Strange memory behavior on Abit BM6

[Slaimus]

This is a stick of K-Byte 256MB PC133 I got from Best Buy. At certain slots it would not be recognized at all, and in the 2nd slot, it shows up as a 128MB.

The computer originally had 3 sticks of various branded(PNY, Kingston) infineon 128MB sticks. I swapped one of them out (it has the same chips that are on the mushkin rev3 PC150 2-2-2, so I was gonna use it for OC testing) and swapped in that K-Byte.

The K-Byte 256MB is single sided with "V T" branded chips. I cannot figure out what VT is. I've already went back to get an exchange, and got "HTL" branded chips(that all they had), which is Haxon Technology Singapore after a google search. It does not get detected at all.

Could this be incompatiblity cause of low quality chips? Also what is the chip density limit for the BX chipset?

 

[Iron Woode]

Sounds like you are the victim of the evil ram module density issue.

 

[Slaimus]

Does that mean it will only accept double sided sticks for 256MB?

 

[Iron Woode]

its hard to say.

Some older boards can't handle more than 128 meg dimms.

Check the manual and check with Abit.

 

[vailr]

The maximum size memory stick for BX chipset boards is 256 MB. These must be double-sided. Office Depot had some PNY brand 256 MB sticks which worked. That was last August. Recently checked at a Staples, and now all of their PNY 256 MB sticks are single-sided, thus won't work on BX boards. They do carry K-Byte brand sticks, which are "low density", double-sided, at least at the store which I visited. These will work. Office Max has Kingston brand 256 MB sticks, but these are also only available in single sided "high density" variety.

 

[Jhhnn]

The issue isn't about "sidedness", it's about density. The BX, 810 and 815 chipsets will not work with memory density > 16megs/chip. Late model high density memory requires an addressing scheme that they just don't have. 128meg sticks must have at least 8 chips, 256meg must have 16, 512 low density sticks don't exist, to my knowledge. It's quite possible to have a single sided 8 chip 128meg module that will work just fine.

The crucial memory configurator is a great tool for figuring out what memory is needed for a particular sustem. Their standard memory is all high density, so if the configurator recommends something different, it's for a reason..

 

[dethman]

i have a single sided 128mb that works fine in a bm6.

 

[vailr]

AFAIK, there aren't any single-sided 256 MB sticks, which have 16 chips on a single side. So, any 256 MB stick will also be double-sided, 8 chips per side, if it is going to work in a BX chipset board.

 

[Kingofcomputer]

i have a single sided 128mb that works fine in a bm6.

that's low density.