More Memory, system crashes on 3d2001

[jotto]

I have just installed a 512mb pc 133 chip which runs fine and get good benchmark results for my system. If I install my additional 256mb chip, I get system crashes with out of memory problems and some games i.e max payne not working...various dx 8 errors. All is fine with jus 512mb but goes pear shaped after that. The memory checks out ok, it just seems if I go over 512....HELP.

[NDD]

You're probably using Win98(SE)/WinME, it has a problem going over 512MB RAM.
If you wanna use whole 768MB, you have to install W2K/XP, it will also run much faster with this amount of memory.

Best Regards ...

[Dudster]

Hi jotto

Have a look at this thread here http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15415&highlight=512mb

If you are using Win98/ME then basically you need to limit the Vcache to use over 512MB of RAM.

[jotto]

Ok, Ive altered the vcache setting in the system.ini file and the benchmark program runs fine, however I am getting exactly the same results as before. Is there any way of actualy using all of the 768mb of ram installed as opposed to just limiting windows usage to 512 or am I missing the point here?

[Dudster]

I'm pretty sure that your 3DMark results shouldn't be any higher. It's just that now you've got even more space to store things before your machine would start using virtual memory/swapfile (though unless you're doing some highly memory instensive things such as... er... high quality video/graphics editing with loads of things open at once, you might not notice an improvement) and you can have an even bigger Vcache than with 512MB (http://www.aumha.org/a/memmgmt.htm). I don't know if games will benefit from more than 512MB of RAM as the improvement over 256MB is only very small (I'd be interested to know though :)).

If it does improve your gaming, it won't be higher framerates, just less pauses from hard drive access when you're playing resulting in smoother gameplay (though probably not so much when you first start playing a game, more so when you've been playing it for a bit).

There are a few tweaks that you can do in Win98 (I don't know about 95 and ME) to make better use of your memory in that thread I posted a link to in my previous post (though they also apply to 512MB and probably even 256MB).

You could also create a RAM drive which is also discussed in that other thread.

Hope this helps

Edit: BTW, you have only limited the Vcache to 512MB. Windows can still make use of the full 768MB (though not as well as Windows 2000 would).

[jotto]

Thanx dudster...will try and find more easy ways to enhance performance...U have been a great help...Cheers m8

[Dudster]

:) You're welcome

Happy tweaking

[Potlicker]

joto, go into your bios and see what the agp aperature is set at. I have 512 megs of ram so I increased the aperature size. big mistake 3D2001 no longer ran. set it back down to 64 and it ran fine I also set the agp driving control to EA.

[Dudster]

I think 64MB is a bit low. I have 512MB with Win98SE and my aperture is set at 128MB (has been since I went from 128 to 256MB). I thought about trying it at 256MB but thought that was a bit excessive :)

I haven't changed my AGP driving from auto as I don't overclock and haven't had any probems.

[jotto]

I have played with the AGP aperture size in the bios and noticed same benchmark results with both 64mb and 128mb. (approx 2900 points ) WHen set to an apperture size of 256mb I only get 900ish....real poor so I have set it back to 64mb for now.

The AGP driver is in auto at moment, what do the other settings do?

[adbvfab]

This may or may not be an issue but i remember reading on Crucial's web site that if you are going to use 512MB PC133 DIMMS that you should'nt mix them DIMMs of a different size i.e. 256MB ones or DIMMs from a different manufacturer.
I think they will work but can cause some timing problems which would reduce performance.
Seemingly this problem only affects 512MB DIMMs and over.

[Potlicker]

Jotto, I have 512megs of infineon 166mhz mem. when I set mine to 256 agp 3D2001 would either lock up or kick to desktop. TheGForce 3 I have has 64meg ddr mem. I read some where that 64 was the way to go in agp aperature, so thats what I did. No more problem. So then I overclocked my vid card to 210core 500mem and wahlaa 6975 in 3D2001.