DAMN AMD 640 CHIPSET!

[Crashman]

This AMD 640 is the fussiest chipset I've ever seen. Out of all my memory only two modules work. All are micron, the two that work are some old 16MB dimm and a Crucial 64MB. These modules worked in OTHER systems!

In fact BOTH my spare 16's worked in my POS TE430VX mobo, proving that they work in other fussy motherboards. But only one of them works in this AMD 640.

Back to you Tom...

 

[charliec2uk]

You don't have much luck with chip-sets do you?

Democracy Bernad, it must be stopped!

 

[Crashman]

I work on a lot of older systems. Do you know what processors the AMD 640 supports?
Not too many chisets, only the Intel VX because it only supported an early style of SDRAM, a few VIA's, some integrated SiS's, and now this one. Everything looks normal on this one when half way through wondows startup I'll get a memory error with standard memory. Only two of my sticks work on it. It shot my plans to sell it as a cheap refurb with on 32MB of RAM, since one of those sticks is 16MB and the other is 64MB.


Back to you Tom...

 

[girish]

do you mean 16 M<font color=blue>b</font color=blue>it and 64 M<font color=blue>b</font color=blue>it chips???

<font color=red>No system is fool-proof. Fools are Ingenious!</font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

I mean a 16MByte and a 64Mbyte sticks (modules), which are 2x64 PC66 and 8x64 PC133, respectively. So it's not a size thing, but rather an issue with other memory parameters, on this 640 board. I never tried anything larger because it's a cheap system.

As for the VX, lets keep that in my other least favorable chipset post. I only mentioned it as a frame of reference for the memory I tried, because it's a historically problematic chipset.


Back to you Tom...

 

[girish]

okay, I thought the DIMMs that dint work were 16 and 64 Mbits. Now I know they were 16 an 64 MB that worked!

I used quite a few 430VX boards but never used SDRAM on them, recently I tried to upgrade one of those with a SDRAM and it dint work. The client was in a hurry I dint had time to investigate so I made up that the DIMM slots were corroded :lol: and stuck him a new Aladdin!

BTW hey Crash, see
<A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=faq&notfound=1&code=1" target="_new">this</A>, interested???

girish

<font color=red>No system is fool-proof. Fools are Ingenious!</font color=red>

 

[phsstpok]

Any chance it takes only single-sided DIMMs?

Would you like a Quarter Pounder?
No, thank you. Just give me the BIG heatsink. It's an Athlon.

 

[Crashman]

Well, this post was about the problems I had with the AMD640 but since you asked:

VX chipset boards are only compatable with 2x modules, those are such as 2x64 (16MB). These are always arranged as 2MB chips on a module so that an 8MB module has 4 chips, 16MB 8 chips, 32MB 16 chips, and 64MB 32 chips (the reason 64MB modules of this type are so rare!). In fact 2MB modules take up so much space compared to more recent memory that almost all 2MB/chip modules are the old VX compatable units. So I usually don't even mention the 2x standard, instead just telling people that they have to have half as many chips as they do megabytes.

Back to you Tom...

 

[Crashman]

No. It wouldn't work with any of my 32MB single sided DIMMS, nor my other 16MB single-sided DIMM. It worked with a combination of that one 16MB and a two sided 32MB, but not with the 32MB alone. I could test it with one of these two sided 128MB DIMMs, but that would be pointless since I'm trying to get it as close to 32MB as I can for the money. The 16MB and 32MB together cost more than the 64MB DIMM, so I'll be giving the customer a bonus amount.

Back to you Tom...

 

[girish]

Thanks for the info.

I asked you about <A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=faq&notfound=1&code=1" target="_new">this thread</A>, setting up a problem solving team on the THG and putting all the Q&A as a searcheable database online.

girish

<font color=red>No system is fool-proof. Fools are Ingenious!</font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

Yes, it sounds good! Do it!

Back to you Tom...

 

[girish]

continue with the thread, are you willing to join in?

girish

<font color=red>No system is fool-proof. Fools are Ingenious!</font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

When the kids get done hammering out the rough details maybe I'll take another look. Let me know.

Back to you Tom...