system reads 64mb SIMM ram as only 32mb

[ejackyl]

I installed 2 new sticks (32mb each) of standard 72 pin EDO in an old system, and they registered a total of only 32mb. I experimented with several other machines and got the same result, but ultimately found one system that would recognize the expected 64mb. The kind people at CompUSA ran a diagnostic check on each stick, but the results were unrevealing, and they could not explain the recognition issue. But I'm betting that one of you smart people can. Thanks in advance for any help.

[bassman]

hello ejackyl and welcome,
What kind of system was the machine that read the 64? Some older ones had builtin RAM. I have an old Compaq that has 4Mgb onboard and will run with nothing in the SIMM slots.
32 Mgb onboard would be quite alot though.
Also (and I may be wrong here) it could be a system limitation. Can't say as I have heard of a 32Mgb limit before, but one just never knows http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif
I am sure that some of the others with experience on older machines will be along soon.

------------------
Please let us know if what we suggest helps. This helps us help you better.

[John Matheson]

I had the same problem with the P1 166mz Express machines at work where I installed 4 new 32meg simm ram strips and the computer would only read 32megs. The computer shop that sold me the 32meg EDO strips said that there were two types of simm ram strips; one that required bios setting changes to get the computer to read higher than 32meg and the other type that were self initiating. Anyway, they exchanged my 4 32meg simm ram strips for these auto detecting types and they read fine as soon as I plugged them and without any bios changes..

[psabi]

It is possible that the machine can be limited into recognizing less RAM than you have installed. It was a few years ago when 32MB was "more than you will ever need".

Just some instances that may shed some light: some of the older machines I have have 4 72 pin slots but will not recognize a stick larger than 16MB (maxing the system at 64MB total). Someone posed the question of onboard video; are the 2 32 sticks the only slots filled or is there other memory installed as well?

One of my old systems has a manual that goes even so far to say which slots should use what combo of sticks, literally specifing that 32mb sticks could be used alone in slots 1 and 2 but if mixed with other memory, the 32mb sticks must be moved to slots 3 and 4. It had 2 pages dedicated to what memory combinations would work...