[lug] checking DIMM types

[Matt Thompson]

On Thu, 2004-09-30 at 15:24, D. Stimits wrote:
> I have an old machine I'm trying to verify the ram is not a problem on. 
> It had some random non-recurring errors on very long memtest86; after 
> setting wait states to max I could not cause errors after a full day of 
> memtest86, and it is able to compile flawlessly all day long. But still 
> I have to wonder.
> 
> I am trying to figure out what it would cost to replace one DIMM on it, 
> it is an old BX chipset SMP board and all DIMM's must be exactly same 
> speed and type. I know it is NOT EDO ram, but I am uncertain if it is 
> unbuffered 3.3v SDRAM, or registered SDRAM. What is the key to knowing 
> which type it has?

Well, I currently have an old 440BX SMP board in front of me, and I too
looked for some memory.  My board, a Gigabyte GA-6BXDU, takes PC100
168-pin 3.3V DIMMs.  They can be either ECC or non-ECC.  My guess is
you're probably good with regular unbuffered DIMMs if your BIOS doesn't
report ECC enabled, but YMMV.

The main problem is that the BX's had a couple revisions, it seems. 
Some like double-sided DIMMs, but others were single lovers only.  That
means only half of the RAM will show up if you put a double-sided in. 
(And as always, sided-ness refers to wiring, not physicality, so you can
have a single-sided RIMM with chips on both sides.)

> Next question, assuming it is PC100, non-EDO, where would I find the 
> cheapest deals? Right now it has a pair of 128's, so I could replace 1 
> and be satisfied (but only if it is exactly same type as the other).

PC100 isn't made anymore, so you find some pretty high prices.  I got my
memory from our IT department who has been stockpiling it from computers
that go by the wayside.  Up until then, I'd been looking at eBay because
I wanted 256s if possible.  Those are about $100 retail, and eBay was
usually cheaper (2x256 for $100 or so).  For 128s, you can find them for
about $40-50 each retail, but many of those are double-sided if new (I
think most PC100/133 sticks you see now are double-sided?).  And for
128s, eBay may not be cheapest, but...

Matt

-- 
Learning just means you were wrong and they were right. - Aram
   Matt Thompson -- http://ucsub.colorado.edu/~thompsma/
   440 UCB, Boulder, CO  80309-0440
   JILA A510, 303-492-4662
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