How much RAM do I really have?

[tan8856]

I have an 8 year old MESH with an A7V8X motherboard.

I recently started finding it slow so I bought an extra 1GB RAM to go with the 512 it came with. I have installed the extra 1GB and its definately faster.

However, the manual says:

3 x DDR DIMM Sockets
Maximum 3GB unbuffered PC2100/1600 non-ECC SDRAM Memory.
Note: PC2700 maximum to 2 DIMM support only.
PC3200 maximum to 1 DIMM support only.

The 1 GB RAM I bought is PC3200. So does this mean that the most RAM I can ever use is that 1GB and that the (old) 512 is redundant and may as well be removed?

When I look at My Computer/Properties it says I have 1.5GB RAM. Also SpeedUpMyPC software says I have 1.5GB but are these just telling me how much RAM I have installed rather than how much of it my PC can use at its max?

How can I test if I can use the full 1.5GB?

Thanks.

 

[tan8856]

Now my PC keeps crashing!

After 5 mins I get the black screen message "We apologise for the inconvenience, but windows did not start sucessfully, a recent hardware change might have caused this. etc etc"

It then gets stuck in a reboot-crash cycle and the only way I can break it is to switch the PC off at the back of the CPU.

Could this be because Ive left the old 512 RAM in???

 

[MrHumbug]

What the manual says is that you can have a maximum of 3GB as long as it's not PC3200. Only one slot can accommodate PC3200 RAM and only up to 512MB from certain vendors. Anything else is likely to be unstable.

Having said that, PC3200 should be downgradable to PC2100 (what is your 512MB module?). Try setting the memory speed to 266 in the BIOS.

If Windows and other utilities report 1.5GB RAM then that's what you have.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

Try going to www.crucial.com. You can run system scan on there that will tell you what RAM you've got installed, and in what configuration, how many empty slots and what kind of RAM you can put in them. You can even buy RAM from there if you want although i've no idea if their prices are competitve as i've never bought from them personally.

 

[tan8856]

Hi

Ive taken out the old 2*256 pc2700 sticks so just have the 1*1gb pc3200 stick in but its still crashing albeit less often (every hour now).

Mr Humbug, so I could leave the 2*256 sticks in plus the 1*1gb but downgrade the 1gb to pc2100? I was after 1gb pc2100 but couldnt find any for sale. How do i downgrade it? Is that what you mean by setting the mem speed to 266 in the BIOS? Im not familiar with the BIOS, how do I get to it to make the alteration?

Thanks

 

[MrHumbug]

Yes, setting the RAM at 266 MHz in the BIOS should get it working more stably. To access the BIOS press the Delete key during the PCs startup routine - when you see it counting the RAM and finding the disks just after you turn it on. Chapter 4 of the manual has details.

 

[cjard]

If you remove the new memory, does it go back to being reliable again? If not, you might have damaged something during the ram install..

 

[tan8856]

Im working on the bios thing...

Ive tried putting the old ram back in and its still crashing or giving the error message 'warning!! cpu has over speed'

have i seriously damaged my pc?

 

[MrHumbug]

Igiving the error message 'warning!! cpu has over speed'

Is it a Duron or an Athlon processor?

 

[tan8856]

Athlon XP2400+

Im not getting the over speed message any more but its still crashing regularly.

 

[MrHumbug]

In the BIOS, where you adjusted the memory frequency, did you also change the CPU speed? If so, put it back to Auto.