BleepingComputer.com: RAM Problem

I have an old computer which is :
- Intel P-II 400Mhz
- Giga-Byte 686 BX (i440BX-W977)
This type of mother board can load up to 1 GB rams spllited between 4 slots (256 MB for each).
The problem is that I purhased 256 MB SD-RAM which was very expensive because it is absulet (any how) but the computer read as 128 MB only.
I installed additional 128 & 64 but the total is 327 MB, it reads as (128, 128, 64).
is there any way to make it read as 256 not 128, thanks

Do not know how you have the modules loaded now.

Try the 64 in slot one (closest to the processor), the 128 in #2 and the 256 in #3.

are you sure that the 256mb ram stick is not high density? most mother boards only work with low density ram sticks and high density sticks will show up as half or as nothing

It would help to know the make and model of the computer, or the manufacturer of the motherboard, it would also help to know what the make and model of the modules. Being SD-RAM it looks like this is a lap top. Because the speed of the processor I'm also guessing that this is PC-100 and may downclock PC-133 to work with it. Computers of this age can be picky about what RAM will work of them, some want to see high density, and others wish to see low density.

This post has been edited by dc3: 14 August 2009 - 02:01 PM

Thanks for your help, I did the same arrangement from 64 MB (near processor) then 128 MB then 256 MB but it did not work.
I found a site on the net which can read the computer configuration and the motherboard specs, it read it as (64, 128, 128, empty), this was correct as the forth slot is empty but the third one is 256 not 128.
I have a doubt about the speed as the old rams (64 & 128) were PC100 while the 256 is PC133, may be this is the reason of reading the 256 as 128.
No thing i can do, thanks again

Shameless paste:

"256MB modules might work, depending on the internal organization of these modules. You need modules with 16 ram chips, each chip organized as 16Mx8. The modules with 16 ram chips organized as 32Mx4 will NOT work, nor will the modules with 8 chips."

As was mentioned twice above, you need to verify whether or not you got a stick of high density RAM. high density RAM is no go with the BX chipset. (Still the most reliable dead solid chipset ever released).

It also could be a fib that it will accept more RAM. I have had a few laptops that wouldn't upgrade RAM at all. Says it will support 2 GB of RAM, I open the back, take out both 512 MB sticks, put in 2x 1 GB sticks. Close up, boot up, beeps at me until I shut it off. I even tried a few different brands of memory before I gave up.