Thinkpad A20M low/high density RAM

[attfiecz]

Hi there,

i was hoping someone here could help me with an issue i have.
I have perfectly healthy Thinkpad A20M with 256 meg of RAM in it (2 x 128)
It is basically for the kids to muck about on so my nice Asus gets left alone.
It is running Windows XP and crashes from time to time when they are browsing the net.
I know that XP really needs 512 meg so i bought 2 X 256 meg stick of RAM from a decenct supplier on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... TQ:US:1123

I did as much research as possible but when they arrived and i inserted them, the machine fires up but the screen stays blank.
I emailed the company who have been great and offered a refund with the following explanation (excuse spelling...)

"The memory purchased is NOT compatible with what you have and need. Now with the model number for IBM ThinkPad A20m
This module has incompatibilities issues with SOME OLDER SDRAM family BOARDS where Bios cannot be updated OR are flushed to work with High Density DIMM Speed, FSB, MHz and Type of SDRAM is what you need BUT Type of Density you purchased is not right.
"High Density modules are usually half the price of regular memory. When they work, it’s great."

So my question is this, before i send the memory back, is there any way i can update the bios or make any changes that will make this type of RAM work?
Ordering the correct RAM isn't an option, it will end up costing me an extra $50 all up and this was supposed to be a quick, cheap fix.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions, but i suspect the solution is stick with the 256meg i already have and share the Asus a bit more!

[rkawakami]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

The A20m system requires the use of what is normally called "low density" RAM. You cannot change the system in any way to use "high density" RAM, which is what the eBay seller said he was selling. For future reference, a 256MB "low density" module will have a total of 16 individual memory chips mounted on the module. If there's only 8, then it's "high density". Similarly, a 128MB "low density" module has 8 devices, while a "high density" has only 4.

Also, if you hunt around eBay, low density 256MB PC100 or PC133 modules can be had for around $15USD. Not sure if there's many Oz sellers, but look for MT16LSDF3264*, M464S3323*, 33L3069 and 33L3070 part numbers.

[Thinkpad Lover]

Hi, as Ray mentions above there is no way any BIOS update will allow an A20m to accept 256mb high density PC100 modules. As a general rule, only laptops running (greater than) > 1GHZ speed can accept high density modules. The high density module in that Ebay listing has 4 chips on each side for a total of 8 chips. A low density 256mb PC100 module (which is what you need for an A20m, which runs at 500mhz-700mhz speeds) will have 8 chips on each side for a total of 16 chips.

The A20m is a nice little machine for kids to kick around. Sturdy and built like a tank. I once gave one as a gift to a relative's son and as you said, it will save your Asus some abuse. By the way, if the machine keeps crashing, extra memory will help but I would also run a good virus scan and registry tune up utility.

Daniel.