can'tuse + 128mb sdram - bios settings?

Greetings,
I"m trying to use all the ram I cam with this old system, but I'm not being able to use ram together to do so. I'm wondering if I might have either a ram compatibility issue or maybe a bios setting that needs adjusting, perhaps?

From the info below, any red flags straight-away, people, as to why this little old sytem will only seem to use up to 128mb of SDRAM (168/non)?
It doesn't seem to matter what combo of ram I use. For example, it will run a 128mb stick, but it will not show using any more that is added, such as 1 or 2 stickes of 64mb.

However, the same 2 sticks of 64 together on their own will also be used as 128mb. Likelwise, any conbos I have will add ram except with the 128mb stick.

I also have a 256mb stick that I'm running on a similar machine. That stick on this machine will ALSO only show as using 128mb, and none more can be added that I've tried.

However, that 256mb stick runs as 256mb and all other of my sticks run fine and together on the other machine, which rules out bad ram, by my math.

Below are specks on the machine in question including indication of the current 256mb ram total in slots (slot0-2, 128+64+64), while showing also only 128mb installed memory.

Windows 98 SE (build 4.10.2222)
400 megahertz AMD K6 3D
64 kilobyte primary memory cache
Board: ASUSTeK Computer INC. P5A-B REV 1.XX
Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
BIOS: Award Software, Inc. 4.51PG 04/16/99
128 Megabytes Installed Memory
Slot '0' has 128 MB
Slot '1' has 64 MB
Slot '2' has 64 MB
Insights or comments appreciated!
Cheers,

Open MSCONFIG, on the General tab click the Advance Button, check to see if the ram is limited in there.

I know there is one in there, but to LAZY to boot 98 up to see what it is. :) :)

Hi Train,
Nice to see you, bud.
checked and "limit ram to" option is unchecked and greyed out such that limit setting is not presently an option.

davey,

Most likely you will have to flash the BIOS to fix the problem. You should be able to find theBIOS update on the net by going to the BIOS manufactors.

This can be dangerious but if done right will fix your problem. I flashed the BIOS of my other PC last week and it was easy. Some of the manufactors have developed a way to flash the BIOS from within windows. Makes it much easier to do.

gl

cheers mac

You might find this old review interesting. It addresses the RAM situation after a fashion, as well as suggested jumper settings (of which that mobo has plenty).

thanks for the input, gang.

I'd be willing to flash bios once I know bios or other settings aren't the culprit.
In other words, I don't want to fix something unless it's broke ;o)

Jumpber settings aren't clear to me from the article given, although does give some reasoning for why I can't go above 128mb sdram.

Maybe the settings are given and just beyond my tech-hood.
Any further suggestions as to what settings I might check, try and where?

Thanks,

Get the manual
Hot links
ASUS
http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/...b/p5ab-107.pdf

Another source I found.
http://library.mobrien.com:2031/down...B/p5ab-107.pdf

Asus still has all the drivers and stuff for that mobo.
http://support.asus.com/download/dow...Language=en-us

Just plug the P5A-B in the LEFT search .

Train, bud, thanks for the links, but I have had the manual since I installed USB ports 4 years ago or so!
If the info on settings for higher RAM is there, I just don't know enough for what I'm looking for :confused: :eek:

DONT FLASH THE BIOS!

The Asus P5A-B botherboard is a picky beast with memory.
Believe me, I know, I used to have one!

If I recall correctly you cannot mix single and double sided memory chips.
Are yours single or double sided?

Also, if I recall correctly only the double sided chips will work with the ASUS P5 A-B motherboard. It has been a long time. dont quote me on that one!

How do you tell single vs double sided sticks - if there's chips on one or both sides? I don't think that's it...

Anyhow, moot point, really, as each and every stick I have (12+ sticks, 32mb-256mb, various brands) will run on this pc, but will neverthelss only use up to 128mb no matter what stick or combo is used at a time or how it's distributed in the 3 slots.

So, oddly enough, I don't find it fussy at all with ram...just a pain!
Other than this issue, this pc has been running solid on same 98se install and 96mb sdram since 2000 (last yr of millenium)! Ir'sa just a pain that it could be even more efficient and a quicker with more ram.

thanks

Actually, although it depends on the mobo and cpu combination, that mobo is old enough that anything over 128 could actually slow it down. :(
And for some 96MB of ram was the sweet spot.

Now to speed it up.

Here's the PowerfulPC reg hack:

- - - -
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Powerful]
@="Powerful PC"
"NameCache"=hex:a0,0f,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:80,00,00,00
- - - -

Copy everything between (not including) the ---- lines into Notepad. Save and rename the file as PowerfulPC.reg, right-click on it and select "Merge". Then go to Performance>File System>Hard Disk>Typical Role and select Powerful PC. Reboot the machine.


Now go in and set the minmum Virtual Memort to 250MB and let windows set the maximum.


Yes, I still use those settings in 98SE. And might want to look for the MaxCache reg hack instead of using PowerfulPC. It gave you 3 choices.

Might want to read this old thread.
http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sho...ght=PowerfulPC

Well, that might just be shedding some light on why the machine came to me with 96mb sdram in the first place, Train!
I will do the read, try a hack and post on back ;)
Thanks,

It well could have been the cost of ram back then too. $150 for 64MB was steep.

I don't know if it is applicable. But I'll throw it in FYI. My older TYAN Tomcats are advertised to support up to 512mb ram. So I bought 8 sticks of 64mb ram. They wouldn't work in my Tomcat 2 board. But they would work in my Tomcat 3 and 4 boards. The reason was the Tomcat 2 has 256kb cache, which would only support up to 32mb per slot. So the max total was 256mb. And the 64mb ram was not usable. The Tomcat 3 and 4 had 512kb Cache. So they would allow the maximum to be used. You may be bucking against the same type of limitations.

------------------
My
Two Cents
Dennis
Visit Politalk

Good point on the cost of RAM back in the day, Train...
fortunately for me, I've never had to pay for it because by the time I thought to increase it, it was sitting in p2 and the like machines on the side of the road!

Eeyore, I"m not savy enough to know how cache memory relates to ram, or really even what cache memory is, beyond knowing that this AMD K6 3D apparently had 64 kilobyte primary memory cache, and that each of the three DIM slots will run up to 128 mb of ram (ie from 1-128mb stick or 1-256mb stick) and will add the ram from the slots together too, up to 128mb.

Y'all get this better than I, but if I knew what the following (source kindly provided by lgbpop) meant, wouldn't it be providing the reason for the problem, or is refering t something else? :eek:

The motherboard has 512K of 5 ns cache'. There are three, 168-Pin DIMM sockets on the board which can support up to 768 MB; however, the chipset/cache' limits the amount of memory which can be cached to 128 MB. 33 Mhz UDMA is supported.

Thanks,