though it seems like 14 inches isn't listed. I'll review the available choices and pick something suitable. They should fit, and I appreciate the help—this list surprised me, especially with the 3200Mhz RAM and the lower latency expectations. Lexar didn't mention CAS latency, which is a bit confusing. Thanks!
Sorry to hear that. The laptop would restart repeatedly and a new BIOS file was loaded, which blocked the second RAM port. I removed the problematic RAM and put it back in. It might be infected with malware. The best option is to obtain the correct HP RAM from a reliable source.