Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

hi,

I recently bought a dimension 8100 loaded with
2 x 256meg (kingston ktd-dm800..don't know whether it is ecc or not)
and
2 x 64meg (samsung 800-45 ecc)

This should show 640, but only 384 is showing. I guess this suggests
that 1 of the 256 is dead? Is there any way of knowing which one or
whether upgrading my bios would make a difference?


Strangely, when I remove either both 256 or both 64, the pc will not
boot...screen remains black after powering on.

Thanks for your help...

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I'm not sure that the Kingston RDRAM modules are really 256MB each. What are
the EXACT markings on them?

RAMBUS memory must be installed in matched pairs, as in your system. Any memory
sockets which are not populated by RDRAM modules MUST have Continuity RIMM
(CRIMM) modules installed. CRIMMs are essentially modules with no memory on
them, installed to make the RAMBUS memory circuits continuous. If two memory
sockets are left empty, the system will not power up, exactly as you have
described... Ben Myers

On 19 Sep 2005 14:05:27 -0700, "yanni" <ian.gaither@gmail.com> wrote:

>hi,
>
>I recently bought a dimension 8100 loaded with
>2 x 256meg (kingston ktd-dm800..don't know whether it is ecc or not)
>and
>2 x 64meg (samsung 800-45 ecc)
>
>This should show 640, but only 384 is showing. I guess this suggests
>that 1 of the 256 is dead? Is there any way of knowing which one or
>whether upgrading my bios would make a difference?
>
>
>Strangely, when I remove either both 256 or both 64, the pc will not
>boot...screen remains black after powering on.
>
>Thanks for your help...
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Thanks Ben, the exact markings on the Kingston modules are as follows:

ktd-dm800/265, then underneath,
626698k2

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"yanni" <ian.gaither@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1127163927.105456.16790@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> hi,
>
> I recently bought a dimension 8100 loaded with
> 2 x 256meg (kingston ktd-dm800..don't know whether it is ecc or not)
> and
> 2 x 64meg (samsung 800-45 ecc)
>
> This should show 640, but only 384 is showing. I guess this suggests
> that 1 of the 256 is dead? Is there any way of knowing which one or
> whether upgrading my bios would make a difference?
>
>
> Strangely, when I remove either both 256 or both 64, the pc will not
> boot...screen remains black after powering on.
>
> Thanks for your help...
>

I'd bet that Kingston used markings that reflected the TOTAL for the pair,
since they are only useable as pairs. That would mean you have 2x128 + 2x64
= 384. I would be shocked if the machine would work at all if ONE of a pair
of modules was dead. Also, the machine will not boot at all if any of the
sockets are empty. As mentioned, there was a special dummy module that had
to be installed (again in pairs) if any sockets were empty. RDram was a bad
idea that didn't last.

Tom

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

If you check the Kingston site undewr discontinued
models you will find that they used a part number that described
the memory modules as a pair, since they must be installed in pairs.
You definetely have 2 128MB modules sold as a pair and marked
KTD-DM800/256 on each one.

"yanni" <ian.gaither@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1127167454.792663.214100@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks Ben, the exact markings on the Kingston modules are as follows:
>
> ktd-dm800/265, then underneath,
> 626698k2
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

phew - that's a relief! I thank-you all for your excellent advice.

Ian

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

You have a good bet there, Tom. That's exactly what Kingston did with its
RDRAM, lending some confusion for all of us. Everyone else including Samsung,
Toshiba, Infineon, Elpida and NEC marked each stick with its own individual
capacity and, typically, the number of chips on the stick. If you have two
128MB sticks, one marked 128/8 (8 chips) and the other 128/4 (right! 4 chips),
they will not work together as a matched pair. Kingston's RAMBUS modules are
nothing more than relabeled modules manufactured by Samsung. The alumimum cover
over the chips is even stamped www.samsung.com .

RAMBUS was a good concept ruined by the greed of the RAMBUS company in throwing
lawsuits at every memory manufacturer for infringement of its patents. IMHO,
RAMBUS did not act in good faith by contributing its patented materials to JEDEC
(an industry electronics consortium), ostensibly for public use. Finally, Intel
pulled the plug on RAMBUS support, because its 850 chipset was the last one to
support RAMBUS memory. When Intel pulled the plug, there went the future of
RAMBUS in the personal computer business.

Even a 2GHz Pentium 4 loaded with identical RAMBUS modules in all for memory
slots is a pretty fast computer... Ben Myers

On Mon, 19 Sep 2005 22:38:53 GMT, "Tom Scales" <tomtoo@softhome.net> wrote:

>
>"yanni" <ian.gaither@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:1127163927.105456.16790@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> hi,
>>
>> I recently bought a dimension 8100 loaded with
>> 2 x 256meg (kingston ktd-dm800..don't know whether it is ecc or not)
>> and
>> 2 x 64meg (samsung 800-45 ecc)
>>
>> This should show 640, but only 384 is showing. I guess this suggests
>> that 1 of the 256 is dead? Is there any way of knowing which one or
>> whether upgrading my bios would make a difference?
>>
>>
>> Strangely, when I remove either both 256 or both 64, the pc will not
>> boot...screen remains black after powering on.
>>
>> Thanks for your help...
>>
>
>I'd bet that Kingston used markings that reflected the TOTAL for the pair,
>since they are only useable as pairs. That would mean you have 2x128 + 2x64
>= 384. I would be shocked if the machine would work at all if ONE of a pair
>of modules was dead. Also, the machine will not boot at all if any of the
>sockets are empty. As mentioned, there was a special dummy module that had
>to be installed (again in pairs) if any sockets were empty. RDram was a bad
>idea that didn't last.
>
>Tom
>
>