Compaq Memory upgrade & question

[justice]

 ::)Well here it goes for the third time. Having a h**l of time staying latch up.  I having a problem upgrading the memory in my computer.  I sent E-Mail to H.P got no reply.  I seen there spec sheet and id showed size but no indication of any special instructions.  I check various memory dealers and seen what they had listed for memory for that machine.  I ran the  Bel Arc utility it came up with a wrong configuration  I try 3 times. I bought the computer used.  NO books are docs.  Owner said it was possessed.  I got a lot of the problems iron out. The biggest one got me a little baffle an that is memory. I have a  Compaq Presario 5000 series, Model 5008US, processor AMD-K6 2/506, Award Bios V4.51G Award Software, Also have a Packard Bell Bios FR510 BIOS ver 1.18, 6 gig hard drive, CD player,on boards sound card and on board rage pro video, Running widows Millennium, now for the memory is has two slots with a total of 64 megs. From what I can tell it mix memory Chip 1 MT16LSDT 46AG-66CL2  9736AA4WJ .032  Chip2 MSC2354641D-10BS16 FH   8286004 OKI Japan.  Ok  now what I have read and understand this unit should be upgradeable to 512 MB that using 2 chips of 256, from what I also gather it can be 100 MHz or 133 MHz that is backward compatible.  As for as Ecc there was no mention if this would be problem.  I found 2 matching chips that were made by IBM that were 256 with Ecc. The Info as follow from chip 256mb 32MX72 100 MHz 3.3 volt
When I install them the computer started to beep meaning memory problems.  I install a 32 meg and 256 meg it showed 32 meg.  I pulled the the 256 out and put  128 meg chip I had from another system and install it showed 32 meg.  Put of the 32 in back to 64 meg.  Any body has an idea  what is taking place?? Or better yet how to upgrade this unit. 

[elxr06]

well slow down a bit.

what motherboard are you using? (you may have already said that but so far i don't know)

do you use DDR or DDR2?

Are you sure you inserted the ram sticks correctly ?

[justice]

The mother I have not been able to Identify.  But the board has the ALI chipset.  The memory is the 168 pin Sdram 3.3 volt.   On this paticular chip I notice when you install the chip it can only go one way it is key to not allow you to put it in backwards.  I also observe when you press the chip in the plastics ears fold up and then you can finish latching the chip in the slot

[elxr06]

If you can, use CPU-Z. It's a freeware program that gives you all of your computer specs. It'll give you memory type installed, motherboard identification, and some more stuff.

So give it a shot. Google CPU-Z and you'll find it easily.

[patio]

Or travel to Crucial's site and enter the model # and it will tell you exactly what type of RAM that machine uses...

[elxr06]

Yes, Crucial can do it too. You don't need to know motherboard type if you did not customize computer yourself (i.e., you bought a  compaq computer from store without any custom configurations for example)

[justice]

Thanks for the info.  I downloaded CPU-Z for the heck of it something new.  It an interesting utility.  Werther it matter the mother board is a Aladdin,  They only gave the size of memory it  had no other info.  I went to crucial and found what will work is a 168 Sdram at 133mhz cl=2 unbuffered non-parity  32x64 that would total a 256 module.  From the looks of the module's I have there seem to be many things  that are not correct.  One I don't see where it is a cl-2 what ever that means and it has Ecc capability but the biggest thing I see is that chip is 32 m x 72.  I think that made be the reason the chip will not work.  Well back to E-Bay.

[patio]

I didn't say you had to buy from Crucial...i simply stated they will tell you exactly what type that machine will run on...
Best of luck on eBay.

[GX1_Man]

Those Compaqs from that era were VERY particular about the RAM that would work. Although something else seems similar, it just will not work. Been there, tried that.

Crucial is not necessarily the cheapest, but it is guaranteed to work. In this case I firmly believe that what you spend with them will be less than all of the dozens of chips you buy off eBay before you believe me.

And your machine does NOT use ECC memory, so don't even go there.

[dahlarbear]

If you refuse to consult a reputable memory dealer, e.g. Crucial, for your memory needs and are still lost in the wilderness; here's some more information for you to chew on - low-density versus high-density memory modules:

http://reviews.ebay.com/Myth-Low-Density-vs-High-Density-memory-modules_W0QQugidZ10000000001236178

[GX1_Man]

Thanks for posting that link. I have read it before and it is accurate.  That should be required reading for everyone playing with RAM.