Thinkpads Forum

Howdy,
I have most of a ThinkPad 570 and I want to run SuSE 9.1 with a Jave development environment on it. I currently have only the built in 64 meg of RAM. I see a lot of PC-100 SO-DIMMs, but I have not seen a PC-66 lately. I know some machines are sensitive about this. Will the 570 run OK with a PC-100 module, or should I wait until I find a PC-66?
Thanks,

Which memory size do you want to upgrade? In fact you'll hardly find any 256MB low-density stick coming as a PC66, I've only seen PC100 so far. But as long as they're suited for the i440BX chipset of the TP570/E (i.e., usually they must be equipped with 16 small memory chips in total, eight per side), they will work. In fact, I had PC100 256MB low-density sticks running in both my 570 and 570E. Btw, IBM says that you can upgrade the 570 to only 192MB, but when you take the 256MB sticks that are advertised to work in the 570E, you can also put them into the 570.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4GKR6R

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... WIK-474GP7

I'd recommend you to max out the memory and look for the original IBM 256 sticks, numbers 33L3069 and/or 33L3070 on ebay, they'll usually go for around 60-70 USD. If you want such memory sticks brand new, you'll have to pay up to 172 USD (when buying from Kingston, I think Crucial sells them for around 110 USD).

monty cantsin wrote:Which memory size do you want to upgrade? .... But as long as they're suited for the i440BX chipset of the TP570/E (i.e., usually they must be equipped with 16 small memory chips in total, eight per side), they will work. ...
I'd recommend you to max out the memory and look for the original IBM 256 sticks, numbers 33L3069 and/or 33L3070 on ebay.

I left the question of memory size open, because I really have not decided. I may buy something as small as 32 meg or I may get a bigger one. I need a minimum of 96 meg to install SuSE, and I'll get the biggest I can afford. I had thought I could not go above 128 meg, so I am glad to hear that there are 256 meg upgrades available. I looked for those parts on eBay and I saw both 8 and 16 chip 256 meg modules. I guess as long as it is the genuine IBM part, that either should work. Mainly, it is good to find out that I can use a PC100 module at all, as long as I get one that is compatible with the BX. Thank you.

Severian wrote:I looked for those parts on eBay and I saw both 8 and 16 chip 256 meg modules. I guess as long as it is the genuine IBM part, that either should work.

No, it can generally be said that the 8 chip 256MB modules will definitely not work. The part numbers 33L3069 and/or 33L3070 I referenced above refer to IBM modules that have 16 chips, not less.

monty cantsin wrote: No, it can generally be said that the 8 chip 256MB modules will definitely not work. The part numbers 33L3069 and/or 33L3070 I referenced above refer to IBM modules that have 16 chips, not less.

Howdy,
See the ebay auction at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 6704440385
I can read the IBM part number of 33L3069 and it is an 8 chip SO-DIMM. Do you think it is a doctored photo?
Good day,

Thats a 16-chip module on Ebay. It's double sided so there are 8-chips on each side.