If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Motherboard only recognizes 128 of my new 512MB SDRAM
Hello,
I went through related messages in this group, but couldn't find the answer yet. Any help is very welcome! Here's my problem: I have a VIA® Apollo Pro133 chipset (mobo model 693-686A), with following characteristics mentioned in the manual: • A total of three 168-pin DIMM sockets (3.3V SDRAM types). • Memory size up to 768M Byte. • Supports SDRAM at 66/100/133MHz. • Supports Symmetrical and Asymmetrical DRAM addressing. • Banks of different DRAM types and depths can be mixed. Up until now, there was 2x32MB of RAM. I bought a 512MB SDRAM stick and added it to my system. Unfortunately, it only recognized 128 of the 512MB (so a total of 192MB; this is what the BIOS startup tells me). Even if I removed the old sticks and put only the new one in socket #0, I had 128MB of memory. I could accept the machine recognizing 256 (because it supports up to 768MB in 3 sockets), but 128MB seems very weird. This is (part of) what the CPU-Z program (system analyzer) tells me about my system: Module 0 SDRAM PC133 - 512 MBytes Module 1 Winbond Electronic SDRAM PC100 - 32 MBytes Module 2 Winbond Electronic SDRAM PC100 - 32 MBytes Where do things go wrong? |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Your problem most likely lies within the density of the memory chips on the
actual DIMM. First of all, you are correct that each slot will only take 256MB modules. So, right there you know you aren't going to use all of the 512MB stick. However, the density of the actual chips also makes a difference. Either way, if you want to make sure to get the correct memory, Crucial has a motherboard selector (www.crucial.com) which they guarantee so that you buy the correct memory. Good luck, Mike "Kris" wrote in message om... Hello, I went through related messages in this group, but couldn't find the answer yet. Any help is very welcome! Here's my problem: I have a VIA® Apollo Pro133 chipset (mobo model 693-686A), with following characteristics mentioned in the manual: . A total of three 168-pin DIMM sockets (3.3V SDRAM types). . Memory size up to 768M Byte. . Supports SDRAM at 66/100/133MHz. . Supports Symmetrical and Asymmetrical DRAM addressing. . Banks of different DRAM types and depths can be mixed. Up until now, there was 2x32MB of RAM. I bought a 512MB SDRAM stick and added it to my system. Unfortunately, it only recognized 128 of the 512MB (so a total of 192MB; this is what the BIOS startup tells me). Even if I removed the old sticks and put only the new one in socket #0, I had 128MB of memory. I could accept the machine recognizing 256 (because it supports up to 768MB in 3 sockets), but 128MB seems very weird. This is (part of) what the CPU-Z program (system analyzer) tells me about my system: Module 0 SDRAM PC133 - 512 MBytes Module 1 Winbond Electronic SDRAM PC100 - 32 MBytes Module 2 Winbond Electronic SDRAM PC100 - 32 MBytes Where do things go wrong? |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
"Mike Mastro" wrote in message . net...
Your problem most likely lies within the density of the memory chips on the actual DIMM. First of all, you are correct that each slot will only take 256MB modules. So, right there you know you aren't going to use all of the 512MB stick. However, the density of the actual chips also makes a difference. Either way, if you want to make sure to get the correct memory, Crucial has a motherboard selector (www.crucial.com) which they guarantee so that you buy the correct memory. Thanks for this link, but I already searched a lot of sites to find info about my mobo, but (as on crucial.com) it is not listed anymore. How can I find out information on the density of my memory and about the maximum density supported by my mobo? Are there any tools? |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Do you know the make and model of your mobo? If so, what is it? If it
can handle up to 256MB per DIMM slot, it can't be that old. We should be able to find information about it somewhere. "Kris" wrote in message om... "Mike Mastro" wrote in message . net... Your problem most likely lies within the density of the memory chips on the actual DIMM. First of all, you are correct that each slot will only take 256MB modules. So, right there you know you aren't going to use all of the 512MB stick. However, the density of the actual chips also makes a difference. Either way, if you want to make sure to get the correct memory, Crucial has a motherboard selector (www.crucial.com) which they guarantee so that you buy the correct memory. Thanks for this link, but I already searched a lot of sites to find info about my mobo, but (as on crucial.com) it is not listed anymore. How can I find out information on the density of my memory and about the maximum density supported by my mobo? Are there any tools? |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks for pointing that out, Kony. I forgot that Kris posted the chipset
in the earlier post. I was thinking of the mobo manufactuer and then I was going to check their system documentation. I didn't think about the fact that all I needed to do was get the specs on the northbridge chipset. "kony" wrote in message ... On 28 Aug 2003 02:57:28 -0700, (Kris) wrote: "Mike Mastro" wrote in message . net... Your problem most likely lies within the density of the memory chips on the actual DIMM. First of all, you are correct that each slot will only take 256MB modules. So, right there you know you aren't going to use all of the 512MB stick. However, the density of the actual chips also makes a difference. Either way, if you want to make sure to get the correct memory, Crucial has a motherboard selector (www.crucial.com) which they guarantee so that you buy the correct memory. Thanks for this link, but I already searched a lot of sites to find info about my mobo, but (as on crucial.com) it is not listed anymore. How can I find out information on the density of my memory and about the maximum density supported by my mobo? Are there any tools? The memory density support is determined by the northbridge. The Apollo133 your board has is different from the Apollo Pro133A, in that it only supports low-density, 256MB per slot. The correct 256MB modules your motherboard can use would have 16 chips, 8 per side. There was a short period when PC133 memory was sold in this configuration but mostly today you'll find these sold as PC100, often listed as "16x8", not "32x4". These modules can be near twice as expensive and are getting harder and harder to find... it might be as time & cost effective to replace the motherboard, or depending on the CPU & the use of the system, maybe even the whole set, CPU/Motherboard/Memory replacement. Dave |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Cannot remember what chipset was then in question but I recall reading that
if all *three* DIMM slots are occupied then the BIOS will divide the caching by three, otherwise it does not. Might be worth vacating/removing the 2x32MBs to see if the BIOS will at least recognise the 512 as 256 in slot 0. Keith "Mike Mastro" wrote in message news:Tzu3b.222339$Oz4.59221@rwcrnsc54... Thanks for pointing that out, Kony. I forgot that Kris posted the chipset in the earlier post. I was thinking of the mobo manufactuer and then I was going to check their system documentation. I didn't think about the fact that all I needed to do was get the specs on the northbridge chipset. "kony" wrote in message ... On 28 Aug 2003 02:57:28 -0700, (Kris) wrote: "Mike Mastro" wrote in message . net... Your problem most likely lies within the density of the memory chips on the actual DIMM. First of all, you are correct that each slot will only take 256MB modules. So, right there you know you aren't going to use all of the 512MB stick. However, the density of the actual chips also makes a difference. Either way, if you want to make sure to get the correct memory, Crucial has a motherboard selector (www.crucial.com) which they guarantee so that you buy the correct memory. Thanks for this link, but I already searched a lot of sites to find info about my mobo, but (as on crucial.com) it is not listed anymore. How can I find out information on the density of my memory and about the maximum density supported by my mobo? Are there any tools? The memory density support is determined by the northbridge. The Apollo133 your board has is different from the Apollo Pro133A, in that it only supports low-density, 256MB per slot. The correct 256MB modules your motherboard can use would have 16 chips, 8 per side. There was a short period when PC133 memory was sold in this configuration but mostly today you'll find these sold as PC100, often listed as "16x8", not "32x4". These modules can be near twice as expensive and are getting harder and harder to find... it might be as time & cost effective to replace the motherboard, or depending on the CPU & the use of the system, maybe even the whole set, CPU/Motherboard/Memory replacement. Dave |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
"John Smith" wrote in message ...
Cannot remember what chipset was then in question but I recall reading that if all *three* DIMM slots are occupied then the BIOS will divide the caching by three, otherwise it does not. Might be worth vacating/removing the 2x32MBs to see if the BIOS will at least recognise the 512 as 256 in slot 0. Keith I already tried that one: there is still only 128MB recognized :-( |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Since powersupply burnt out motherboard, what to do with components? | S.Heenan | General | 4 | August 11th 03 03:15 PM |
motherboard battery failure? | AD C | General | 4 | August 3rd 03 04:50 PM |
increase performance? using 4 modules of 512MB 2225 1T ? | ali yousefi | General | 1 | August 1st 03 12:07 PM |
Chaintech 7NIF2 motherboard - memory problems | Wuahn | General | 1 | July 26th 03 01:29 PM |
Motherboard Monitor Settings | MiniDisc_2k2 | General | 1 | June 25th 03 01:44 AM |