Thinkpads Forum

I ordered a Low-Density 256Mb SDRAM SO-DIMM from an eBay seller in Taiwan. From now on I'm sticking with American sellers so I don't have to travel so far to kill them.

It came this morning. It has 8 little square chips on each side. They are labeled:

KINGMAX
KSV684T4A2A
-06

The sticker on it says:

P/N Z H/C S/N 38L0804 ZFPRHJ 43R0U6 FLP 200606
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
256MB PC100 CL-2 (32X64)
(4L)Origin:TW OPT:10K0030 FRU:10K0031

(The second line above is a bar code. I will not attempt to type a bar code accurately.)

Is there a good reason it won't work in my 600E or 770Z? They are both all original, (PII 366Mhz, 66Mhz buss) but the 770Z does have the latest BIOS.

There are a few exceptions, but generally 256MB, PC-100 modules should have 8 chips per side and 16 chips total to indicate that the are low density. My guess is that you got a high density chip.

Just a FYI, the I googled that FRU... comes up as an IBM 256MB DDR module. If that's the case then you have every right to be upset.

> There are a few exceptions, but generally 256MB, PC-100 modules should have 8 chips
> per side and 16 chips total to indicate that the are low density. My guess is that you got
> a high density chip.

Since it has 8 chips on each side, what is that guess based on?

>Just a FYI, the I googled that FRU... comes up as an IBM 256MB DDR module. If that's the
> case then you have every right to be upset.

No, it fits in the SDRAM slot. That's how I know it doesn't work - I tried it in both computers.

Bookworm wrote:Since it has 8 chips on each side, what is that guess based on?

Based on the fact that I misread that line in your original post.

Bookworm wrote:No, it fits in the SDRAM slot. That's how I know it doesn't work - I tried it in both computers.

It just seems odd that it would be labeled with a DDR FRU.

I looked up the FRU and part # and what came up has 8 chips and the slot in a different place. This definitely has the wrong label.

I also looked up the chip number, and they are 256Mb, capable of CL2 or CL3, PC-100, -133, or -150.

As far as I can tell, this is what I ordered and it should work, so why wasn't it detected in either the 600E or the 770Z?

I just sent the money for my 240 and I will be quite grouchy and irritating (and you will all have to put up with me ) if I can't upgrade the RAM as soon as it gets here.

Have had very good luck getting both RAM and batteries from this outfit - link will take you to the page for the IBM 240.

http://www.kahlon.com/rm13350_IBM_Think ... 9-41U.html

Prices are reasonable and they ship very quickly.

The 256MB PC100 sticks that work fine in my 600X, won't work in my 770 or my 600E. I'm not sure why, but don't you have to remove or disable the on-board PC66 RAM to make a 256MB module work? It's been a while since I've dealt with this, so my memory is a bit fuzzy.

> The 256MB PC100 sticks that work fine in my 600X, won't work in my 770 or my 600E. I'm
> not sure why, but don't you have to remove or disable the on-board PC66 RAM to make a
> 256MB module work?

***Expletives omitted so the moderator won't have to delete them***

That makes it pretty much pointless in the 240. The whole idea was to get it up to 320Mb.
Oh well, I'll try again. Thanks for the link slvrldy17.

Well... maybe I just don't know what I'm taking about. Look at the Unofficial Maximum Memory Specs over at Thinkwiki. It indicates "any PC100 256MB memory in 16-chip configuration" will work for a maximum of 320MB in a 240. So, maybe further experimentation is in order.

I looked, and it says the 600E may require a BIOS upgrade. That explains why it doesn't work there, but not the 770Z. I'll try it again in the 600E after a bios upgrade. It needs one anyway.

Bookworm wrote:>
That makes it pretty much pointless in the 240. The whole idea was to get it up to 320Mb.

Check out the following threads regarding the 240/240X models. It appears the 240 will handle 320MB without any modification whereas the 240X requires a BIOS edit or physical removal of the onboard ram just to get 256MB recognized.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=73403
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=74473

As for the 770Z, did you try the memory in both accessible slots? I *think* that the 256MB module will only work in one of them when there is already memory onboard (in the slot that you can't access without pulling the motherboard).

It's working in the 240. There must be some more specific requirements for the 600's and 770's than "16 chip". Obviously not all 16 chip low density PC100 256Mb SODIMMs work. How do I tell?