have a problem with upgrading the RAM in my computer.

I have a celeron 366(66MHz) running on the ABit BX6-V2 motherboard, which has 4 RAM slot and each supposed to support up to 256 MB SDRAM. i tried to put the Kingston value 256 MB SDRAM and the K-Byte 256MB SDRAM ( both are PC133 RAM ) but when system boots it only shows a memory count of 128 MB, and it happens to both 2 brands of RAM. I am puzzled with what is happening and not sure if there is something wrong with my motherboard, or somekind of setup.

i have tried all 4 RAM slots and it still shows 128 MB memory count. the system boots up ok and can load windows XP. when i right click MY COMPUTER, and it also shows only 128 MB of RAM.

if anyone has any suggestions, please help.

thanks

your board only supports pc100 ram. you can try underclocking the ram if this board will let you.

i take that back it supports pc133, but only certain makes and models.kingston memory will only work if it's pc100 and i did'nt check on the other. Crucial has some pc133 that will work with this board. go to abit.com and look at supported memory in the left column

before i tried to install the 256MB PC133 ram, i had 4 rams in my motherboard, 3 of them are 64MB PC100 and the fourth one is 32MB, so a total of 224MB and XP running perfect on my machine. My plan was to take out the 32MB and install the 256MB pc133 with the rest of the three 64MB chip remains. but the motherboard somehow only recognize the 256MB as 128MB, so i took out all the rams and just to put in the 256MB but it makes no different. Initially i thought the Kingston ram was defective so i replaced it with the K-byte, but the same problem still coming out.

i tried the K-byte 128MB pc133 ram with the BX6-V2 board and it works fine. the memory count at POST shows 128 MB. the problem only happens to 256MB PC133 ram.

did you read what i posted earlier?

Had the same prob on an Aopen AX6BC-EZ a short while ago. Assumed that because the ram was dirt cheap and from a dodgy supplier I had been short-changed. Thank you Ben for pointing out the obvious which didn't occur to me. Will try a bios update if there is one.

Been thinking,Ben.....
Dosn't pc 133 just mean that it is just tested/certified to run at the higher clock speed? Are there more issues to it than I thought? I've always bought pc 133 as opposed to 100 even if the box runs it at 100 as a future upgradeability option. I did once run a stick of pc100 at Cas 3 at 133 meg, so surely.......

so far i still don't understand why both kingston valueram and K-byte pc133 256MB shows only 128 MB on abit bx6-v2, and it also happens to an asus socket 370 board. the bios in my bx6-v2 is the latest version, the QR verison.

well to answer your question dave, i'm not positve that using pc133 on a pc100 board would cause these problems but if it did'nt why the hell would'nt kingston be trying to push the higher end ram making them more money?just a hunch i'm no ram engineer or anything but i think the ram on this board has to be PC100 except for a few exceptions.




-If I am wrong it would not be the first time

I'll find out how to i.d. ram visually and get back on this one.

well here's the skinny there are two types of memory that are pc133 rated one is called single sided the other is double sided both can be 256Mb but what it sound like u have is a double sided in a single sided board therefore it only see's one half of the memory installed so verify what the board supports and what kind of memory u bought if it is double sided it will work in most of the newer boards that are p3-fc-ppga.
hope this helps!!!

The solution to this problem (which I have encoutered also) is definitely not in the memory being single or double sided since the BX6-V2 supports both. Since most postings are rather old I wonder if anybody has found some more information to in the mean time...This problem is not uncommon among older mobo's as I understand and I would really like to know what I am up against before I turn to the (rather) expensive Crucial.com SDRAM for upgrades. Would it be that the answer lies in - as Ben suggests above - the board does not supporting all types of PC133 SDRAM, I wonder if anyone has ever asked ABIT on this...

I used to have a BX6 R2 motherboard with the QR bios and it ran very well on a Crucial 256M SDRAM - I couldn't, however, run more than 1 oadditional no name dimm without niggles - I actually ran the Crucial on it's own as it was rated as two cas latency and the machine ran faster with just that one piece of RAM in it.

Crucial is a recommend.

After looking at your processor spec I would suggest that you don't waste to much money on RAM.

Start saving those pennies.
In addition the Abit BX6 R2 has a history of the capacitors going bad - check out http://www.motherboardrepair.com/index.php?sec=faq

Thanx! I'm checking it out...
In the mean time my search led me to alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit where lots of people seem to complain about problems with 256MB dimms in the BX6-2. I hope to find specific information or answers there..

btw: I am running a PIII-450 on the BX6-2 on my 4-year old (second) PC, which I plan to start using as a server. Looking for memory upgrades, I just bought a few cheap 256 MB SDRAMs without looking at specifications first..probably should have! Might consider changing the mobo now..

im having the same problem on my MSI 6562 pro2-c motherboard. I have a 256 single sided that works fine but i bought a 512 double-sided and it only reads 256. They're both PC133