Hello csisysph,

Saturday, February 16, 2002, 10:40:24 PM, you wrote:

cnc> On Sat, 16 Feb 2002 00:37:05 -0500, you wrote:

>>Date:    Thu, 14 Feb 2002 22:18:52 EST
>>From:    Kevin Nowicki <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: PC100 or PC133
>>
>>Dear Listers,
>>
>>I don't remember if this has been asked before, if so I apologize for asking
>>again.  I have a 233mhz PII on a 440LX that has a 66mhz bus.  May I use PC100
>>DIMMS?  I know the bus won't be able to take full advantage of the faster
>>ram, but the PC100 and PC133 is much  less expensive and I'll be able to use
>>it later if I upgrade to a 100mhz fsb motherboard.  Any comments or
>>suggestions?
>>
>>TIA,
>>Kevin Nowicki

cnc> The answer is generally a qualified yes. PC66 PC100 PC133 is NOT the
cnc> determining factor. Its pretty much irrelevant.

cnc> OTHER factors of DIMM design, memory mhip design and memory
cnc> arraingement  including ones your vendor will not know DO affect if it
cnc> will work or not and if it will not just work but be stable in a
cnc> particular brand and model motherboard.

cnc> If you know the brand and model of the motherboard a more specific
cnc> answer is possible. Ultimately you have to try and see and preferably
cnc> test by booting to a floppy containing memtest86 or the like if you
cnc> want to be sure.

cnc> Its common to have to return DIMMs for incompatibility so be sure you
cnc> can. Even some PC66 DIMMs might not work!

cnc> I'd say in my experience about 2/3 of 128MB unbuffered SDRAM DIMMS
cnc> will work if you have a recent BIOS update

cnc> the DIMMS definitely must also have the EEPROM for SPD (Serial
cnc> Presence Detect).  This is a teenny tiny chip on the memory module
cnc> board.

cnc> Some large memory mamufacturers like www.crucial.com maintain a
cnc> database of their memory part numbers KNOWN to work in specific
cnc> boards. However other memory they make might well work as well.

cnc> Memory tested and certified in a specific older board might well be
cnc> considerably more expnsive and more modern memory often will work just
cnc> as well.

cnc> Generally Motherboards based on intel LX chipset will usually work
cnc> with unbuffered unregistered SDRAM DIMMS either ECC or not.  in sizes
cnc> 32MB 64MB and 128MB per dimm  PC66 PC100 PC133

cnc> SOME boards might take other sizes or allow registered types.
cnc> or  demand registered types if all DIMM slots are filled

cnc> Memory geometry matters and they don't exactly tell you that so some
cnc> DIMMs will NOT work or show less than their full size or have subtle
cnc> timing issues with some OSes

cnc> LX boards tend to be very solid workhorses and it is easy to
cnc> overestimate the importance of not having 100 and 133MHz FSB

cnc> Almost all LX mainboards will take a $30 Celeron 533PGA in almost any
cnc> slotket adapter. But NOT Coppermine core CPUs 533 MHz FCPGA and up

cnc> I'm plenty happy with multimedia performance on my LX based systems
cnc> and also  do quite a bit of  video capture and editing using various
cnc> small shareware and freeware programs. Its also fine for games except
cnc> for the latest action packed shootem ups.

cnc> You might have to flash your BIOS for better compatibility with
cnc> currently available memory or for faster CPU or larger hard drives.

cnc> You can't assume all AGP video cards are compatible either (especially
cnc> with early revision LX boards)  as many modern gaming cards are real
cnc> power hogs. So you have to be selective if upgrading video cards.

cnc> I'm really happy with my two Asus P2L97-S systems and my P2L97-DS
cnc> system. I'll continue to use them for years to come.

cnc> These systems all can multiboot to Windows 2000, Windows98 Linux and
cnc> BSD.

cnc> BX systems are similarly excellent but they are 100MHz FSB and can
cnc> usually accept 1000MHz Celeron (in certain slotket adapters)or 100MHz
cnc> FSB  versions of  PIII copermine. They also more easily accept *some*
cnc> 256MB DIMMs (in some BX boards) and have compatibility with more AGP
cnc> video cards.

cnc> They too have incompatibility with certain DIMM designs and memory
cnc> organization and there is no clear easy way to know in advance for
cnc> certain. Chances are it will.

cnc> there is a good page about a popular intel LX mainboard the AL440LX
cnc> http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ebillselk/al440lx/index.html quite a bit
cnc> of it is aplicable to other LX based boards.

cnc> Mark Paulson

cnc>         The NOSPIN Group provides a monthly newsletter with great
cnc>        tips, information and ideas: NOSPIN-L, The NOSPIN Magazine
cnc>            Visit our web site to signup: http://freepctech.com

I have ASUSTek Computer INC. TX97 i430TX, Pentium 233MHZ, 2x32MB
SDRAM.
SiSoftSandra 2001 /Mainboard Inform/
Logical/Chipset Memory Banks produce:
Bank 2 Setting   16MB SDRAM 6-2-2-2R  6-3-3-3w
Bank 3 Setting   16MB SDRAM 6-2-2-2R  6-3-3-3w
Bank 4 Setting   16MB SDRAM 6-2-2-2R  6-3-3-3w
Bank 5 Setting   16MB SDRAM 6-2-2-2R  6-3-3-3w
Trying to install one DIMM 64MB PC133 -
the Matherboard registered only 16MB from 64MB?

--
Best regards,
 Yakymakha                            mailto:[log in to unmask]

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