Computer question for the techies

argetni · #1 28th September 2006, 21:41

Have a pretty old PC that I'm trying to add some memory to, but not having much luck. Bit ******** when it comes to computer hardware, so hopefully someone can help.

There's 256MB (sdram?) in it now, in 2 sticks of 128 each. Think both sticks are pc100. I have a 256MB stick that I'm trying to use in one of the slots (only 2 slots in the machine), but the computer can't seem to see it. So if I have it, and one of the older 128MB cards in there, the computer only sees the 128. If I have only the 256 in there on it's own, I get the 'no memory' beeps when I try booting up the machine. The 256 fits the slot fine, and I know it's seated OK. I had this before, and brought the card back thinking it was dodgy, but same thing again with this new one, so it looks like it's a problem with the machine.

Any ideas? I can't find the actual specs of the machine online, but similiar models with even worse processors are supposed to accept up to 512MB ram, so I would have thought this one should be able to also. Do some motherboards only allow a limited amount of ram per slot?

filo · #2 28th September 2006, 21:58

It's not easy to say exactly what the problem is, but i'd hazard a guess that it's either one or possibly a combination of two things.

Some older motherboards can only function properly with both slots filled with an equal amount of ram memory.
This is rare in my experience (such as it is), but not beyond the realms of possibility. Therefore, if you want to upgrade to 512mb ram then you should insert two sticks of 256mb memory.

Other than that, some BIOS's on older motherboards might need flashing (the firmware upgrading) before they will accept larger ram memory modules.
This information, including the firmware upgrade file, can usually be found on the motherboard manufacturers website.

Hope that sheds a bit of light

mico · #3 28th September 2006, 22:04

I'm no expert with computer hardware but I have seen several instances where the memory was incompatible for the computer. Not that it was too much memory, or that the two sticks were different sizes, but simply because they wern't compatible.

filo · #4 28th September 2006, 22:08

Aye... it could be something as simple as that.
One good place to check out for compatability issues is http://www.crucial.com/

argetni · #5 28th September 2006, 23:00

yep - cheers lads. Just been to that crucial.com site and did a scan on the machine (nifty little tool, that!)

The results that came up said it could take up to 512 in total, and that it should accept a pc133 256MB stick. I have a pc100 here that doesn't work. The last one I tried was a pc133, and that didn't work either, though. Poop.

What it doesn't say though, is whether or not it'll take a 128 in one slot, and 256 in the other. Double poop. Just weird that I've now tried both a pc100 256, and pc133 256 on their own in the machine and it couldn't see either, so I don't know if there's a possibility that both sticks may have been dodgy. Think they both may have been returns. Not sure what to go back and try next.