PC-133 is Reverse compatible is it not?

[KewlKid2000+]

help me im working on my aunts pc. Dude She got a Dell- ok like 2 years ago (P3 700). Anywayz this sucka just got xp on it. i ordered from newegg 1 stick of MUSHKIN Pc-133 Ram (512MB), i put the stick in the dell and i get a huge error message. I thought dell wasnt proprietary. any help would be great here. im completely lost. Is 640MB too much Ram?

[Yakbak]

What kind of error message did you get? Was it before you booted into Windows?

[moorcito]

PC-133 is backward compatiable, so that shouldn't be a problem. More than likely the motherboard won't support 640mb of ram. To check go to dell's site and find the model of computer and read the documentation about the mobo and other junk.

[KewlKid2000+]

its max is 750 (been there already)... hmm this is making me angry. i think maybe its too big of a dimm, the largest PC-100 was 256 was it not?

[KewlKid2000+]

The error message was a missing PCI.sys file in the Systems folder. i take out the stick of memory and it went away. this is getting on my nerves.

[Yakbak]

Maybe your stick of RAM is damaged...if you can boot into a boot disk, try running a memory tester.

[6502kid]

Yank out the other stick, and try it with just the 512 in
the first RAM slot.

If that works, then try adding the other stick in slot 2.

[KewlKid2000+]

lol did that. i just pulled out my old comper- P3 500. i think its the fact of the size on that stick. my other comperstill treats that as if it was a stick of 256. i think ill just put my sticks of PC-100 256mb and 128mb in my aunts comper. and tell her what the problem was. **BLAME IT ON DELL MOBO** and that i had to replace it with my stuff. Even trade, she wont notice the diff. any other suggestions would be great.

[Yakbak]

Flash the Dell BIOS to the latest...might support a higher stick of RAM after.

[moorcito]

i think its the fact of the size on that stick. my other comperstill treats that as if it was a stick of 256

Yeah, some chipset only supported a certain size of memory, where as one Mobo could only run low density chips, others could run low and high. If the motherboard doesn't suppot 512mb in one slot it might either recgonize it as 256 or not at all.

64x4 (high density) chips should be supported by these chipsets:
VIA KT133, KT133a, KX133(except ASUS K7V), ASUS w/Apollo Pro 133A, AMD 750 chipsets, M/B with 512Mbit Technology. Example: Abit KT7A-R (use KT133A Chipset), ASUS A7V (use KT133A Chipset), Abit VP6 (use Apollo Pro133A Chipset)

but not compatiable with:
VIA PLE133(V8601(a)), ALI Magic, Intel 845, 810, 815, 440BX, GX, LX, Macs, Via Apollo Pro 133, Intel Chipsets. Not for Micro ATX Motherboard (2 DIMM Slots)

Did newegg say what density the dimm was, and or what chipsets would work with it?

[KewlKid2000+]

its a 64x64. intel 845 chipset. its taken care of now... if only i could find the cds she shipped with it id be set. until then im still screwed.

[DDR-PIII]

Originally posted by KewlKid2000+
its max is 750 (been there already)... hmm this is making me angry. i think maybe its too big of a dimm, the largest PC-100 was 256 was it not?


Yes thats right... most OEMs only allow a max stick of 256MB of ram

[Lt. Max]

my dell dimension 4100 supports only up to 256 meg dimms which i have 2 of now :)