Problem with SDRAM DIMM

[STON3]

Hi

I upgrade my old PC with Main board ASROCK P4I45D ( CPU P4 1,7 ) with "new" A Data SDRAM 1 GB DDR333 - previously I had only 256 MB DDR266.

My main board support 1 GB DIMM and max speed DDR266

I take away the 256MB DIMM and I place new one - 1 GB - when I turn on my PC only the CPU fan run and I heard HDD - than the PC turn off - after 1-2s turn on himself with the same efect - no signal in monitor, no post code no sound from bios

I try set in BIOS SPD by auto and speed (frek.) auto

The 1 GB DIMM is OK - my friend run him on AMD platform 400W psu (I had saw the SPD information) - the DIMM suport DDR266

I try to set timing and speed maunal but with the same finall efect I also update BIOS - try to clear CMOS - nothing

I think that my PSU had not enough Ampers on +3.3V rail only (20A)

my main board supply only 20 pin conector (CPU,RAM,BOARD,GRAPHIC) - and I had 6y old "HIGH END" PSU 300W LC Power :)

combined load +3.3V & +5V is 160W (I don t belive :))

+3.3V rail supply also AGP graphic - I had 1.5V nVidia GeForce MX440 64 MB - RAM and Main board /with +5V/


What do you think guys???

Solve my problem the power supply with strong +3.3V rail with 30A? - for example Fortron Blue Storm II 400W - I will something not expensive

Sorry for my english

[madmat]

I think that the 1 gig support is "in theory" at best. I've seen many older boards that claim to support certain amounts of ram but only if the chips are within a certain range as far as the density of of the chips and the number of chips per stick.

I'm thinking that at the time your board was new the 1 gig ram sticks available were the ones that were basically dual 512Mb sticks on one PCB which meant the chips were low density compared to the ram available today which has twice the capacity as a 512Mb stick with the same chip count.

[STON3]

Well

In my 1GB DIMM I have chips on both sides and my friend have the same old MOBO but only AMD platform and they works.

I saw the 100% compatibile 1 GB DIMM DDR266 with my MOBO on foto on some websites - the chips was the same and the vendor was V data. V data = A data - the structure was same but I dont saw the other side of DIMM

My MOBO have 2 SLOTS for DDR and max is 2 GB /1GB for each SLOT/

DDR333 which I buy is only one "step" before DDR266

My other friend also said that they saw 512 MB RAM DDR whic has chips on only one side and other which has chips on both sides.

But there is nothing write in my MOBO manual - I thing that must by compatible - I belive :)

[STON3]

Mayby my 1GB DDR333 block the MOBO - they can t recognize it and they cant set timing by SPD and speed by auto.

My MOBO probably support max DDR266 an d they can t downgraded DDR333 to DDR266

[madmat]

Yeah it's possible. Exactly how old is that motherboard? Has it got the latest release bios?

[STON3]

The MOBO is from 2002 - Yes I have last BIOS from 2003

I wrote to Asrock - my question was if the MOBO can recognize and then downdraded DDR333 to DDR266

But I don t now If they write my back :lol:

[madmat]

In 2002 the only 1Gb ram I've seen is dual stacked chips. There weren't any chips with enough density to pack 512Mb per side of the stick with 6-8 chips per side.

[STON3]

But there is no warning about another density DIMMs DDR - They must by compatible

I think there is another problem and I will solve it :wall:

[STON3]

I check my memory controler on Intel web site (Intel has outstanding support)

My memory controler support two double sided DIMMs - 512MB per side and max 2GB memory

The only question is - why they cant recognize DDR333 and than downgraded to 266
:confused:

[madmat]

Okay, you win, even though 1 gig sticks like we have now DID NOT EXIST IN 2002 Intel must have had their ESP working and designed your chipset to work with it. In that case, I have no idea and you're on your own.

[STON3]

Intel mem controler support only double sided 512 Mb technology

When market brings 1 GB DIMMs on one stick - my chipset was obsolete and noone test 1GB DIMMs - on Intel s board with the same chipset like I have it is claimed

[madmat]

They had double sided 1 gig dimms. They used STACKED chips so instead of, say, 8 chips per side there were 16 but go on not listening or ignoring what was versus what is, it's no skin off my nose.

Edit: I have a Chaintech 9CJS 875p based motherboard. It supported up to 2 gigs and 1 gig per stick with high density ram but it was a later generation chipset that supported dual channel DDR PC3200. The chipsets prior to that were all single channel and supported PC1600, PC2100 and later added PC2700 (DDR333) support but none of them did over 512Mb per DIMM slot. The speed won't matter, it'll support PC4400 (DDR550) as long as the SPD is programed to set latencies for DDR266/DDR333. PC333 was natively supported by DDR266 capable chipsets because it was originally a non-JDEC approved/endosed speed just as DDR500 was fully backwards compatible with DDR400 chipsets, it was not a JDEC speed until much later.

At any rate, the first 1 gig ram was buffered and was, as I said before, dual stacked. It was designed for servers and most 512Mb chipsets would indeed run it because the density was the same as a 512Mb stick on a per chip basis. I know this because I worked at a PC shop that sold it on a special order basis, it was insanely expensive at $500 per stick.

[STON3]

I Just solved the problem

You have RIGHT - I fond a nice table in Intel® 82845 MCH (memory controler)for DDR Datasheet

Table 12. Supported DIMM Configurations

For everyone who has similar problem:
http://download.intel.com/design/chipsets/datashts/29860401.pdf

Double-sided X16 DDR SDRAM devices are not supported. (Asrock P4i54D -Intel® 82845 MCH)

The only way to have good 1 GB DIMM is 512 Mbit (64MB)-density X8-width double sided :)

My A data DDR333 is double sided and they have 16X width

[madmat]

I knew I was right, I've run into this exact same issue time and time again. You'd have no idea of how many people buy ram that is compatible in overall capacity but sadly isn't due to the density being beyond what the chipset can handle.