Insimenator.org

I have just bought what i thought was 2GB of ram... but when put in my computer it reads it as 512mb... could my computer be wrong when it says that in dxdiag or have i been made a fool of and sold something that is only 512mb?

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/CharlieRogan/NotHappy.jpg)

Char
xxx

Memory has to be installed in pairs unless it's a solitary memory card.  If your computer has 2 memory card slots, both must be identical as are as RAM.  With four slots, the first 2 have to be the same, and the second two have to be the same, but they don't have to be the same as the first two.

Example:  On my current computer I had 2x512MB and 2x1GB until I updated to 4x1GB.

Try taking out your 512 card and see what you have then.  Also make sure the speed of the 2GB is the correct speed for your memory bus.  Consult the specifications that came with the computer and it should tell you exactly what you need.

I have taken out the memory that i had and inserted the new 2GB stick, and its coming up like this, if there is only one stick should it read like this?

How do i check thet speed of the memory bus? I have no documentation because this computer is about 7 or 8 years old and i dunno where all the stuff is.

Also i cannot put my other RAM in with this stick, it comes up with errors that windows isn't installed properly and things like that but is okay when the 2GB stick is in on its own.

Hope i haven't misread you! lol

EDIT: i have downloaded a program from the net to tell me the characteristics of my motherboard.

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/CharlieRogan/NotHappy2.jpg)

Char
xxx

With the computer being 7 or 8 years old, the memory bus may not support anything more than 512 MB.  In which case, assuming you have two slots for memory, you could put 2x512 MB cards in and get 1GB RAM.

Other than looking up the specifications, I don't know of a way to check the speed.  Maybe a search on the web can get you those.

Does that piccy help at all, or is that just telling me whats in there now? If thats tellin me what speed i can have and how much i can have then shouldn't i be able to have 2048mb of memory?

Char
xxx

Actually that information is telling you what you have installed with the new memory card.  Take another look the output of that program and see if there's some other information on the slot/bus itself rather than the installed memory.

Be careful...you may find yourself turning into a geek :D

Memory Controller Properties:  
   Error Detection Method   None  
   Error Correction   None  
   Supported Memory Interleave   1-Way  
   Current Memory Interleave   4-Way  
   Supported Memory Speeds   70ns, 60ns  
   Supported Memory Types   SPM, EDO  
   Supported Memory Voltages   5V  
   Maximum Memory Module Size   32 MB  
   Memory Slots   3  

This any good? Made it do a report of my computer, where it says maximum memory module size, i have had a 512mb and a 256mb in there and that worked.

Char
xxx

Looking at your last post, I don't think your computer will support the 2GB card.  You might take that information along with the 2GB card back to the store, get one of the techies there to confirm, then see about getting the proper memory.

Put the 512MB memory back in and get the card information like you have in post #3.  With 3 memory slots, you should be able to get 2 more similar and get you up to 1.5GB.

Goin my sisters now, so won't be online for a bit, but will prob be online later.

Char
xxx

I bought it off Ebay, so will email the fella for a return, if not then i will just sell it any buy some ram that will actually work! I've had a look at my mobo and i can't find more than 2 slots for memory! and also it says i have PCI slots which i can't find either! Thanks for the help!

Char
xxx

Charlotte, depending on your computer, it may only allow a maximum amount of RAM, often 2 GB is the maximum in "newer" cheap computers from Compaq, Dell, HP, and ACER built in 2004-2006.

Ancienthighway is right, but most modern RAM is "self pairing", so RAM no longer needs to always be installed in matched pairs as was formerly often the case.  Many motherboards only have 2 RAM slots and ship from the maker with a single stick of RAM when they are built into mass-manufactured pre-made systems.

It would be helpful of you could inform me of the make and model of your computer, this may help determine if you have a RAM maximum limit.

PCI slots can be "virtual" - meaning they don't exst in a practical since, but the guts are there but being used by "built-on" parts of the motherboard.  If we are talking about a PCI-Express slot, god only knows what size or shape it might be.

A PCI slot is a pretty obvious bit of a motherboard, so if it is there, you would not miss it.

I have done this in a progamme that idownloaded to tell me my computer specs. Is this any help to you?

Char
xxx

Charlotte, from the description below , if you have a 2GB stick, then it must be the ONLY stick of RAM installed, otherwise the System will not read all the RAM available.  In the print outs, your system informs us that both RAM slots are occupied, this may be the problem.

Albatron PM266A PRO (2001)
Description:

Feature
Intel Pentium® 4 Processor (Celeron/Willamette/Northwood)
Socket 478 with FSB 400/533MHz
2 DDR266/200 Memory Sockets
6 channel AC 97 Audio
VIA 10/100 Ethernet LAN
2 ATA133 Channels, up to 4 ATA 133 IDE Devices
6 USB 2.0/1.1 Ports (4 ports by optional cable)
Integrated ProSavage8 2D/3D Graphics
Support Hyper-Threading Technology


Processor
Socket 478 Intel Pentium® 4 Processor (Celeron/Willamette/Northwood)


FSB
400/533MHz


Chipset
North Bridge : VIA VT8751A (P4M266A Ver:CE)
South Bridge : VIA VT8235
Audio Codec : VIA VT1616
LAN Chip : VIA VT6103
I/O Chip : Winbond W83697HF


Memory
2 * DDR Sockets
DDR266/DDR200 NON-ECC DDR SDRAM up to 2GB <-- Important
Note1: (If you do install DDR 333/400 memory, it will perform at DDR 266 speeds)


Expansion Slots
1 x AGP(2.0) 4X slot (1.5V only)
3 x PCI slots (PCI 2.2 compliant)


IDE Connectors
2 ATA133 channels, up to 4 ATA 133 IDE devices


Onboard I/O Connectors
1 x Floppy Connector
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 header (4 ports USB cable optional)
1 x CD_IN header
1 x COM (serial) port header (Optional COM cable)
1 x S/PDIF out header (S/PDIF out cable optional)
1 x CPU fan header with fan rotation detection function
1 x System fan headers with fan rotation detection function
2 x 5 pin system panel header (Intel spec)
1 x 3 pin Power LED header
1 x Front audio header (Intel spec)
1 x IrDA header
1 x Case Open detection header


I/O via Back Panel
PS/2 keyboard/mouse, 2 x USB(2.0/1.1), 1 x VGA , 1 x Com(serial), 1 x Parallel, 1x Game/Line-in/Lin-out/MIC


Power
20-pin ATX power connector, 4-pin ATX 12V power connector


BIOS Feature
2Mb Flash EEPROM
Award BIOS with ACPI, DMI2.0, PnP, WfM2.0, Green
Suspend to RAM (S3), Suspend to Disk (S4)
Wake on keyboard/mouse, Wake on LAN/RTC Timer


Hardware Monitoring
2 FAN sensors, CPU/System voltages and temperature monitoring


Special Feature
Watch Dog Timer (auto-reset system when it can not handle overclock configurations)


Form Factor
Micro ATX (244mm x 225mm)

okay let me just have a quick look and i will be back on in a min!

Char
xxx

Nope there isn't more than one stick of Ram in there! i have an AGP graphics card, could that be a memory space?

Char
xxx

Charlotte, your computer's motherboards should look something like this:

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b133/beosboxboy/PM266A.jpg)

The parts of the system are detailed below:

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b133/beosboxboy/PM266A_details.jpg)

RAM won't fit in an AGP slot or PCI slot, so that isn't even a potential.

It is possible that your system will only support a 1 Gigabyte DIMM of the specific speed and form factor, so you may well need 2 of 1 gigabyte DIMMs in order to gain full RAM capabilities for 2 gigabytes.  The speed supported by your motherboard is PC-266 and PC-200 (older stuff), it will make use of PC-333 and PC-400 RAM, but will operate at the slower PC-266 speed.

You may need a BIOS upgrade to register the full amount of RAM, I see nothing in either print-out to indicate what version of BIOS you have; if you have the user manual for the motherboard, this may detail the way to determine the number - or you can check at the maufacturer's web site for information on how to do this.  Updating BIOS is a little technical and may require the assistance of a qualified service professional.

This is the motherboard manufacturer's website: http://www.albatron.com.tw/index.asp

Not being there, this is about as far as I can take you.  You should try to locate the motherboard user manual if at all possible, it will be of enormous help to any service professional you end up using.

I looked up this particular MB on Crucial's Memory Advisor (http://www.crucial.com), and indeed the max memory each slot will hold is 1GB.  (I never try to upgrade memory in any machine without first consulting Crucial's Memory Advisor)

Thank you for the link, Your Majesty, I was desperately trying to remember the name of that manufacturer because of the solid and reliable information of their Memory Advisor.

Thanks for finding this out for me... How come this stick of ram only works at 512 though, shouldn't it work to the 1 GB if thats the full capacity of the slot? I didn't even think my motherboard wouldn't be able to handle it... now i'm stuck with a 2GB card... I may sell it on again. Last time i had 512mb and a 256mb card in my system, does that men that my system was only working at 256mb memory?

Char
xxx

No, Charlotte, computers are bizarre beasts.  To our minds, we are used to things like TVs and VCRs and DVDs -- you plug it into the wall, it works.  Computers have more "moving parts" -- so to say.

BIOS is a complicated thing, and nearly impossible to predict how it will react to being asked to deal with something outside the parametres for which it was specifically designed.  On my system, if I were to attempt installing a stick of RAM with to high a value (say a 16 GB stick in this instance), there is every chance my system would say "no ram found".  It is a miracle that your computer recognises any of the RAM.

lol lots of people have said that about my computer, someone said to me its a miracle that my sims and all expansions work on a 128mb card!

Takin the ram to my firends later and he said if it works in his computer he will buy it off me, unless then its goin up on ebay again!

Thank you for all the information you have given me and the time taken to draw diagrams!! Its much appreciated!

Char
xxx

I borrowed my mates 1gb ram and its a PC2700, and runs at 333mhz i think... and my mobo doesn't like it at all, all my other ram is PC2100... Does the PC... make a difference or what? Sorry for asking such nooby questions!

Char
xxx

That PC number is important.  As you found out, it the numbers aren't right, the computer won't recognize it.

Yeah the mobo just made a loud bleeping noise and wouldn't have it! What do the PC numbers mean? Computers are so bloody complicated! Want a new computer but my dad won't let me have one!

Char
xxx