Maybe the dumbest RAM question in history!

[Guest]

OK a computer counts the ram every time it boots up right? So in theory would a computer with a lot more ram take longer to boot up? If so, about how much longer would a computer with 512 megs take to boot up than a computer with 256 megs?

 

[FatBurger]

About 2 seconds, unless you hit Esc.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

 

[mark_h]

must be a speed thing cos my latest rig counts my 512megs in around 1/2 second & my old 200 pentium used to take around 2-3 secs to count 32megs ??????

 

[buckman666]

in fact, unless you deactivate the quickboot test, it didnt really TEST the memory, just see how many you have. for a complete test, its made 3 times, from byte to byte. took about 7-8 minutes in my dual p3, 768 meg ram CL2

 

[CALV]

yes, it takes ages if you dont have quick post turned on, in fact some boards INSIST on counting it once (not just displaying how much) VERY annoying.

Next time you wave - use all your fingers

 

[girish]

The BIOS tests memory in blocks of 2K. Quick boot only detects memory, apart from testing it once. Disabling quick boot makes BIOS test each and every byte, of course in 2K blocks with a variety of tests like walking 1s and 0s, testing 1 state as well as 0 state etc that would catch the errors in even a single bit of any byte. this test is obviously too slow.

as the amount of memory increases it takes longer to do all these tests. might take a few minutes for old machines while fewer miutes for the latest multi GHz machines.

Its interesting since the memory bus has only increased by four fold in speed and only twice in width since the 486 although the processor speeds have touched a couple of GHz!

girish

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

 

[lhgpoobaa]

Faster processor usually means faster memory count.

i have 512mb of PC150 with an athlon 1350 and it takes a second to count it... no more.
running at 133Mhz instead of 150 makes the count noticable slower.

i remember my pentium 166 and p2-300, with 64mb and 256mb of ran respectfully...
they took some time to count the ram.

course there are bios settings to speed up the process by skipping certain steps.

hey... anyone remeber the 086 when it make tick sounds via the pc speaker for each 16k segment it counted? tick tick tick tick hehehe now that was slow!

Is that a Northwoody in your pocket or are you just eXPited to see me?

 

[girish]

I still have one in my lab, I am making a museum out of it. Its not a 8088, its a NEC V30 at 4.77 MHz with 640kb of RAM!

I also have a 286/4 MB and a 386/8 MB - both have slightly faster RAM count, faster ticks as if a paper is stuck in you bike's wheel!

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

 

[lhgpoobaa]

wow... an 088 not the 086...
and 640k ram not the usual 512!

im impressed.. the upmarket model you got there...must be worth a mint

Is that a Northwoody in your pocket or are you just eXPited to see me?

 

[girish]

yes, I was a bit serious about the RAM, you see more the better. I saw it coming!

BTW the 8088 was a Celeron to the 8086! basically it was designed to be used in existing 8 bit designs using the 8085. it was a crippled 8086, with a 4 byte instruction stream as opposed to a longer 6 byte one of the 8086. Cutting L2 is todays's story, it started with cutting the L1 itself!!!

it also had a 8 bit data bus, and one signal differed to be compatible with the 8085.

so I was right about memory but had a lower budget so I settled for a 8088. not even that, a clone V30! copy cats existed even then!

history repeats itself, how very true!

girish

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

 

[lhgpoobaa]

oh yum
such power

makes our athlons pale into insignificance!

Is that a Northwoody in your pocket or are you just eXPited to see me?

 

[girish]

I hated history, but this PC history is much more interesting.

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

 

[lhgpoobaa]

i remeber my first computer...
bbc micro b+
16k ram (32k total, upper 16k for os)
1 x 5.25" floppy 180k capacity
onboard sound (very good for its time)

and u know i found an emulator... so ive got many of the same programs running today
very cool

first PC
ibm ps2
640k
20mb hdd
720k flopy
MCGA graphics (320x200x256 yeah baby!)

second PC
386sx-25
80mb
1mb ram
256k graphics tslabs
5.25"
3.5"

first PC purchaced with own cash ($4000 australia)
pentium-166 (who says im a amd zealot lol)
32mb ram
2.1gb seagate LBA drive
4mb diamond stealth 2d card (3d... whats that?)
1.44"
soundblaster 16!

ahhh those were the days

Is that a Northwoody in your pocket or are you just eXPited to see me?

 

[girish]

Well, I got mine a bit too late, just more than a couple of years ago - it was much better than my the system I had dreamt of for years - a K6-II 350 MHz, 32 MB RAM, 4.3 GB Hard disk etc.

I get most of the systems for my museum against upgrades in buyback. The one V30 I was telling about was procured from a old man for 1000 rupees - approx $20! I am looking at another XT with 5MB Hard disk for about the same.

And I recently built my latest system - a Athlon 1.1 GHz working at 1.3 with 256 MB, 40 GB etc. And getting a Asus TUSL-2 soon as soon I get some cash!

girish

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