Simms and Dimms

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05-01-2003, 07:52 AM
Daisy

Simms and Dimms

Fujitsu 1997 Mycira Pentium 166 mhz MMX
M5ATA Pentium Super TX System Board
Windows 95

This computer has 2 pieces of EDO simm ram (total 32MB) at the moment.

The board has 4 simm slots and 2 dimm slots.

The board manual says

".....supports 256KB to 1M cache...."

"Supports 72-pin SIMM and 168-pin DIMM module sockets
Supports DRAM memory 8MB to 256MB on board
Supports EDO & FP mode DRAM
Supports Symmetrical and Asymmetrical DRAM
Supports 2 banks DIMM, 3.3V Unbuffered Synchronous DRAM
Supports SIMM1 or SIMM2 single module (32bit) Boot"

I was going to get 4 x 32MB simms (128MB total) AND 2 x 64MB dimms (128MB total) and fill both the simm AND dimm slots achieving the 256MB ram total BUT have been told that you can't run dimms AND simms together as simms are 5 volts and dimms are 3.3 volts.

HELP I'm not very up on ram!

Daisy
05-01-2003, 08:23 AM
RampageIII

You can only use one type or the other. The board will automatically change voltage for the memory.
05-01-2003, 08:27 AM
kevrob1

Daisy, it is not likely that you can run simms and dimms at the same time. I would look at just using the dimms as they are faster than the simms anyway. Do you by chance still have the manual for that motherboard? That would/should tell you what you need to know. If not try this site: http://www.motherboards.org/ You should be able to get info on your board and also be able to download info for the board here.:t
05-01-2003, 08:31 AM
RampageIII

1 Attachment(s)

This is from a BioStar board but I'm pretty sure it applies.
05-01-2003, 08:40 AM
Peter M

M5ATA uses an ALi chipset, right?

Forget the SIMMs then, and give it double-sided (!) 256-MByte DIMMs.
05-01-2003, 10:35 AM
Daisy

Thanks to all who have replied so quickly.

It has just saved me buying 4 x 32MB simms!

I take it that the term "SDRAM" are the "3.3V Unbuffered Synchronous DRAM" referred to in (line 5) of the second quote from the board manual above.

Is my choice then -

1 single sided 256MB SDRAM, or

1 double sided 128MB SDRAM, or

2 single sided 128MB SDRAM

Thanks

Daisy
05-01-2003, 11:21 AM
Peter M

3.3V unbuffered is just plain average SDRAM DIMMs.

ALi Aladdin IV and V chipsets can handle up to 128 MBytes per DIMM side. So, as I said above, you can use single-sided 128-MByte or double-sided 256-MByte DIMMs. Single-sided 256-MByte won't work.