Upgrading RAM from SIMMs to DIMMs - Advice req.

Recommended by Wim's BIOS...

Hello friends.

I want to upgrade my RAM without changing mobo.

I want to replace my 2 x 32M EDO SIMMs (60ns) with 1 x 256M or 2 x 128M DIMMs. Chips must comply with the specs below. I may want to put them in a new PC in the future, so I'd like the new RAM to be the most performant, while not crashing my current system (utopia?!)

Specs:

Mobo Mfg : ASUS TX97-XE
BIOS Mfg : Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
BIOS ID : 11/24/98-82430TX-TX97-XE_C-00
BIOS OEM Signon : #401A0-0112xe-1
Chipset : Intel Triton 430TX rev 1

RAM chips supported:
- 4 x 72pin SIMM FPM/EDO : 4M-8M-16M-32M-64M combinations
-OR-
- 2 x 168pin DIMM SDRAM/EDO : 8M-16M-32M-64M combinations

- Max. RAM = 256M
- DIMMs must be 3.3V, Unbuffered,
- Synchronous DRAM or SDRAM. Max. 24 chips/module.
- SIMM/DIMM mixing not allowed.

I have no clue what chip to get. All I'm sure of is 168-pin DIMMs, the rest is a big ?

- DIMM, RIMM, RDRAM, DDR?
- PC100 or PC133? SDRAM 66MHz, 100MHz, 125MHz or 166MHz?
- "EDO" or not?
- "Buffered" or "Unbuffered" difference important?
- ECC and/or Non-Parity?
- How fast? (ns) Mobo mentions 60ns or 70ns, but would faster chips work anyway?
- On-circuit chips: 32M x 72? 16M x 72? 16M x 64 ?


Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Denniss]

If I remeber correct the TX Chipset supports 64MBit memory technolgy as maximum so biggest usable SDRAM modules PC-66/100/133 is a 128MB doublesided with 16 memory chips(8 per side)

[soupy]

http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts. ... &submit=Go

(First of all, I am Canadian too, )

Rookie and Soupy, thank you very much for the info, but now I'm a little confused...

My manual says RAM modules can have a maximum of 24 chips.
I assume that's on both sides...

So how does that translate into the "X by Y" I see in the chip specs?
The lowest I found in Soupy's URL (thanks!) is 16 x 64.
If I get this correctly, "16M x 64" means 64 chips @ 16M each... so it these chips wouldn't work on my mobo, right?

Sorry if I sound thick but chips specs have become sooo complicated in the last 15 years...

Again, your guidance would be priceless.
Thanks!

[soupy]

http://www.crucial.com/crucial/pvtconte ... otherboard

Configuration
This describes the structure of the memory module. The first number is the depth of the module (or, the number of signals the module sends at one time). The second is the width (of the module's data bus). To get the total megabytes of the module, multiply the depth by the width and divide by 8 (or 9 for ECC or parity; if you're not sure if you have ECC/Parity divide the width by which ever one gives you an integer). For example, a 16M72 is 16 x 72 / 9 = 128MB.

Thanks guys.

Another thing. Assuming I choose the right type of DIMM, what about speed?

I mean, the mobo doc says 60ns or 70ns is supported, but by manually tweaking the settings in the BIOS, is it possible to make fater chips work? 50ns? 40ns? etc.

... or will I hit a failure threshold ? Or will the mobo ignore anything faster than 60ns anyway?


Some insight would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[edwin]

70,60,50nsec are EDO settings, irrelevant for SDRAM.

Well, I've done it
I'm not the proud owner of 256M SDRAM, as per:

2x 128M SDRAM, 66MHz, CL=2, Unbuffered, Non-parity, 10ns, 3.3V (16M x 64) [p/n CT16M64S4D10]

However, my W2K has crashed a few times, with KMODE exception errors. I've also seen disk paging errors on one of my disks. I did increase the size of the page file so I think it's a BIOS chipset config problem.

Can anyone help guide me through the following options
Also, if I boost my MB FSB speed from 66MHz to 75MHz (or even 83MHz), would I havbe to change these values

My objective is safe performance.

Thanks.
(sorry about the layout, my TABs get stripped)


Bios Default Setup Default Values allowed
Auto Configuration : Disabled Disabled 60ns DRAM | 70ns DRAM | Disabled
DRAM Read Burst Timing : x444 x444 x222 | x333 | x444
DRAM Write Burst Timing : x444 x444 x222 | x333 | x444
DRAM R/W Leadoff Timing : 11T/7T 11T/7T 11T/7T | 10T/6T
DRAM RAS# Precharge Time : 4T 4T 3T | 4T
Refresh RAS# Assertion : 4T 4T 4T | 5T
Fast EDO Lead Off : Disabled Disabled Enabled | Disabled
Speculative Leadoff : Disabled Disabled Enabled | Disabled
SDRAM RAS# Timing : 3T/5T/8T 3T/5T/8T 3T/4T/7T | 3T/5T/8T
SDRAM CAS# Latency : 3T 3T 2T | 3T
SDRAM Speculative Read : Disabled Disabled Enabled | Disabled
Passive Release : Disabled Enabled Enabled | Disabled
Delayed Transaction : Disabled Disabled Enabled | Disabled
16-bit I/O Recovery Time : 4 BUSCLK 1 BUSCLK 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
8-bit I/O Recovery Time : 8 BUSCLK 1 BUSCLK 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
Video BIOS Cacheable : Disabled Enabled Enabled | Disabled
Memory Hole At Address : None None None | 14M-15M | 15M-16M