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Pentium III won't detect ram...
Name: Brian Date: October 21, 2003 at 14:41:30 Pacific OS: Windows XP CPU/Ram: 1GHz P3 512MB
Comment:
I was recently helping a friend install some extra memory in his PIII 1GHz computer and the computer would not detect the memory. He bought two 512MB PC133 chips of the same type as the 128MB PC133 chip he originally had installed.
When he installed both 512 chips the computer only detected 512 MB of memory. I suggested to him that his computer likely only supports 512 MB max ram (does anyone know what a P3 1GHz would be likely to support as a max?). He wasn't convinced so I suggested he install the 128 chip since we knew that worked and obviously one of the 512 megabyte chips worked, this netted detected memory of 384 megabytes with either 512 megabyte chip. When the 128 megabyte chip was removed only 256 megbytes were detected with either 512 megabyte chip installed. We tried turning the computer off and back on, different memory chip slots, and loading setup default in the bios but nothing will get the computer to detect more than 256 megabytes now. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem might be?
Name: mike Date: October 21, 2003 at 14:53:56 Pacific
Reply:
I had a similar problem. I put in a 256 and it showed up as a 128. Turns out my MB would not support 256 chips so it detected them as the max it could as 128's.
Mike
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Response Number 2
Name: Brian Date: October 21, 2003 at 15:05:41 Pacific
Reply:
Oh good point, only accepts 256 chips, so the max is probably 768. Thanks.
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Response Number 3
Name: jam Date: October 21, 2003 at 15:05:57 Pacific
Reply:
You should ALWAYS look into your manual/specs before you buy memory! Your old mobo doesn't support "high density" RAM. Take it back & get low density RAM...
http://home.cfl.rr.com/bjp/Sdram.htm
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Response Number 4
Name: brian Date: October 21, 2003 at 15:10:28 Pacific
Reply:
will it hurt to just use those two 512 and have it be deteced as only 512 total? This wasn't my computer i didn't order it or decide what to buy.
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Response Number 5
Name: jam Date: October 21, 2003 at 15:32:57 Pacific
Reply:
I don't think it will hurt anything...it's just a waste of 512 unused megs
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Response Number 6
Name: EC Date: October 21, 2003 at 21:41:48 Pacific
Reply:
too much ram and it pc may not boot
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Response Number 7
Name: Brian Date: October 23, 2003 at 15:19:05 Pacific
Reply:
Yea it's a waste but the 256 meg chips are $30 while the 512's are $35. They'll rip him off more on shipping if he returns it.
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