Re: 503+ sdram

Leo Tick <> wrote in message news:<9qvZa.204$>...

> for a 503+ I know I need "low density" sdram. In buying on the
> net how do I tell whether I'm getting what I need. If I buy
> 128m dimms am I sure to get the right stuff as against buyin 236 m.

I learned that not all low density SDRAM is fully compatible with this
mobo. I had a 256MB DIMM with 16 chips on it, but my VA-503+ saw only
128MB. At first I thought that the memory was just bad since it was
generic (chips marked with DIMM maker's numbers, not the real chip
maker's), but I found that it used 32Mb x 4 chips, not the usual 16Mb
x 8 chips found on low density 128MB and 256MB DIMMs, and this mobo
just didn't recognize the extra address line of the chips. If the
chips are no-name they're marked something like 16M x 8 or 32M x 4,
but if they're quality chips you'll have to visit the manufacturer's
website to decode the part number. BTW, that 256MB DIMM with the 32Mb
x 4 chips worked fine with the Intel i810 chipset (and probably the
i815), even though, like the VA-503+, it wouldn't recognize any DIMMs
bigger than 256MB.

If a DIMM is rated for PC100 or PC133 and PC100, it should contain
16Mb x 8 chips, but if it's PC133-only it won't. Some companies,
including Kingston, Crucial, and Centon (Circuit City), assign
separate part numbers for PC133-only and PC133/PC100 DIMMs, but with
PNY, CompUSA, and K-byte you take your chances.