I should already know the answer to this.
According to the best information I have been able to find out, the Toshiba Satellite 2520CDS laptop will accept 1 * 128MB module of removable RAM.
1) Will a BIOS upgrade allow the laptop to recognise 128MB modules if the current BIOS only recognises smaller modules and the BIOS upgrade is designed to do so?
2) Will a BIOS upgrade allow the laptop to recognise modules larger than 128MB if the laptop is capable of doing so and the BIOS upgrade has been designed to do so.
Thanks in advance.
Maximising the amount of recognisable RAM
What chipset does it have?
(Google didn't help this time...)
(Google didn't help this time...)
Hi Sulbert
Thanks for your reply.
What chipset?
Good question.
The laptop is not with me but with the owner.
I have not been able to locate this exact laptop on the Toshiba website except for a BIOS upgrade. I will have to take another look at the information I found to see if any chipset is documented.
The only other hope I have of locating a chipset is by looking at what Windows reports in device manager next time I see the laptop, however this information may not be accurate of-course.
Once I have a chance to try and locate the chipset, I may make another reply here (unless I manage to answer my questions by other means in the meantime).
If anyone else may be able to answer my original two questions in the meantime without needing to know the chipset, their replies would also be most welcome.
Thanks again.
Thanks for your reply.
What chipset?
Good question.
The laptop is not with me but with the owner.
I have not been able to locate this exact laptop on the Toshiba website except for a BIOS upgrade. I will have to take another look at the information I found to see if any chipset is documented.
The only other hope I have of locating a chipset is by looking at what Windows reports in device manager next time I see the laptop, however this information may not be accurate of-course.
Once I have a chance to try and locate the chipset, I may make another reply here (unless I manage to answer my questions by other means in the meantime).
If anyone else may be able to answer my original two questions in the meantime without needing to know the chipset, their replies would also be most welcome.
Thanks again.
Ooops.
Forgot to add some useful information to my post.
Windows XP has reported that the machine is running a 266MHz Intel processor. I think he said a Pentium II - but I only remember the speed for sure.
And it takes EDO RAM.
Hope this helps.
Forgot to add some useful information to my post.
Windows XP has reported that the machine is running a 266MHz Intel processor. I think he said a Pentium II - but I only remember the speed for sure.
And it takes EDO RAM.
Hope this helps.
-
Denniss
- BIOS Guru
- Posts: 3153
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- Contact:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=mozilla&q=2520CDS
Listed as supporting max 64MB of extra memory .
Listed as supporting max 64MB of extra memory .
That could be incorrect, however thanks for checking for me.
From what I know:
* The laptop has 32MB RAM built-in.
* The laptop currently has 64MB, so it has currently an additional 32MB.
* We think there is only one slot for additional memory, which is currently being used by the additional 32MB module.
* Owner has contacted Toshiba by phone, and was told that the laptop will accept a total of 192MB memory. Assuming this is correct, we should be able to replace the additional 32MB module with maximum 160MB module (or if such a strange size does not exist I hope that a 128MB module will work if we can find one).
These are the details I am having difficulty confirming because I have so far been able to locate specifications to this detail on Toshiba's website.
However it is possible that that information is incorrect and only 64MB additional memory is supported, or maybe 64MB additional memory was originally all that was supported, and the latest available BIOS allows the laptop to accept 160MB or 128MB (for example) modules. This is what I am interested in - whether the BIOS on the laptop could have an effect like this and to what extent.
From what I know:
* The laptop has 32MB RAM built-in.
* The laptop currently has 64MB, so it has currently an additional 32MB.
* We think there is only one slot for additional memory, which is currently being used by the additional 32MB module.
* Owner has contacted Toshiba by phone, and was told that the laptop will accept a total of 192MB memory. Assuming this is correct, we should be able to replace the additional 32MB module with maximum 160MB module (or if such a strange size does not exist I hope that a 128MB module will work if we can find one).
These are the details I am having difficulty confirming because I have so far been able to locate specifications to this detail on Toshiba's website.
However it is possible that that information is incorrect and only 64MB additional memory is supported, or maybe 64MB additional memory was originally all that was supported, and the latest available BIOS allows the laptop to accept 160MB or 128MB (for example) modules. This is what I am interested in - whether the BIOS on the laptop could have an effect like this and to what extent.
Hi Denniss - I do not (yet, at least) know the mainboard's chipset.
I do know the RAM type - EDO.
A supplier told me they can get 128MB RAM for this laptop, so if their information is correct I can only assume that that at least would be compatible.
I do know the RAM type - EDO.
A supplier told me they can get 128MB RAM for this laptop, so if their information is correct I can only assume that that at least would be compatible.
Just an update on this.
The owner was given a 64MB module that he was told may be compatible with the laptop if he disabled parity in the BIOS.
The module fits perfectly. However, with the module installed, the laptop pretends that there is only 32MB installed (base memory) and Windows XP runs like a dog's breakfast (at least Windows XP on this machine is quite good when even 64MB is recognised).
No such parity option in BIOS. However, I do not believe that to be the reason it does not work. I'm not sure if the laptop owner agrees with me or believes me but the module is marked PC100, which makes it SDRAM. The laptop requires EDO.
So maybe if the laptop owner is lucky he will be given an EDO module suited to the laptop.
Meanwhile, out of curiousity I am wondering whether the laptop will not accept SDRAM because the base 32MB is EDO and the SDRAM clashes with the EDO if installed or if the laptop must get what it wants and what it wants is EDO period.
The owner was given a 64MB module that he was told may be compatible with the laptop if he disabled parity in the BIOS.
The module fits perfectly. However, with the module installed, the laptop pretends that there is only 32MB installed (base memory) and Windows XP runs like a dog's breakfast (at least Windows XP on this machine is quite good when even 64MB is recognised).
No such parity option in BIOS. However, I do not believe that to be the reason it does not work. I'm not sure if the laptop owner agrees with me or believes me but the module is marked PC100, which makes it SDRAM. The laptop requires EDO.
So maybe if the laptop owner is lucky he will be given an EDO module suited to the laptop.
Meanwhile, out of curiousity I am wondering whether the laptop will not accept SDRAM because the base 32MB is EDO and the SDRAM clashes with the EDO if installed or if the laptop must get what it wants and what it wants is EDO period.
The owner of the laptop has now tried several memory modules with this laptop, some of which I'm sure should be compatible.
Therefore we would now like to upgrade the BIOS to see if the most recent BIOS allows more memory to be recognised.
A BIOS upgrade has already been attempted.
And failed........
But the machine is still alive!
The BIOS upgrade never got as far as writing the new BIOS, you see.
I downloaded the correct BIOS for this laptop, let the download create the bootable disk which should automatically flash the upgrade through, however when following the described procedure the system boots off the floppy and soon reports an error amounting to the likes of that the image to be flashed cannot be found.
There are further instructions on the floppy for creating the boot disk manually however there are two BIN files which look like possible image files, and it is unclear which BIN file should be used. To confuse further the issue of which BIN file to use, it appears that the download services both the 2520CDS and 2520CDT models, and I do not want to flash the wrong image.
SO,
Does anyone have experience with the correct flash procedure for the Toshiba Satellite 2520CDS laptop?
Therefore we would now like to upgrade the BIOS to see if the most recent BIOS allows more memory to be recognised.
A BIOS upgrade has already been attempted.
And failed........
But the machine is still alive!
The BIOS upgrade never got as far as writing the new BIOS, you see.
I downloaded the correct BIOS for this laptop, let the download create the bootable disk which should automatically flash the upgrade through, however when following the described procedure the system boots off the floppy and soon reports an error amounting to the likes of that the image to be flashed cannot be found.
There are further instructions on the floppy for creating the boot disk manually however there are two BIN files which look like possible image files, and it is unclear which BIN file should be used. To confuse further the issue of which BIN file to use, it appears that the download services both the 2520CDS and 2520CDT models, and I do not want to flash the wrong image.
SO,
Does anyone have experience with the correct flash procedure for the Toshiba Satellite 2520CDS laptop?
