Problems with 5VMX

[danlhall]

I have 2 5VMX boards that I purchased at different times and different venders, they were for my 2 sons. At the time I was running only 128 ram on each with a AMD 500 chip, I tried to upgrade the ram to 256 but the won't. I still get the same reading 128 SDRam. I tried each bank, the same thing, I've tried other ram from 4 of my other systems, same thing. This is on both boards, does anyone know this board my Aazza with VIA MVP3 chip set and can give me any help at all please?

thanks
Dan :confused:

[frank5]

Find the manual on the site to check for max. system memory per slot . I think you already proved that 128MB is the limit. Or are you talking about combined RAM?

[danlhall]

Originally posted by frank5
Find the manual on the site to check for max. system memory per slot . I think you already proved that 128MB is the limit. Or are you talking about combined RAM?
Ok from the Manual this Mainboard supports three 168-pin DIMM sockets (DIMM1, Dimm2, DIMM3, earth DIMM can be single-density7 or double-density, *MB up to 1GB of local Memory can be installed on the mainboard. It supports two types of DRAM memory, it ca be either Extended Data out (EDO) or Synchronous (SDRAM) memory. (Both Synmetrical and Asymmetrical DRAM addressing are suported.) The recommened DIMM modules must be 3.3v unbuffered and DRAMs speed must be 60ns or 70ns,.

Now it did register 64mg when I took the 256 out and tried the other 64mg RAM chip.

Dan:confused:

[frank5]

Are you saying that when you place a 64MB stick in bank 0 and a 64MB stick in bank 1, you only register 64MB? If so, what happens when you put a 64MB stick in bank 0 and the other in bank3?
I'm not sure whether one of your DIMM banks is defective, which would be highly unlikely for both boards(maybe 1 board) or if the boards for some reason are having trouble with double sided ram which I think is the case.

[danlhall]

What I'm saying is I tested all banks to see if they act the same, I even flashed the bios. I have a 256 stick in now in Bank 1, I took it out and put a 64mg in it registered as 64mg but it will never go over 128. Even if I put another stick in Bank 2 it will still read 128. Going to do some experimenting. I flashed the bios still works made some little changes. I'm going to check so other things but for the mean time everything is the same.

Dan :(

[danlhall]

Originally posted by frank5
Are you saying that when you place a 64MB stick in bank 0 and a 64MB stick in bank 1, you only register 64MB? If so, what happens when you put a 64MB stick in bank 0 and the other in bank3?
I'm not sure whether one of your DIMM banks is defective, which would be highly unlikely for both boards(maybe 1 board) or if the boards for some reason are having trouble with double sided ram which I think is the case.

I will see if I can get a hold of some single sided ram and try it then and if that doesn't work after flashing the bios, Clearing the CMos , changing ram, I'm just going to leave it as a deffective board.

Dan'l:(

[danlhall]

Ok, I tested everything out. The board recognizes single sided disk, I used single sided SDRam and it recognized the full 64 of course a little more 65 something. I put in a 128 double sided disk and it recognized 64, I then put in a double sided 256 chip and it recognized 128 so now I have them all in and it registers 262.
Is this a normal thing with the double and single side chips, the manual says the board can use both. I already flashed the bios and everything so it can't be an update problem. Does anyone know what's going on, are the boards just defected or what?

Dan'l
:eek:

[frank5]

I would just accept the fact that this board only recognizes single sided ram. 128 and 256 MB single sided SDRAM does exist.

[danlhall]

Is the performance just as good as the double sided?

Dan

[frank5]

Yes, just placing larger modules to fit on one side. It may be harder to find since most 128MB sdram and almost all 256MB is double sided.