Only 1/2 my RAM being detected

[DarkKnight]

I recently put a new 256mb stick of ram into my old compaq computer, but it only detects it as a 128megabytes. My computer uses the Gigabyte GA-5SMM motherboard and should support a 256meg stic of ram. The only information I have about the ram is that it runs at PC100 speeds, and that it uses the 32X8 ram chipset (not sure what this actually means). Can you tell me whats wroung with my memory?

 

[JC]

What BIOS version do you have? According to Gigabyte's site, the F1 BIOS fixes some problem relating to larger RAM sticks.

Link Go to Motherboard BIOS, select GA-5SMM, click on 'older bios', look for F1 bios to see what I refer to.

g/l

JC

 

[BurnItDwn]

I second JCs suggestion to try flashing your bios to the latest revision.

32x8 is sort of like an explanation of the density. usually they are measured in megabits rather than megabytes .... usually a low density 256mb SDRAM is 32x64 or 32x72 for ECC. 32x8 would mean it has 8 chips each one holding 32mbit ... which is a total of 32MB. however they probably meant 8 chips each with 256mbit. I think that what you got is high density ram. High density ram tends not to work well with older systems (especially Intel chipsets such as the 440bx). Your ram may not be compatible with your board. I dont know very much about the SIS 530 chipset and its limitations ... so I could be wrong here (and i hope i am)

if you cant get this module to work in that board even after flashing the bios ... than get a pc100 or pc133 32x64 (256mb) chip, or a pair of 16x64 (128mb) chips ... and that should work for you.

Good luck

 

[bozo1]

You purchased a stick of high-density RAM which is not supported by your motherboard. No BIOS update will fix that.

A dozen posts a day here with people doing the same thing.

 

[compudog]

Originally posted by: bozo1
You purchased a stick of high-density RAM which is not supported by your motherboard. No BIOS update will fix that. A dozen posts a day here with people doing the same thing.

Seems to be the problem. Look for a low density module as BurnItDown suggested.

 

[esung]

32x8 means how the RAM CELLs were arranged (inside the RAM chip). older MB chipset can not take this kind of arrangement (they were used to 16x16 or 16x8). so naturally only half of your memory is recognzied, because they can not address the other half. so what you can do is looking for the ramchips that's 16x16 ( you should be able to look up the chips' spec on the manufacture's webstie

 

[Curley]

The simple rule is the motherboard must be support a maximum of at least 1.5 GB of memory using 3 slots to use high density modules. Everytime I put a stick of RAM is someone's computer and they see the price is 1/3 more than the cheapest stick on PriceWatch, they think I am ripping them off when they don't know that the memory will not work in thier proprietary machine. Some know it all will tell them they could have gotten it %50 cheaper on pricewatch.

Sore subject with me!!!