F3-12800CL9Q-16GBXL with Alienware Aurora-R3 not booting

[Bitjuggler]

Hi everyone!

I recently bought an Alienware Aurora-R3 with Intel Core i7 2600. It is equipped with 4GB (2x2GB) running at 1333 MHz. I would like to upgrade to 16GB running with 1600 MHz.

I found G.SKILL RipjawsX F3-12800CL9Q-16GBXL (so 4x4GB), and tried to install them. But when I install these memory modules and press the power button on my computer it refuses to boot
It does not even show the BIOS, so I cannot enter the BIOS to change timings or voltage or anything. Just the fans start blowing, but then nothing more happens...

After this I replaced the RipjawsX with the old memory modules and set the voltage to 1.65 Volt in BIOS, but when I installed the RipjawsX again, it didn't change anything... the computer refuses to boot...

There are some options in the BIOS I could change, but I do not want to damage anything by entering "random" numbers or options.

I wanted to ask, are these memory modules compatible with the Alienware mainboards? I bought the G.SKILL RipjawsX, because they should have been made for Sandy Bridge mainboards, like the one from Alienware (I attached a CPU-Z screenshot)





That's the memory information of the currently installed memory:



Does anybody know if I could change some settings in the BIOS? Or is the Alienware BIOS not compatible with these memory modules? Or am I just too stupid and bought the wrong modules?


Thank you very much!
Claus

[Tradesman]

Clear the CMOS (with power off and unplugged), install the sticks, and it should boot into the BIOS, enable XMP and set it to 1600 and should be good

[Bitjuggler]

Thanks for your suggestion! I tried it, but it didn't change anything... I cleared the CMOS with 2 different methods, first with the set-jumper method (there is a dedicated jumper to clear the CMOS on the mainboard), and then by removing the coin-cell battery for a minute or so...

In both cases the behaviour was the same as before, when I press the power button only the fans start to blow, nothing else happens...

I fear, if I cannot even boot into BIOS, then these memory modules are really not compatible...

[Tradesman]

See if you can try a different stick (maybe borrow one if need be) to try and ensure it's not the mobo or CPU