Does my motherboard support 1 GB?

Hi

I have a HP Compaq Presario 4020IL Desktop with AMD Athlon 2000+ processor in it!

It has 2 RAM slots in it....with ram of 1 GB and 128 MB fitted in there!!(1.128 GB in total)

Now, I got to know from the HP Customer Care that my motherboard doesnt support RAM more than 1 GB and that also not as a single chip, however, 2 chips of 512 MB are supported.

But, when I check the System Properties, it does show 1.12 GB of RAM.

So, all I wanted to know, is my motherboard really supporting that amount of RAM?? Am I able to use the 1.128 GB of RAM to its complete potential or am I loosing some out????

If the system properties show you 1GB the mainboard supports it. If it didn't you wouldn't see it at all. Just to be sure you can always run something like memtest.

Ram numbers can be confusing as they are based on powers of 2, so there is no such thing as 1G of ram... fetching my calculator hold on....

2 raised to the 30th power would be 1,073,741,824, some people just say 1024 raised to the third.

It gets even more confusing with hard drives and then more so with telecom.

Another test of the memory size is not the system properties but using task manager to see how much memory is available for commitment. Sure the BIOS can count it but can the computer use it?

I got a lecture from Microsoft once that mixing sizes wasn't a good thing, don't know never verified it myself... anybody?

A google search for HP Compaq Presario 4020IL shows no matches except for an old post from you on the AO Forums.

Are you sure "HP Compaq Presario 4020IL" is the actuall model of your Compaq/HP?

A 4090 series had 3 slots and could only hold up to 768mb (256 in each slot) and since it is in the same family I think the max memory for that motherboard is 512mb.

Maybe a S4020IL ?

I'm with SirDice

memtest

That should answer your question.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wolfman1984

A google search for HP Compaq Presario 4020IL shows no matches except for an old post from you on the AO Forums.

Are you sure "HP Compaq Presario 4020IL" is the actuall model of your Compaq/HP?

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Yea....my mistake....IKnowNot was write....its HP COMPAQ PRESARIO S4020IL

I am currently running the memtest....since, I have windows, ran it using a floppy disk at boot time.

When it started, it kept on loaded something...and now all I can see is an infinite loops of:

@X:0400
AX:0212
BX:3E00
CX:0101
DX:0000.

In fact, its still goin on!! Do I let it go on? Or something is missing?? Should I stop it??

Software Information for Windows is a freeware program that will break down what hardware you have and what can be supported. It also provides Software, Network, Passwords, License (Serial) Numbers installed, monitors and of course hardware.

Read more here - http://www.gtopala.com/
Download it here- http://www.gtopala.com/siw-download.html

All this will do is break down your hardware (look at the memory section and the top portion will tell you what your board will support).

If system properties does show the 1.28gb in RAM double check it against task manager. Look at the Performance Tab - Physical Memory will show you what is being used.

The wolfman used the funkness of Google and found a website detailing the max RAM for the S4020IL

Accorinng to this page your PC can hold up to 1GB of RAM.

I AM THE WOLFMAN!

Quote:

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In fact, its still goin on!! Do I let it go on? Or something is missing?? Should I stop it??

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Uh, yes?

I suggest you play with that program a little and get familiar with it. Depending on the defaults, it will keep running until stopped. ( I like to let it run for about 24 hours so it runs through the tests several times, but that is not absolutely necessary. )
You can also customize the tests, number of passes, etc.

You will be looking for failed tests.

Well Wolfman1984, I did a little googling of my own, and found a suggestion that the S4020IL uses the FIC am37 motherboard . Perhaps codenamevirus can examine the board and compare it to the am37.

Maybe Compac did not realize what North Bridge / South Bridge chips were used when they wrote the specs?