Hi!

The last couple of days I've been trying to figure out what kind of memory I
need for my laptop, a Maxdata Vision 350m. I currently have 192MB in it, one
64MB PC100 (that came with the notebook) and one Apacer 128MB PC133 CL3
so-dimm. Now, I'd like to throw out the 64MB module and replace it with a
256MB one (only have 2 slots). Maxdata have told me on the phone that I can
expand up to 512MB, using two 256MB modules.

However, when trying a second-hand 256MB module which was PC133 and had 16
chips from Dimmax on it, my laptop only recognised half of the memory (i.e.
128MB). After spending days surfing the net trying to find out what kind of
memory I need, I still don't know what memory module would fit. PC133 should
be compatible with PC100, so that's no real problem. Someone told me that
maybe my PC could only take single-sided memory and not double-sided (but
the 128MB in it also has chips on both sides and works fine) and I've found
somewhere else that using low density memory (whatever that is...) instead
of 'high density' should do the trick. So I'm very confused...

All this should have something to de with the chipset in my system, which is
the Intel 440BX (someone selling a sodimm on eBay mentioned that his module
would not work with 440BX as it would either not function at all or only
recognize half of it).

Can anyone tell me what specifications 256MB so-dimms should have in order
to be compatible with the 440BX chipset?

Thanks very much in advance!

A laptop-updater getting kinda frustrated... (Upgrading the cpu from Celeron
550 to PIII/800 was a breeze, by the way...)

SZ.

Your problem is common; BX chipsets require an internal memory
organization that is no longer used, and that was only common with
SMALLER memory chips. Consequently, it could be very difficult to find
a 256 meg module that will work (e.g. that will be fully recognized).
In general, on desktops, for a 256 meg module to work with a BX chipset,
it needed to be "double sided" with 8 chips per side, that's 16 chips
total. Such a module probably won't fit into a notebook. Modules that
will work do exist, but may be both very hard to find and prohibitively
expensive. As a general rule, most PC133 modules won't work, although I
wouldn't want to state that as an absolute.


Slashed Zero wrote:

You will definitely need low density modules. Why not go to:
www.crucial.com/

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Thank you all very much for the info! Good to know that it's not just my
laptop, but a common problem with the chipset. The reason I didn't use
Crucial was because in their memory finder, my laptop wasn't listed - a very
similar model is though. The only thing that still puzzles me is why the
so-dimm with 16 chips that I tried before (chips were made by Dimmax) didn't
work (i.e. it was only half recognized). Could it be that some modules are
hgih density, although they use 16 instead of 8 chips?

Regards, SZ.

Slashed Zero <slashedzero@hotmail.com> wrote:
The reason the memory wasn't correctly recognized is that it's PC133 memory,
which the 440BX chipset is notorious for not playing nicely with.

If you want to be certain that the memory you purchase will work with your
machine, I suggest you buy either Crucial or Kingston RAM specified for the
Thinkpad 600X, which is one of the most finicky 440BX based laptops you'll
find when it comes to memory. Generically, you want lo-density, PC100, CL2
RAM.

Also, FWIW, the 440BX chipset is limited to 256MB RAM per memory slot
regardless of what some seller may tell you.

Regards,

James

Thank you very much! This is exactly the kind of information I needed! I've
spent days trying to find info like that through Google... Thank you very
much indeed! I'll be looking at ordering memory soon.

JHEM wrote:
[snip]
Another laptop you could use as a guide is the Armada M700 P3 series. I
had to try at least 4 different low density 256Mb PC100 modules before I
could find one that would work. I believe the one that finally worked
was a Kingston made for the IBM TP 380 (or 390, can't remember which)

Cosmin

Cosmin N. <no@email.com> wrote:
More than likely the Kingston KTM-TP390X/256, probably one of the most
"accepted" 256MB sticks offered by them.

That's the good news.

The bad news is they want a veritable fortune for it ($165 last time I
checked!). The same memory from Crucial is only $108 and includes free 2nd
day shipping.

Regards,

James

Heh... I bought it used for $150 (canadian funds) almost 2 years ago,
and I sold it a week ago for $80 (again, canadian funds). You really
must know where to look for it, and of course to be lucky...

Cosmin

JHEM wrote:

Indeed... In fact it's so expensive that I am considering giving up on my
laptop and buying something new...

I've just got a new mail from Maxdata (the German builder, i.e. labeler, of
my laptop), saying that I need *single-sided* PC100 memory. Could this be
right? Or do they simply mean low density (and double sided) and is zeir
Engliz a bit off?

Thanks for all the kind replies!
SZ.

It's funny how memory that was once available for $9.95 or even "free
after rebate" is now $50 or more.

The highest end memory is expensive, for example), but the memory that
is currently "in vogue" in the mass market is cheap, and that's the
moderate speed DDR memory currently. I think that one of the stores has
256 or 512 meg pieces for $9.95 this weekend.

But once a memory type's "time has passed", it gets expensive as hell
[again]. So PC100, EDO and Fast Page, which were once given away, have
again become "pricey" and at times, make upgrading an older machine
economically unfeasible.


Slashed Zero wrote:

On eBay, I found someone offering 2 KTC311/256LP sodimms by Kinston. You
think these would do ok too? There's also a Micron MT16LSDF3264HG-10EE4
256MB PC100 SODIMM. Maxdata seem to recommend Micron sodimms, so maybe that
would be a good choice?