RAM recognition problem

InactiveX · Post by **InactiveX** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 8:49 am

This is a common problem for BP6ers upgrading RAM.

The BP6 needs low-density RAM, the old sort, otherwise it will only recognise half the capacity of the memory module.

WilliamWallace · Post by **WilliamWallace** » Sat Oct 26, 2002 2:16 pm

I have the same problem as jrhmem. I purchased high density memory and am seeing the behavior described by InactiveX.

Does anyone know if this is a physical limitation of the BP6 or if there is a bios or other fix for it?

InactiveX · Post by **InactiveX** » Sun Oct 27, 2002 7:20 am

I'm afraid it's a limitation of the i440BX chipset in the BP6.

Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do to get the RAM to work fully in the BP6. You could sell the RAM, or ask for a replacement from the people you bought it off? Otherwise, you're out of luck.

WilliamWallace · Post by **WilliamWallace** » Sun Oct 27, 2002 2:17 pm

Thanks for the information InactiveX. A local dealer had 256MB sticks of name brand high density memory (8X32MB chips) at a really good price so I took a gamble. Oh well.

I do feel better knowing what is going on though. Thanks again.

BCN · Post by **BCN** » Thu Nov 28, 2002 9:48 am

BP6 recognizes only the maximum 128MB per memory bank and it HAS to be in 8 chips, so 256MB modules have to be doublesided with 16 chips in total.

WilliamWallace · Post by **WilliamWallace** » Tue Dec 10, 2002 11:35 am

Yep, found that out the hard way... I ended up purchasing three 256MB sticks from crucial.com (rated to run at CAS2 latency), giving one of the 8 chip modules to a friend who had helped me out in the past and selling the other one.

The odd thing is that I got slightly lower sysmark and 3Dmark scores running at CAS2 latency than I did running at CAS3 latency on the memory. Though the drops weren't signifigant, they were there after I ran the benchmarks multiple times. Any idea why this might be the case other than the margin of error in the benchmarks?

BCN · Post by **BCN** » Tue Dec 10, 2002 1:29 pm

I would tell that's realy odd, because I get the higher scores with CAS2, though I did not put all the memory into the board yet... it is still there in the box from crucial - waiting till i do the mods.. (caps are eager to be changed...

hehehehe