RAM doubts (DIMM/SIMM) - Intel 815 Board, microATX, VGA/Sound OnBoard

I want to build a 2nd PC from the following surplus parts

Intel 815 Board, microATX, VGA/Sound OnBoard
3 PCI, 2 memory slots

Pentium III 800EB/133Mhz

Maxtor 40GB 7200rpm 2MB cache with
Promise 133 TX2 PCI Controller (Intel board supports
only UDMA/ATA66 and original drive was simply too slow).

Current RAM:
1x128MB SIMM PC133
1x 64MB SIMM PC133

I searched eBay auctions for PC133 SDRAM and
found good bargains but most RAM is DIMM.

My doubts concerns the use of DIMM & SIMM.

Can I mix a 256MB DIMM stick with the original 128MB SIMM ?

Or should I use only DIMMs like 1x512MB or 2x256MB ?

Any known DIMM compatibility problem with 815 chipset boards ?


TIA for your help.

P.S.: I'm not familiar with Intel boards because I've always used AMD.

I am no wise owl but I doubt it.
I think DIMM's have more pins anyway.
Unless you mother board is designed to do it.

"MAxT0r" wrote in message
...


I want to build a 2nd PC from the following surplus parts

Intel 815 Board, microATX, VGA/Sound OnBoard
3 PCI, 2 memory slots

Pentium III 800EB/133Mhz

Maxtor 40GB 7200rpm 2MB cache with
Promise 133 TX2 PCI Controller (Intel board supports
only UDMA/ATA66 and original drive was simply too slow).

Current RAM:
1x128MB SIMM PC133
1x 64MB SIMM PC133

I searched eBay auctions for PC133 SDRAM and
found good bargains but most RAM is DIMM.

My doubts concerns the use of DIMM & SIMM.

Can I mix a 256MB DIMM stick with the original 128MB SIMM ?

Or should I use only DIMMs like 1x512MB or 2x256MB ?

Any known DIMM compatibility problem with 815 chipset boards ?


TIA for your help.

P.S.: I'm not familiar with Intel boards because I've always used AMD.

MAxT0r wrote:

I want to build a 2nd PC from the following surplus parts

Intel 815 Board, microATX, VGA/Sound OnBoard
3 PCI, 2 memory slots

Pentium III 800EB/133Mhz

Maxtor 40GB 7200rpm 2MB cache with
Promise 133 TX2 PCI Controller (Intel board supports
only UDMA/ATA66 and original drive was simply too slow).

Current RAM:
1x128MB SIMM PC133
1x 64MB SIMM PC133

I searched eBay auctions for PC133 SDRAM and
found good bargains but most RAM is DIMM.

My doubts concerns the use of DIMM & SIMM.

Can I mix a 256MB DIMM stick with the original 128MB SIMM ?

Or should I use only DIMMs like 1x512MB or 2x256MB ?

Any known DIMM compatibility problem with 815 chipset boards ?

TIA for your help.

P.S.: I'm not familiar with Intel boards because I've always used AMD.

On Wed, 26 May 2004 00:53:25 GMT, MAxT0r wrote:



I want to build a 2nd PC from the following surplus parts

Intel 815 Board, microATX, VGA/Sound OnBoard
3 PCI, 2 memory slots

Pentium III 800EB/133Mhz

Maxtor 40GB 7200rpm 2MB cache with
Promise 133 TX2 PCI Controller (Intel board supports
only UDMA/ATA66 and original drive was simply too slow).

This makes no sense. Maxtor 40GB drives don't exceed 66MB/s sustained
throughput, if your performance was suffering from the onboard ATA you may
have some other problem.



Current RAM:
1x128MB SIMM PC133
1x 64MB SIMM PC133

I searched eBay auctions for PC133 SDRAM and
found good bargains but most RAM is DIMM.

My doubts concerns the use of DIMM & SIMM.

Are you sure you know what you're doing?
815 boards do not use SIMMs at all.
Your current memory is certainly DIMMs.


Can I mix a 256MB DIMM stick with the original 128MB SIMM ?

yes you can mix a 256MB DIMM with the original 128MB DIMM.


Or should I use only DIMMs like 1x512MB or 2x256MB ?

Any known DIMM compatibility problem with 815 chipset boards ?

They only support up to a combined total (from all modules) of 512MB. You
can use 1 512MB, 2 x 256MB, or less.

On Wed, 26 May 2004 03:49:01 GMT, kony wrote:

On Wed, 26 May 2004 00:53:25 GMT, MAxT0r wrote:


Maxtor 40GB 7200rpm 2MB cache with
Promise 133 TX2 PCI Controller (Intel board supports
only UDMA/ATA66 and original drive was simply too slow).

This makes no sense. Maxtor 40GB drives don't exceed 66MB/s sustained
throughput, if your performance was suffering from the onboard ATA you may
have some other problem.


Maxtor Model D740X-6L UDMA/ATA-133, Are you saying using this HD with
the original OnBoard UDMA/ATA-66 controller or Promise 133 TX2 the performance
is more or less the same ?



Are you sure you know what you're doing?
815 boards do not use SIMMs at all.
Your current memory is certainly DIMMs.


I meant SIMM as memory sticks with RAM chips on 1 side only. (Am I wrong ?)
Kingston ValueRAM KVR133X64C3 128MB, 4 memory chips on 1 side only
Infineon HYS64V8300GU-7.5-C 64MB, 8 memory chips on 1 side only
Both are CL3

I'm going to install XP so i'll need 2x256MB.
I visited www.crucial.com, downloaded a small utility to identify the motherboard:

System Info: Maximum memory: 512MB - Slots: 2 (2 banks of 1), NO 1x512MB

Module Size: 256MB SDRAM, PC133 - CL=2 - Unbuffered - Non-parity
133MHz - 3.3V - 32Meg x 64
or
Module Size: 256MB SDRAM, PC133 - CL=3 - Unbuffered - Non-parity
133MHz - 3.3V - 32Meg x 64
or
Module Size: 256MB SDRAM, PC100 - CL=3 - Unbuffered - Non-parity
100MHz - 3.3V - 32Meg x 64

32Meg x 64 is Low or High Density ?

On Thu, 27 May 2004 01:52:36 GMT, MAxT0r wrote:

On Wed, 26 May 2004 03:49:01 GMT, kony wrote:

On Wed, 26 May 2004 00:53:25 GMT, MAxT0r wrote:


Maxtor 40GB 7200rpm 2MB cache with
Promise 133 TX2 PCI Controller (Intel board supports
only UDMA/ATA66 and original drive was simply too slow).

This makes no sense. Maxtor 40GB drives don't exceed 66MB/s sustained
throughput, if your performance was suffering from the onboard ATA you may
have some other problem.


Maxtor Model D740X-6L UDMA/ATA-133, Are you saying using this HD with
the original OnBoard UDMA/ATA-66 controller or Promise 133 TX2 the performance
is more or less the same ?

Yes, I'm sure I even have one or more of those drives here somewhere,
though I might'e sold off the smaller sizes but there's at least one 60GB
740X about 2 feet away... noisey drive compared to Maxtor's newer
versions, has good seek speed but with it's 2MB cache the burst rate isn't
all that significant, mostly the sustained thoughput which is around
50-55MB/s, sufficiently lower than ATA66's capability.


Are you sure you know what you're doing?
815 boards do not use SIMMs at all.
Your current memory is certainly DIMMs.


I meant SIMM as memory sticks with RAM chips on 1 side only. (Am I wrong ?)
Kingston ValueRAM KVR133X64C3 128MB, 4 memory chips on 1 side only
Infineon HYS64V8300GU-7.5-C 64MB, 8 memory chips on 1 side only
Both are CL3

Those are still DIMMs, just single-sided DIMMs. SIMMs are unmistakable,
for one thing they're quite a bit shorter, not to mention that they have
different number of contacts, won't even fit in a DIMM slot, etc.


I'm going to install XP so i'll need 2x256MB.
I visited www.crucial.com, downloaded a small utility to identify the motherboard:

System Info: Maximum memory: 512MB - Slots: 2 (2 banks of 1), NO 1x512MB

Module Size: 256MB SDRAM, PC133 - CL=2 - Unbuffered - Non-parity
133MHz - 3.3V - 32Meg x 64
or
Module Size: 256MB SDRAM, PC133 - CL=3 - Unbuffered - Non-parity
133MHz - 3.3V - 32Meg x 64
or
Module Size: 256MB SDRAM, PC100 - CL=3 - Unbuffered - Non-parity
100MHz - 3.3V - 32Meg x 64

32Meg x 64 is Low or High Density ?

high density, but the board will take either... since your present memory
is CAS3, that would limit any new module to CAS3 also, there's no point in
getting expensive memory, just pick up any name-brand at the local store
next time you catch a rebate offering.

On Thu, 27 May 2004 04:08:19 GMT, kony wrote:



high density, but the board will take either... since your present memory
is CAS3, that would limit any new module to CAS3 also, there's no point in
getting expensive memory, just pick up any name-brand at the local store
next time you catch a rebate offering.


Took the board to the shop, bought 2x256MB SDRAM, PC133 - CL3 32x64,

2 minutes test ... DONE!


Thanks kony.

kony wrote:
On Wed, 26 May 2004 00:53:25 GMT, MAxT0r wrote:



I want to build a 2nd PC from the following surplus parts

Intel 815 Board, microATX, VGA/Sound OnBoard
3 PCI, 2 memory slots

Pentium III 800EB/133Mhz

Maxtor 40GB 7200rpm 2MB cache with
Promise 133 TX2 PCI Controller (Intel board supports
only UDMA/ATA66 and original drive was simply too slow).

This makes no sense. Maxtor 40GB drives don't exceed 66MB/s sustained
throughput, if your performance was suffering from the onboard ATA
you may have some other problem.

I have a Maxtor *20*GB HDD here that is rated at ATA133. I concede that
rating and sustained throughput are two completely different things though.
--
~misfit~


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