RAM trouble

[blue_midget192]

I have just baught a stick of 64mb RAM off ebay, i put it in my Win 98, 166Mhz pc and it's only reading it as 16mb! I can put it in with my old stick of 32mb of RAM and make 48mb of RAM dunno how that works. Now the guy on ebay sadi it was 64mb, and he sticker on the RAM says it's 64mb. So surly it's something i'v done, or not done. So, come one, i know you guys (and girls) know your stuff, what; what is it i have done wrong? Please someone tell me.
Thanks

[NM]

I assume your system is running on SDRAM. The problem most likely is that your motherboard use's 66Hz Memory and you've bought either a 100/133Hz Stick, which your motherboard dosn't support. Which is why it's reporting it as a 16mb Stick rather than 64.

[blue_midget192]

I assume your system is running on SDRAM. The problem most likely is that your motherboard use's 66Hz Memory and you've bought either a 100/133Hz Stick, which your motherboard dosn't support. Which is why it's reporting it as a 16mb Stick rather than 64.

Ah, crud. That sounds about right. Thanks

[crono_logical]

No, that's not right - the clock speed has no effect on the quantity of the RAM that can be addressed.

If it's a SIMM (72 pins if you count them - very likely considering your processor speed), you need to install them in pairs with Pentium or later processors. The sticks in the pair must be the same size as well, or you're going to see odd stuff happenning, as you're seeing there.

If you want to see something stranger, try swapping the sticks around - you might find the amount seen by the computer changes, but it'll still be incorrect

It sounds like you were ripped off, getting only one stick, which is useless on it's own

[blue_midget192]

hhmm, i checked on a site about computers and RAM etc; and it had pcitures of the different types of RAM, from this site I found that my RAM type was 168pin DIMMS becasue the SIMMS looked different. But, exactly how can i tell if its a SIMM or a DIMM, i thouhgt it was jsut that SIMMS had chips on one side where as DIMMS had chips on both side..am i right? or am i talking bull?

Yes it is SDRAM, pc100 to be exact. So, hhmm i'l try changing the sticks around and see thanks for putting up with my incompitance

[crono_logical]

You can tell SIMMs and DIMMs apart from where the notches are cut into it. With SIMMs, there'll be corner notchs, and a centre notch along the connector side if it's 72 pins. DIMMs won't have the corner notchs, but notches in the sides instead, plus 1 or 2 notches along the bottom depending if it's SDRAM, DDR, or Rambus.

DIMMs do not need to be installed in pairs with Pentiums like SIMMs

[NM]

168 pin is SDRAM : DIMM's (Duel In-line Memory Module.)
72 pin is EDO RAM : SIMM's. (Single In-line Memory Module.)

166 Pentiums were the first systems to use SDRAM Which ran at 66Hz. There's also 100 and 133Hz SDRAM. Most motherboard's will just clock down faster memory to run at the speed of the board. But certain board's only run memory which is the correct speed. on a 66Hz board you've got a better chance of it accepting 100Hz memory than 133Hz. From my experience you get one of the following results when you installed 100 or 133Hz memory in a 66Hz board.

1. System detect's the memory correctly and works fine.
2. System detect's the memory but report's the size incorrectly.
3. System dosn't detect the memory at all.
4. System fail's to post.

[crono_logical]

I personally wouldn't risk using it if it's detecting the wrong size

[Max]

silly goose whay would you stick a ram in the computer?