possible to upgrade to 8mb cache?

LittlePiggie

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Sep 30, 2002

Location

Oregon

• Apr 22, 2003

• #1

would it be possible to remove the ram chip used for cache on a 2mb drice and replace it with an 8mb or higher chip? I am going to try it on my old 120mb conner drive ans ee what happens. would I use SDRAM or DDR?

 

C

Cowboy Shane

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Jan 9, 2002

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Augusta, GA

• Apr 22, 2003

• #2

I don't know, but if you are succesful I'll be looking for your article on overclockers.com

 

Cjwinnit

B&

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Feb 1, 2003

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UK

• Apr 22, 2003

• #3

LittlePiggie said:

would it be possible to remove the ram chip used for cache on a 2mb drice and replace it with an 8mb or higher chip? I am going to try it on my old 120mb conner drive ans ee what happens. would I use SDRAM or DDR?

Click to expand...

I couldn't see why it's not totally impossible, but:

the chips will have to be identical in physical size, voltage, timings...

It would have to be an accesible PCB, lucky for you it is (not Seagate)

The soldering might overheat the inside of the chip (memory modules are fragile)

Good luck with it

 

Jon

Just Another Retired Moderator

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Dec 19, 2000

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Lawrenceville, GA

• Apr 22, 2003

• #4

...not to mention the drive firmware may not even recognize an additional 6MB have been added, making it completely useless even if the drive doesn't die.

 

OP

LittlePiggie

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Joined

Sep 30, 2002

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Oregon

• Apr 22, 2003

• Thread Starter
• #5

yeah, the conner drive uses on odd shape of ram. not EDO, not SD or DDR. I'll have to try it on one of my 40gig maxtors j/k. I'll research some more and get back to you all

 

M

mateo

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Dec 7, 2002

• Apr 22, 2003

• #6

Also, it may not be standard RAM. HDD firmware can be flashed, right?

 

OP

LittlePiggie

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Joined

Sep 30, 2002

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Oregon

• Apr 22, 2003

• Thread Starter
• #7

according to this data sheet, the ram on my maxtor 40gig is a 16mb chip.

166mhz(6ns) HY57V161610DTC-6 TSOPII(50pin) 2bank, 3.3v

wow

holy ***!! you can find anything online...

wow

I reckon this chip is 1mb and there are two, one on the other side of the PCB...

 

Jon

Just Another Retired Moderator

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• Apr 22, 2003

• #8

loner said:

Also, it may not be standard RAM. HDD firmware can be flashed, right?

Click to expand...

Yes, so long as the manufacturer makes and releases and update for it.

Such as in the case of this Maxtor drive. If that is a 16MB cache module, then it's safe to say the drive firmware is programmed to recognize and use only a certain amount of it. Could be on the hardware side though if they only used traces to activate the amount available. I'd doubt that since it's a single chip, though.