Ram Question...

[Explorer]

I just took a look at the manual for the 4764 and it specifies "32Mb Sync DRAM", not too helpful. The Compaq "Spare Part" number is 278067-001. A cross-reference to this number on www.crucial.com specifically shows their part #CT134063. From the picture and specs for it, it appears to be standard 168 pin 66Mhz SDRAM (with the chips on one side only)

I did run into a situation which might apply. If the memory you bought has chips on both sides of the board there's a good chance the memory architecture will only recognize the memory chips on one side, or row.

[derek79602]

Hmm maybe it's EDO? Can't get this memory for less than 30 bucks??? There has got to be a generic equivelent.

[derek79602]

I am resurrecting an old 200mmx Pentium Compaq presario 4764 for a friend. I bought what I thought was low density memory. The original 32 meg dimm works great, but a Siemans 32 meg dimm only reads as 8 megs. What kind of memory do I need and where do I find it?

[Explorer]

EDO? Hmmm, probably not. The computer manual and the crucial.com site both indicate it's standard SDRAM. The manual does seem to indicate some of these models were supplied with 72 pin EDO. Which do you have?

What happens if you remove the original memory and intall only the Siemens in the slot the original was in? The motherboard has 16Mb of un-removeable memory (built into the board). If the Siemens is still being read as an 8Mb, you should now have 24 Mb total. If it shows 48 Mb, then it's reading all 32 Mb of the Siemens.

I still think the problem may relate to whether or not the new SDRAM has chips on both sides of the board or only one. You didn't actually reply to that.

I mention this because I ran into a similar problem with a motherboard that had 72 PIN RAM slots and also 1 168 pin. Putting in a 64 Mb 168 pin SDRAM(in this case single-sided stick) and removing all the 72 pin resulted in it reading only 16 Mb or 1/4 of the real amount. The same situation as yours. In that case it was a 200 Mhz m/b as well, forget the manufacturer, built just as the SDRAM spec was being finalized. The manufacturer's website recognized it as an unsolvable problem with their board.

I'm relatively sure there must be some generic RAM available that will work in your Compaq.

[IamLancelot2000]

ok, if it is EDO DRAM it has only one gap in the connectors and is about a floppy-DRIVE-length long. this ram CAN be double sided.

if it is SDRAM it has two gaps and is about a CD-ROM-DRIVE-length long. with earlier versions some MB's have problems allocating ram from both sides, especially with many diff. manufacturers.

EDO is probably about $4 or more a megabyte now, as it is nowhere to be made. you could find some deals on the web. perhaps E-bay?

[derek79602]

Okay, the original chip that works great has chips on only one side of the stick, and the one that's reading incorrectly has chips on BOTH sides of the stick. This is 168 pin memory. But as I have been brownsing about. believe it or not, I have come across 168-pin EDO ram. Weird, eh? I might have been hallucinating, tho'.

Derek