Upgrading RAM

[Aragon]

I am trying to upgrade my RAM from 64-> 128 megs and my current RAM that came w/ the system is 168pin 60ns SDRAM (3.3v). My question is does the new RAM chip have to be 60ns also?
What would happen if it was different?

Thanks

[LJE2]

Are you sure it's 168pin, 60ns? I've seen 6, 7, 8, 10, & 12ns 168 pin RAM, 72 pin RAM was usually 70, 60 or 50ns RAM.

[Aragon]

I'm sure.
[url]http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Toshiba.woa/wa/showSSDetailedSpecs?productTypeId=2&productFamilyId=7&productSeriesId=42[/ url]
dunno if that works..
pcsupport.toshiba.com
Infinia 7230 is what I got, click on detailed specs.
Err...dang..just checked that page. Didnt write speed, but looked at my manual and said 60ns.

[AuraEdge]

yeah..that 60ns must be EDO RAM, not SDRAM or PC100 RAM...Im not sure but i think EDO RAM is extremely slow. If you put a SDRAM stick in there with it, it will slow down to the slowest RAM stick in there (8ns -> 60ns)
Thats some loss...Id say its better to just chuck the EDO ram and put in a new 64 SDRAM, if not 128. My 2c's
EDIT -
I just read the spec's...they dont say anything about 60ns ram...just SDRAM
How did u find out the ns? I would use the new version of Sisoft Sandra to find out if it is indeed SDRAM or EDO ram. http://www.download.com/pc/software/0,332,0-71278-s,1000.html?st.dl.search.results.tdtl One you install it, go under mainboard info -> Physical\BIOS memory banks to see what its listed as.

[This message has been edited by AuraEdge (edited 07-02-99).]

[steves]

Aura~You can't compare access times between EDO and SDRAM directly like that (8ns SDRAM is not 7.5 times faster than 60ns EDO) it's like comparing pints with litres. Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the ns figure for SDRAM refer to subsequent sequential accesses and not the first access.

This need's checking out (I haven't read any of the RAM guides for a while) but isn't the 60ns likely to be the time for the first access?

[LJE2]

I just went to the Web page that you mention in you post, it just says that you have 2 Dimm slots, and that it takes 168 pin SDRAM and that the System bus is 66 MHz, it says nothing about the speed, make sure you have a free Dimm slot, otherwise you have to take some RAM out to put in a bigger Dimm. Just buy some PC66 SDRAM, I know PC100 is cheaper but I have seen a few instances where PC100 with the eprom wouldn't work in a computer that called for PC66 SDRAM.

[Roy]

That must be a very rare experience. I can think of no reason any SDRAM would not work at 66MHz.

[LJE2]

Roy
The one incident that is the freshest in my mind, the motherboard was a proprietary board for a Pentium, I don't recal the brand, but it had both 72 pin Simms and Dimms slots, the computer would not boot with Samsung Cas 2 PC100 with G8 chips, but it ran fine on some generic PC66. This has happened to me one other time but I don't recall the board for that one either, but I believe that it also had both Simms and Dimms.

[Aragon]

I promise..cross my heart, hope to die. The manual says 60ns SDRAM 168 pins. oh yeah..bus is 66mhz (the comp is 1 1/2 years old....deal w/ it http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif...)

But, suprisingly, nobody has yet to answer my question. Does Speed have to be same, and what will be effect if I put slower/faster RAM chip in.

[LJE2]

Normally you can usually put faster RAM of the same type and it will run just fine, but I honestly have never heard of 60ns 168 pin SDRAM, the slowest I have ever heard of is 12ns, if you go to pricewatch http://www.pricewatch.com/ and look under System Memory, they don't even list it, I can't honestly tell if you put 10ns or 12ns RAM in if it would work, (that's a big difference in the speed of the chips)

[Dash800]

Well, 60ns 168pin dimms are EDO RAM, not SDRAM. Then PC66 SDRAM is usually 9-12 NS, PC100 SDRAM that says like higher than 8 is usually using 66chips.. just like remarked http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif. But, i think you can mix and match EDO + SDRAM, because my P133 has DIMMS and SIMMs, it says in manual that it takes SDRAM dimms and simms, so it should work..., my 2 cents.

[MrT]

If you can go with Sdram I would get rid of the EDO, which it seems you have and just get a stick of PC100 128mg Sdram. It's cheap and if your MB accepts Sdram it should work just fine. And mixing EDO and SDram doesn't work very well, I had a system with 32 megs of EDO and 32 megs of Sdram and I seemed to have skips, glitches, etc. I removed the EDO and 'poof' no more problems. The mixed speed of the two created a conflict. But that's just my opinion.

[Aragon]

OK...seems i've caused a lot of disturbance..heh...here's what SANDRA tells me:
This is what I added:
64MB FPM DIMM single-bank
This is what I had:
2 32MB FPM DIMM double-bank

There. btw, on my 32MB ram..it says 4M X 64...what does that mean?

[BBA]

Ok, EDO ram is not SDRAM and can be either on a SIMM or DIMM!

SDRAM works at bus frequency, so for a 100Mhz bus, the ram is actually working at 100Mhz or 10nsec. On a 66Mhz bus, it is working at 66Mhz or 15nsec.

The 60nsec ram is EDO and will work with edo nonsynchronous timings at 60nsec or 16Mhz.

Theres quite a difference in memory bus performance with EDO and SDRAM

BBA