Gateway question: CL-2 vs. CL-3

[uberT]

I've got an old Gateway SOLO 9300. It's probably 15 yrs old and runs WIN98SE. I bought some additional memory for it about 6 months ago. I was using the machine this past week (my T30 died) and realized one of the memory sticks is now dead and I'm back to 128MB of RAM. I "think" the OE stick has died and the replacement I purchased is still functional. I need to verify this.


OK, I purchased some additional RAM this past week (CL2, 128MB, PC133, SODIMM, SDRAM, etc.) and it arrived yesterday. I was surprised to open the package and find 10 sticks, but it was CL-3, not CL-2. I haven't broken the seal on the package. Should I remove both sticks currently installed in the machine and replaced with two of these CL-3 sticks? Is the machine likely to run or is it going to be a long-term problem?

Thanks.

[rkawakami]

Based upon what I can find at gateway.com:

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/Sol ... 0017.shtml
http://www.support.gateway.com/s/manlib ... 505982.htm

your Solo 9300 uses the same core logic chipset as the 600X, an Intel 440BX and is running with a 100Mhz front side bus (early models may be using 66Mhz; the specs are not entirely clear). I would assume then that the same memory limitations are in effect; you need to be using "low density" modules. For a 128MB stick, that means there should be a total of 8 memory components mounted on the module. If there's only four, then that's "high density" and they will probably not work in your system.

As far as the CL is concerned, download CPU-Z, run it and see if it reports on the memory subsystem. You can find it at:

http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Click the Memory tab and look at the CAS Latency line. I've run low density PC133 CL3 in a 600E (same 440BX chipset) before so I think that the 440BX can handle it.

If you decide to install your new modules in the system, run a memory diagnostic for about two hours (two passes) to something like memtest86+:

http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

[uberT]

Ray, you're the best! Thanks for the detailed reply and I've still got Memtest86. I'll try this tonight.

Thanks again

[uberT]

This isn't going to fly at all. When I started to look closer, I realized the memory I received isn't SODIMM. Instead, there are 8 chips mounted on just one side of the memory stick making it long and narrow.

[rkawakami]

Ah, regular desktop DIMM then? 168 pins, about 5.25" wide (long)? If so, you can simply cut the board in half to get to the 2.5" dimension of an SODIMM and.... just kidding

[uberT]

LOL, yeah, I was thinking about that and using my tin snips.


We'll see what the seller's response is. I'll have to get something else ordered.

I ran MEMTEST86 last night on the Gateway. It's very odd but I let it do three passes and it found nothing. I turned the machine off and re-started and ran the test again. It immediately started to find errors and I shut if off once it logged 500k errors. It's almost like one of the memory slots is having a problem a la T30 memory slot woes.

[RealBlackStuff]

Cleaning the gold contacts on the SODIMM with a pencil eraser has been known to improve things.

[uberT]

RBS, thanks. I'll give it a try this evening and see if that helps. This is an old machine that sits in the closet and sees infrequent use.

[uberT]

I tried the pencil eraser trick last night and that didn't help. It appears the 128MB strip (MICRON) is rather dead. I guess I'm down to 64MB. I found the old memory and re-installed and got back up to 128MB.


I was exploring in the boot menu and found a setting called SDRAM TIMING. There were three choices: AUTO, CL2 and CL3. So , it appears it can run both types.