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Thread: lesser RAM than the actual,

  1. #1

    lesser RAM than the actual,

    In one of my friend PC I put 512+64+128 MB SDRAM PC133, He use windows XP, and the system shows only 440 MB RAM.

    Can anyone tell me why is that ? thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Keeping The Balance CybertecOne's Avatar
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    You cannot have different size rams on the same MoBo.... they cause conflict issues.

    Depending on the specs for each stick... you may be able to have the 64+128 (maybe even the 128 +512) together..... but probably not.

    I recommend having the 512, or two 128's ....

    as a general thumb rule, try and keep your sticks the same... less problems.


    CTO

    [edit]

    of course, it may just be one of the sticks or your MoBo is busted :/ but lets not hope that. also, depending on where your looking, the the Vidcard memory will/will not show up and may be discounted.,.. depending on where your looking. Not that this counts in your circumstances.......

    [/edit]
    "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius --- and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction."
    - Albert Einstein

  3. #3
    The Doctor Und3ertak3r's Avatar
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    It is possable to run 2 different size SD-Ram sticks.. Not recommended.. basicly as CTO had commented,,
    The problem here is not to do with that issue..
    It is more to do with the motherboard design and possably the Bios software..

    The mobo is only detecting 256Mb of the 512 stick :ie

    256+128+64=448MB less 8mb for onboard video

    ..bingo 440MB available for use..

    remove all the memsticks except for the 512Mb and you will find it will report as 248MB and there will be your answer

    Cheers

    NOW can some one tell me what was wrong with this guy's question for him to be so badly negged?

    Oh I see.. ok.. and understand
    "Consumer technology now exceeds the average persons ability to comprehend how to use it..give up hope of them being able to understand how it works." - Me http://www.cybercrypt.co.nr

  4. #4
    the beign of authority kurt_der_koenig's Avatar
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    NOW can some one tell me what was wrong with this guy's question for him to be so badly negged?
    Good question.... I would like to know too, maybe a "l337"ness got to somebody! Nothing in his post to have such a thing happen to him!

  5. #5
    Thanks for the help undertaker, Why the hell neg things comes here ?? Let me sort out myself. Thanks for the suggestion anyways,

    Cybertecone, Cheers. It helped me.

  6. #6
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    Maybe you should see if his motherboard manufacturer has a BIOS update that will let him make use of it. If it's a bug with their board they may have fixed it (unless it is really old).

    Originally posted here by Und3ertak3r
    NOW can some one tell me what was wrong with this guy's question for him to be so badly negged?

    Oh I see.. ok.. and understand
    Care to enlighten me? I thought it was a decent question, and that it was just the AO tards out in full force yet again.
    Chris Shepherd
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    \"Well as far as the spelling, I speak fluently both your native languages. Do you even can try spell mine ?\" -- Failed Insult
    Is your whole family retarded, or did they just catch it from you?

  7. #7
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Undies wins the prize

    If you check the computer/motherboard specs you will probably find that it only supports 256Mb sticks. Strangely enough I was talking to a guy in the pub a few weeks ago. He had just got a 512Mb stick that wasn't working properly.

    His wife had a new machine with 256Mb in it. I told him to swap them over, and both machines work fine. He now has 256Mb + 128Mb.

    In my experience you can mix different sized SIMMS and DIMMS, but obviously not the two memory types together. The secret is that they must be the same type (speed), with identical CLOCK LATENCY (cl2, 2.5 or 3). In older machines you can even mix different sized 72 pin EDO RAM, but remember they must come in matched pairs. (4,8 16,32,64).

    In theory you should have the largest sticks in the lowest number slots, closest to the processor.

    If you are buying a new machine or MoBo you need to be a bit careful. I have seen boards that would support 2Gb of PC2100 but only 512Mb of PC3200

    PC133 will generally run in a PC100 MoBo as will PC100 in a PC66, but you will only get the lower speed. I have actually seen machines with mixed memory types (NOT recommended), if they work you will be limited to the performance of the lowest type.

    When upgrading machines, I generally go to Crucial Memory as their memory selector is good, quality is excellent and they guarantee that it will work.

    chsh: I think the board is quite old............3 sticks of 256Mb PC133? = 764Mb. Most boards sold in the last 3 years or so will support 1Gb, but you have to be careful with Win9x boxes as the OS becomes unstable with more than 512Mb.

    Just a few thoughts

  8. #8
    Senior Member
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    Originally posted here by nihil
    In my experience you can mix different sized SIMMS and DIMMS, but obviously not the two memory types together. The secret is that they must be the same type (speed), with identical CLOCK LATENCY (cl2, 2.5 or 3). In older machines you can even mix different sized 72 pin EDO RAM, but remember they must come in matched pairs. (4,8 16,32,64).
    RAM tends to work (IME) on a lowest common denominator approach (as you sort of note below this). I've mixed PC2100 and PC2700 RAM just fine, but don't expect it to work at DDR333. The same applies to latencies IME; generally chipsets are smart enough to set latencies compatible for all sticks.

    If you are buying a new machine or MoBo you need to be a bit careful. I have seen boards that would support 2Gb of PC2100 but only 512Mb of PC3200
    That makes no sense, and should be a manufacturing defect or something. Which board is it?

    chsh: I think the board is quite old............3 sticks of 256Mb PC133? = 764Mb. Most boards sold in the last 3 years or so will support 1Gb, but you have to be careful with Win9x boxes as the OS becomes unstable with more than 512Mb.
    3 x 256 = 768 actually, and most AMD boards I've seen support 1.5 anyway. It's mostly a limitation of the chipsets and/or BIOSes used, not the individual motherboard.
    By the way, that Win9x with > 512MB of RAM thing is an easy fix. I ran Win98SE on a box with 768MB of PC-133 RAM for a couple of years paired with both a Duron 600, T-Bird 1.2GHz. I also ran it for a bit with 1GB, but swapped that out for other machines. It was stabler than my XP install has been over the last week.
    Chris Shepherd
    The Nelson-Shepherd cutoff: The point at which you realise someone is an idiot while trying to help them.
    \"Well as far as the spelling, I speak fluently both your native languages. Do you even can try spell mine ?\" -- Failed Insult
    Is your whole family retarded, or did they just catch it from you?

  9. #9
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    That makes no sense, and should be a manufacturing defect or something. Which board is it?
    I have seen it with several boards, mostly cheaper ones like Asrock and PC-Chips. I Currently have a Gigabyte 7VAXp Ultra KT400 (Via Chipset). It claims to support DDR up to 3Gb, but the "approved" DDR400 memory only comes in 256Mb strips which would give 768Mb in total.

    RAM tends to work (IME) on a lowest common denominator approach (as you sort of note below this). I've mixed PC2100 and PC2700 RAM just fine, but don't expect it to work at DDR333. The same applies to latencies IME; generally chipsets are smart enough to set latencies compatible for all sticks.
    Sure you CAN mix stuff, but I would not recommend it, sometimes it works sometimes not. Compaqs for example, seem to be particularly fussy. My point was that I have never encountered problems due to memory size mixing, but I certainly have with speed and latency. I always recommend that you keep those the same.

    I think that in common with most people who do upgrades for customers, I tend to do things by the book. There is no profit in having to go back to fix things

    By the way, that Win9x with > 512MB of RAM thing is an easy fix
    I would be very interested in more details of that I currently have a box with 768Mb of PC400 Rambus RDR memory, and it tends to be unstable.

  10. #10
    Thanks nihil, What I understand now, is i should go back to PCWORLD, return 512 MB stick and buy 2X256 MB stick , right?

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