Incompatible RAM, or hidden settings?

Hi guys! Can someone help me with what is probably an embarrasingly obvious glitch in my mental processes?

I have two SuperSok7 boards, the first having 1 DIMM and 4 SIMMs (Intel chipset & possible model #PT-2006), the second having 1 DIMM, 2 SIMMs and embedded video & sound (VXproII chipset). (I acquired them as replacement for my PCChips board that died recently: a crying shame as it was a lovely tidy board with embedded 3D sound & 3D graphics, 2 DIMMs & SIMMs, and both AT & ATX power connectors, whereas the other two are only AT.)

In both instances they POST (without RAM) reporting 16MB embedded (bizarrely, the first one reports 16384K, while the second one reports 16000KB ` ). Also they both correctly report whatever SIMMs I give them (which, given I only have 16MB SIMMs, is a bit of waste of the first SIMM). However, since I want to do some serious work on my old box, I need at least the 64MB that one of my DIMMs will give me, but neither board will recognize either a single-sided or double-sided DIMM -- them both stoically report 16MB.

I've played with various BIOS settings and I've even tried running them (only for the length of time required to POST) with the wrong voltage jumper setting (which only the second board has).

How can I persuade either of these beasts to recognize any of my DIMMs? (If memory serves they are all PC100, but I never learned the chip part numbers found on DIMMs in the same way as I know them on SIMMs and old socketed RAM. Hey, anyone want some extra socketed RAM? I have a few meg's of 256K 100ns and 120ns chips, NEC, TI and Goldstar... )

Better yet, anyone know where I can get a good embedded video SuperSok7 board in guarranteed working order? It's got to be embedded 'coz if I have to source and spend money on a PCI graphics card as well as the M'brd then I might as well upgrade the whole box for only a few quid more.

Thanks,
G.J.E.
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I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I COULD MURDER A CURRY.

A couple of the old socket 7 boards I've played with haven't been able to recognize DIMM's larger than 128 megs. A 256 resulted in a blank screen. You might update the BIOS if you haven't allready, a newer BIOS, if available, might make one or both capable of recognizing larger DIMM's.

I agree with Repoman Update you BIOS mabey it will reconize you DIMM then. I am not a master at this things but i like to try to help! ! !

Good luck Bro. May the Force Be With You

My old PCChips board had 2 DIMM sockets, and 4 SIMM sockets with no built in ram, sound or video. I could use all 4 SIMM sockets alone, the 2 DIMM sockets alone, the first DIMM + all 4 SIMMs, or the 2 DIMMS and last 2 SIMMs only.. Using the 2nd DIMM socket takes the place of the 1 & 2 SIMM sockets.

Taking that into consideration, the onboard memory may be taking the place of one or more of your sockets. You may have to disable the onboard mem in order to use some of the sockets.

BTW, my PCChips board could only accept up to 64mb DIMMS. Your boards are probably as old as mine so I would also guess that would be the max size DIMM you can use on them as well, maybe 32mb.

Thats just an edumacated guess. I'd do a good search for any manuals you can find on your boards on the net. Look for any markings or vendor names on the board, and of course look at the chipset it uses. It sould give you enough leads to figure out what you may have to do.

Hope that helps abit.

i dont think thats your case but it happened to me once. i tried installing some ECC RAMs in my TUSL2-C/intel 815ep and it was able only to recognize half the amount of RAM. it was a 256MB stick i got only 128MB.

id say you should check the support for the module configuration of the RAM youre trying to install. some mainboards, specially the older ones, wont have the support for unusual configurations. the module configuration, in the case you not know, is the numbers you see this way in the memory specifications (16x64, 16x72). so be sure the mainboard has the support for the configurations of your ram.
im not sure about this, so please someone correct me if im wrong.