SYSTEM WON'T RECONGIZE 256MB PC133 SDRAM

[brigden]

I've got an Intel 810, currently running two sticks of 128MB PC100 SDRAM. When I pull one out and pop in a single stick of 256MB PC133 SDRAM, CMOS only detects 256MB total, when it should read 384MB. If I only put in the single stick of 256MB, CMOS only detects 128MB. For some reason, the stick of 256MB is only being read at 128MB.

Why? Am I missing something? The Intel 810 should be able to handle up to 512MB, and my configuration should read 384MB.

Thanks for any help.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

hmm, obvious guy says, "are you sure its 256mb and not a mislabled stick of 128?"

 

[brigden]

Positive. The machine I took it out of had it listed as 256.

 

[Hessakia]

The 256 Dimm is high denisty (double sided, check the dimm, it has chips on both sides) i dont think the 810 can take Double Sided Dimms--that is why it only detects one side of hte Dimm (128megs)


Hess.

 

[brigden]

OK. That sounds reasonable, but if the 810 is advertised as being able to handle 512MB of SDRAM, how is that possible when the mobo only has two slots? A single stick of 512 will be double-sided, so would two sticks of 256. How does one use 512MB of RAM with the 810, then?

 

[Zepper]

You can get single-sided 256 modules, two of which = 512MB.
.bh.

 

[techietam]

Is it single-sided or double-sided?

 

[brigden]

It's a single stick of double sided 256MB PC133 SRDRAM.

So, you're telling me that the 810 cannot support this kind of RAM? Another limitation of the 810...

If I had known this when I bought this PC two years ago, I might have thought twice about buying it. At the time I didn't realize the ability to upgrade with this mobo is severely limited. I bought it from Dell. Still, it's been a wonderful little PC. I don't think I've had a single problem with it. I'm going to buy a new system next year.

 

[Kingofcomputer]

i dont think the 810 can take Double Sided Dimms--that is why it only detects one side of hte Dimm (128megs)

This is not right, normally all chipsets always take double side dimm instead of single side dimm, cause single side uses double the density chips which could be out of the chipset max. support range.

I guess your PC133 256MB is the one using 32Mx4 chips (so-called high density by pricewatch vendor in the cheap PC133 256MB age) instead of the normal 16Mx8 chips, Intel 810 chipset doesn't support ??x4 type.

 

[RickH]

Don't try to buy memory for older machines at Best Buy, etc--it probably won't work. At least stick with the "PC100" stuff, but thats never on sale. I alway get it from Crucial.com and have never had a problem. R

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Hessakia
The 256 Dimm is high denisty (double sided, check the dimm, it has chips on both sides) i dont think the 810 can take Double Sided Dimms--that is why it only detects one side of hte Dimm (128megs)


Hess.

I also suspect the high density compatibility problem.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

I suspect a different problem, which slots are the dimms in? In most systems(it is a wise idea even though some chipsets support otherwise) you have to put the largest dimm in slot 0, the next largest in slot 1, the next largest to that in slot 2, etc. Also have you tried taking all the 128 Megers out and just put in the 256 by itself and see what it reports. often the system will detect the first stick in slot 0 and will not address any of the other sticks after that as larger than the stick in slot 0. Drives newbies crazy. The i810 north bridges memory controller will accept double sided memory with no problem up to 512MB ram, there are some systems that have an external memory controller that will accept up to 1GB ecc-ram but it is rare. If you try the above trouble shooting and it will still not be detected, you may have a problem with you stick of 256MB.