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Full RAM not showing

  • 01-12-2006 12:54pm
    #1
    lukin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,114 ✭✭✭


    I recently put 1 gig of RAM into a PC belonging to a friend of mine.
    (It's fairly basic:a Packard-Bell,it's a few years old)
    However, under "My Computer/properties", it only shows up 448 MB.
    This could be because the slots don't have the capacity to take a gigabyte in a single stick.
    If that is the cause then there is obviously not much I can do but it also could be that the m'board needs a BIOS upgrade.
    I've done that before but it's a bit of hassle, finding the right type, sending away for the chip, installing it etc etc. so what I really want to know is how do I find out which of these two issues is the problem (if that is the cause)?
    ie the capacity of the memory slots and if the BIOS needs to be upgraded?


Comments

  • #2
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    What operating system is he using?


  • #3
    8T8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭8T8


    In regards a bios update that is usually a trivial thing to do all you do is download the update and flash the new bios via software, sending away for a chip is not something that needs to be done for most motherboards (unless this is a very old machine).

    What make & model Packard Bell is it ?


  • #4
    lukin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,114 ✭✭✭lukin


    aidan_walsh wrote:
    What operating system is he using?
    Windows XP Home Service Pack 2
    8T8 wrote:
    What make & model Packard Bell is it ?

    I dunno what make and model, I don't have the manual.
    Edit:
    Found it;it's a Packard Bell NEC, gives all zeros for the Model No. but the version is P700401301.

    I installed that SiS Software Sandra but there's a lot of icons in it, the ones to do with memory don't tell me anything about the capacity of the slots.
    The BIOS is American Megatrends Inc. 3.0B.
    I spose I could google that and see what comes up.


  • #5
    8T8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭8T8


    Is this the machine ?

    If so it appears the bad news is the machines bios is up to date you can see in the downloads section the bios available is v3.0B

    At the side you can see a link to memory upgrade it appears Packard Bell have their own online store and sell RAM upgrades for their own systems. I believe this is just a re-brand of the Crucial RAM store though one person who bought the supposed correct RAM direct from Crucial for that system found it didn't work at all (it was the system that was at fault).

    If you cannot get the RAM working buying from Packard Bell may be the only course of action.

    According to the motherboard page this is the RAM specification;
    * Supports 2 memory slots
    * Serial Presence Detect (SPD) support
    * Supports a maximum memory size of 1GB (using 2 × 512 MB memory modules)
    * Support only 2.5 V DIMM DDRAM configurations
    * Unbuffered type support
    * 266 MHz DDR interface

    According to Crucial these DIMM's are compatible.

    I assume this is a 2x512MB configuration, what happens if you remove one DIMM ?


  • #6
    lukin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,114 ✭✭✭lukin


    8T8 wrote:
    Is this the machine ?

    If so it appears the bad news is the machines bios is up to date you can see in the downloads section the bios available is v3.0B

    At the side you can see a link to memory upgrade it appears Packard Bell have their own online store and sell RAM upgrades for their own systems. I believe this is just a re-brand of the Crucial RAM store though one person who bought the supposed correct RAM direct from Crucial for that system found it didn't work at all (it was the system that was at fault).

    If you cannot get the RAM working buying from Packard Bell may be the only course of action.

    According to the motherboard page this is the RAM specification;
    * Supports 2 memory slots
    * Serial Presence Detect (SPD) support
    * Supports a maximum memory size of 1GB (using 2 × 512 MB memory modules)
    * Support only 2.5 V DIMM DDRAM configurations
    * Unbuffered type support
    * 266 MHz DDR interface

    That could be the machine,it's an IMedia alright but I dunno if it's a 5054.
    I filled in a form for a BIOS upgrade for it from American Mgeatrends site but it looks like the slots won't take any more than 512 MB.
    I have no use for that RAM now, I bought it on eBay for another machine I was asked to get RAM for but it wasn't compatible with it (I posted here:http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=52402078&posted=1 about it).

    I thought I could stick it into this one and get rid of it that way.
    No point in putting it in this guy's machine if he can't use the full 1 GB of it.
    Trouble is I'll have a job returning it now as the shop I bought it on eBay from have been very unco-operative to say the least.
    8T8 wrote:
    I assume this is a 2x512MB configuration, what happens if you remove one DIMM ?

    Yep it's a 2x512. There was a 256 MB stick in it. I took that out and put in the 1GB one and it showed up as 512 MB.
    Then I put back in the 256 along with the 1 GB stick and it showed up as 704 MB.


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  • #7
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,286 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    A few pointers-

    First of all you have two memory slots- which between them support 1024Mb (a gig) of RAM in 512:512 configuration.

    You have put a single stick of 1Gb into one of the slots- it is being detected as 512- because this is the max that it can be recognised as.

    Its coming up as 448Mb- if you check in the BIOS you will see that you have specified to share 64Mb of RAM for video memory (hence it being under reported as 448 and not 512Mb)

    You need 2 sticks of 512, not 1Gb stick.

    Shane


  • #8
    lukin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,114 ✭✭✭lukin


    8T8 wrote:
    Is this the machine ?

    If so it appears the bad news is the machines bios is up to date you can see in the downloads section the bios available is v3.0B

    At the side you can see a link to memory upgrade it appears Packard Bell have their own online store and sell RAM upgrades for their own systems. I believe this is just a re-brand of the Crucial RAM store though one person who bought the supposed correct RAM direct from Crucial for that system found it didn't work at all (it was the system that was at fault).

    If you cannot get the RAM working buying from Packard Bell may be the only course of action.

    According to the motherboard page this is the RAM specification;
    * Supports 2 memory slots
    * Serial Presence Detect (SPD) support
    * Supports a maximum memory size of 1GB (using 2 × 512 MB memory modules)
    * Support only 2.5 V DIMM DDRAM configurations
    * Unbuffered type support
    * 266 MHz DDR interface

    According to Crucial these DIMM's are compatible.

    I assume this is a 2x512MB configuration, what happens if you remove one DIMM ?


    The guy that owns the machine says he can manage for the time being with the RAM he has but I'll have to get it for him at some time in the future.
    I'll buy it off that crucial link when he needs it, thanks for finding it for me.


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