168 pin DIMM memory query
10 August 2001, 12:09 AM
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Hello !
Whats the difference between CL2 and CL3 DIMMS ? I have found 256mb 168 pin PC133 ECC registered DIMMS, and the only difference is that one is CL2 and one CL3.
Dave
Whats the difference between CL2 and CL3 DIMMS ? I have found 256mb 168 pin PC133 ECC registered DIMMS, and the only difference is that one is CL2 and one CL3.
Dave
10 August 2001, 12:43 AM
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On this subject, Cruicial tell me that my system has a maximum of 512Mb from 2 x 256Mb. Is there any reason why I can't fit a pair of 512Mb DIMMs instead of the 256Mb ones, and get a gigabyte of memory?
10 August 2001, 02:08 PM
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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Oakley:
<B>On this subject, Cruicial tell me that my system has a maximum of 512Mb from 2 x 256Mb. Is there any reason why I can't fit a pair of 512Mb DIMMs instead of the 256Mb ones, and get a gigabyte of memory?[/quote]
The chances are the motherboard in your computer doesn't support more than 512MB.
I've got an Asus CUSL2-C board with the Intel 815EP chipset which supports a max of 512MB, so my 2 x Crucial 256MB PC133 CAS2 DIMMS take me to the limit (even with a spare DIMM slot available).
ChrisB.
<B>On this subject, Cruicial tell me that my system has a maximum of 512Mb from 2 x 256Mb. Is there any reason why I can't fit a pair of 512Mb DIMMs instead of the 256Mb ones, and get a gigabyte of memory?[/quote]
The chances are the motherboard in your computer doesn't support more than 512MB.
I've got an Asus CUSL2-C board with the Intel 815EP chipset which supports a max of 512MB, so my 2 x Crucial 256MB PC133 CAS2 DIMMS take me to the limit (even with a spare DIMM slot available).
ChrisB.
10 August 2001, 03:55 PM
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Why so much memory anyway, unless you're doing mega Photoshop abuse you can't use it. Win 98 / Millenium is supposedly slower with more than 256Mb. You need 2000/NT to use/waste that much ram.
I did just buy a 256Mb Crucial for £30 notes tho..... it's hard to resist
Druddle - you probably can't use ECC ram in a standard PC anyway. I "found" some server ECC ram at work and it didn't boot with it in...
I did just buy a 256Mb Crucial for £30 notes tho..... it's hard to resist
Druddle - you probably can't use ECC ram in a standard PC anyway. I "found" some server ECC ram at work and it didn't boot with it in...
10 August 2001, 04:08 PM
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Aye, just bought 128MB to bring my system up to 256MB from Crucial for 17.97 delivered -
B A R G A I N!!!
Last 128 DIMM I bought was 72 and that was cheap at the time
lol!!!!
Most PC magazines will tell you the "minimum" has now really become 128MB and most home systems are best to have 256........
[This message has been edited by ScoobyJawa (edited 10 August 2001).]
B A R G A I N!!!
Last 128 DIMM I bought was 72 and that was cheap at the time
lol!!!!Most PC magazines will tell you the "minimum" has now really become 128MB and most home systems are best to have 256........
[This message has been edited by ScoobyJawa (edited 10 August 2001).]
10 August 2001, 04:42 PM
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CL2 is faster (about 5-7%) than CL3, but only if you tell your system its got it. You will need to change this in the BIOS and not all systems will run CAS2. Its the time (delay) in nanoseconds that is taken to return, CAS2 means its tested at 2 or less nanoseconds, CAS3 is between 2 and 3.
"If both PC100 and PC133 are listed, your system was designed for PC100", this isnt strictly true. Some systems are built to run optimally with PC133, but can run with PC100 via the BIOS. AMD often have a setting in the BIOS for this.
Generally you can use higher spec memory, but not the other way round, saying that, they are very cautious when testing the memory, so you can often run over spec.
If your going to give windows more than about 256M then often some tweaks are required to allow the machine to utilise this well. Its also very poor are allocating memory that isnt used anymore, so more helps this.
Remember (this is a GOLDEN rule for PCs), memory is accessed in nanoseconds, hard disks are in milliseconds. If you havent got enough memory, you PC will slow to milliseconds as it will have to swap to disk. READ very bad.
Check you have DMA enabled, it really helps with disk accessing.
robski
"If both PC100 and PC133 are listed, your system was designed for PC100", this isnt strictly true. Some systems are built to run optimally with PC133, but can run with PC100 via the BIOS. AMD often have a setting in the BIOS for this.
Generally you can use higher spec memory, but not the other way round, saying that, they are very cautious when testing the memory, so you can often run over spec.
If your going to give windows more than about 256M then often some tweaks are required to allow the machine to utilise this well. Its also very poor are allocating memory that isnt used anymore, so more helps this.
Remember (this is a GOLDEN rule for PCs), memory is accessed in nanoseconds, hard disks are in milliseconds. If you havent got enough memory, you PC will slow to milliseconds as it will have to swap to disk. READ very bad.
Check you have DMA enabled, it really helps with disk accessing.
robski
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10 August 2001, 04:58 PM
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I've got an Abit BE6 board, couple of years old.
It's got 128mb PC100 in at the moment, can I use PC133 in it? (seems notably cheaper)
Been told "no" but from what I read above looks like I maybe able too. Any way of finding out for sure? (besides trying it!)
Cheers chaps!
It's got 128mb PC100 in at the moment, can I use PC133 in it? (seems notably cheaper)
Been told "no" but from what I read above looks like I maybe able too. Any way of finding out for sure? (besides trying it!)
Cheers chaps!
10 August 2001, 05:10 PM
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Ade, I have an Abit BH6
There was a single 128mb pc100 dimm in there, but last weekend I picked up a pair of 256mb pc133's for 50 notes, they went in no problem and the board picked up the full 640mb.
Suck it and see ... Abit boards are generally quite tolerant ( hence their use by overclockers )
SteveM
There was a single 128mb pc100 dimm in there, but last weekend I picked up a pair of 256mb pc133's for 50 notes, they went in no problem and the board picked up the full 640mb.
Suck it and see ... Abit boards are generally quite tolerant ( hence their use by overclockers )
SteveM
10 August 2001, 07:40 PM
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Why so much RAM? Erm, 'cos I can?
I run Win 2000 Pro (far, far superior to 9x / ME IMHO) which likes plenty of RAM.
I also brought it when it was 'cheap' - I paid about £55 per 256MB stick as I thought that was cheap - pricing now is just plain stupid.
I'm not complaining though!
I have got some graphs comparing PC100 vs PC133 or was it CAS2 vs CAS3 on my PC. I'll try to dig them out.
ChrisB.
I run Win 2000 Pro (far, far superior to 9x / ME IMHO) which likes plenty of RAM.
I also brought it when it was 'cheap' - I paid about £55 per 256MB stick as I thought that was cheap - pricing now is just plain stupid.
I'm not complaining though!
I have got some graphs comparing PC100 vs PC133 or was it CAS2 vs CAS3 on my PC. I'll try to dig them out.
ChrisB.
12 August 2001, 02:37 AM
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Just a quick point, as no one else seemed to mention it. All the CAS latencies will have to be declared to be the same, so if you have some incumbent CAS 3 and you put in CAS 2, you will get no benefit. If you then set bios to CAS 2, the CAS 3 stuff will fail to run.
Use it more as a yardstick indicating the quality of the RAM...
Also, ECC? Why?
Cheers
KF.
Use it more as a yardstick indicating the quality of the RAM...
Also, ECC? Why?
Cheers
KF.
12 August 2001, 12:17 PM
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While we have the "experts" gathered 
I have a question...
I bought an Abit BX133 raid board (the one with four ide slots) just over a year ago and now it's goosed. The symptoms are that after about twelve seconds of booting into windows, it resets and reboots (Windows ME). This causes the scan program to start but after twelve seconds after it's completed the scan, and found no problem of course, it resets again, and again.........
I tried every component in another machine and they all check out fine.
I tried updating the bios but had exactly the same problem.
Anyone heard of such a fault?
I've just bought an Aopen AX34 PRO2 cos it had four dimm slots and couldn't resist lol, but unfortunately it has the dreaded VIA chipset which is causing all sorts of conflicts on my system.
HEEEELPP!
Dave.
[This message has been edited by McMiata Man (edited 12 August 2001).]
I have a question...
I bought an Abit BX133 raid board (the one with four ide slots) just over a year ago and now it's goosed. The symptoms are that after about twelve seconds of booting into windows, it resets and reboots (Windows ME). This causes the scan program to start but after twelve seconds after it's completed the scan, and found no problem of course, it resets again, and again.........
I tried every component in another machine and they all check out fine.
I tried updating the bios but had exactly the same problem.
Anyone heard of such a fault?
I've just bought an Aopen AX34 PRO2 cos it had four dimm slots and couldn't resist lol, but unfortunately it has the dreaded VIA chipset which is causing all sorts of conflicts on my system.
HEEEELPP!
Dave.
[This message has been edited by McMiata Man (edited 12 August 2001).]
13 August 2001, 08:33 AM
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ECC is error correcting, you dont want in a desktop, keep it for server use only.
Mc Miata Man, isnt that an Intel board?
I.e to rum P3? if so avoid the VIA, not good
I was going to suggest power supply, but if your using the same power supply then it aint that. I would guess that a capacitor has gone down, and cant handle the strain any more.
robski
Mc Miata Man, isnt that an Intel board?
I.e to rum P3? if so avoid the VIA, not good
I was going to suggest power supply, but if your using the same power supply then it aint that. I would guess that a capacitor has gone down, and cant handle the strain any more.
robski
13 August 2001, 09:36 AM
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Yes it is a Via chipset with a Celeron, YES YES YES I KNOW I'm a ****!
But it had FOUR Dimm slots!!!
I'm a sucker for the seven deadly sins
Dave.
[This message has been edited by McMiata Man (edited 13 August 2001).]
[This message has been edited by McMiata Man (edited 13 August 2001).]
But it had FOUR Dimm slots!!!
I'm a sucker for the seven deadly sins
Dave.
[This message has been edited by McMiata Man (edited 13 August 2001).]
[This message has been edited by McMiata Man (edited 13 August 2001).]
13 August 2001, 10:23 AM
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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by KF:
<B>Also, ECC? Why?
Cheers
KF.[/quote]
Ask Sun Microsystems that one !!! Hehehehe, the E10k has no ECC and is up and down more than a wh0res drawers.
Dave
<B>Also, ECC? Why?
Cheers
KF.[/quote]
Ask Sun Microsystems that one !!! Hehehehe, the E10k has no ECC and is up and down more than a wh0res drawers.
Dave
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