IEI Wafer 5820 - RAM detection bug

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gpp
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Okay I have the following 'biscuit' PC set up for web browsing (I use it so I don't need to power up my gaming rig to browse websites) :wink:

Wafer PC 5820 info
==================
BIOS Date: 09/02/02
BIOS Type: Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
BIOS ID: 2A434I99C
BIOS Signon: 09/02/2002-GXm-Cx5530-2A434I99C
BIOS Eval: WAFER-5820 BIOS V2.5 (09/02/2002)
Chipset: Cyrix Cx5530
Superio: Winbond 977F/AF rev 0 found at port 3F0h
CPU: Cyrix MediaGX MMX 233MHz
RAM: 256MB PC133 IBM SODIMM (128MB accessable?)
GFX: CyrixXpress Graphics (4MB shared)
SOUND: CyrixXpress Audio
NWK: TE100-PCBUSR 32-Bit cardbus PC CARD (onboard)
HDD: Maxtor 2F040J0 (40GB)
Optical: QSI CDRW/DVD SBW-242
Ports: USB 2.0 (Compaq chipset), Serial, Parallel

The BIOS is available from the 'Download' link on this page (free membership required) :roll:

http://www.ieiworld.com/en/product_IPC. ... WAFER-5820

The PC works fine, but the problem is even though it allows me to 'use' the 256MB SODIMM...It will only effectively find 128MB?

Anyone with any ideas here? :?:
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KURIAKI
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Posts: 1037
Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2004 9:37 pm
Location: Cancun, Mexico

System Memory DRAM
There is one 144-pin SO-DIMM socket to accept 3.3V non-buffered SDRAM. The max. Memory size is 512MB.
http://www.tri-m.com/products/icp/files ... 20_man.pdf
More than 100,000 BIOS strings in my database just now!
http:/ /www.kuriaki.has.it/
http:/ /www.supportbios.info
------------------------------------------
Saludos desde Cancun, Mexico
KURIAKI
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Denniss
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Location: Near Hannover (CEBIT) Germany
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Looks like a hardeare chipset limitation.
Try to find Intel i440BX compatible modules, they may work with full capacity (but I don't know what limits your chipset has).
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cp
BIOS Guru
Posts: 1914
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2002 9:07 pm
Location: Germany

http://wwwd.amd.com/amd/developer.nsf/f ... gx1_ds.pdf

Cyrix GXm / Cyrix GX1 aka NSC GXm / NSC GX1 aka AMD GX1

the design has come a long long long way, saw a few names, revisions, databook revisions and some design changes (low voltage, higher clock) but basically stayed the good old trusty Cyrix design.

btw. the memory controller is embedded in the cpu (as well as some other stuff like vga). does it ring a bell?
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Denniss
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KURIAKI wrote:System Memory DRAM
There is one 144-pin SO-DIMM socket to accept 3.3V non-buffered SDRAM. The max. Memory size is 512MB.
http://www.tri-m.com/products/icp/files ... 20_man.pdf
Might be an older revision supporting only 128MB max, see the V2.0 manual
http://www.ieiworld.com/en/download.asp ... WAFER-5820
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gpp
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Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:49 am

@KURIAKI - thanks, but I have all the PDF's

@cp - thanks, I've been looking for some info on the chipset...

@Deniss - Hmm...you could be correct, I think my board is older than 2.0
So there may be a RAM limit on older revisions!

Wonder if there's a way to hack the BIOS to 'utilise' the extra RAM (it finds my 256MB SODIMM - but only half is used...odd!)

Thanks for the replies folks!
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KURIAKI
Moderator
Posts: 1037
Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2004 9:37 pm
Location: Cancun, Mexico

gpp wrote:Wonder if there's a way to hack the BIOS to 'utilise' the extra RAM (it finds my 256MB SODIMM - but only half is used...odd!)
That's impossible. Memory is controlled by the chipset.
More than 100,000 BIOS strings in my database just now!
http:/ /www.kuriaki.has.it/
http:/ /www.supportbios.info
------------------------------------------
Saludos desde Cancun, Mexico
KURIAKI
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gpp
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Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:49 am

Oh! Okay...just thought I'd ask! :roll:

Hmm...looks like I'm stuck with 128MB then - bummer! :cry:
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