Memory help and advice  - Questions and Answers Back to index

 
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  • Help
    1. If you are a novice and  you have just upgraded the memory, do not install any other programs or hardware at the same time. If you do that it will complicate the issue of recognising the cause of any problems you may experience. Same about   upgrading memory when you are experiencing instability, unless you think the instability is due to lack of memory.
    2.  If the system is not stable after a memory upgrade, go into BIOS setup by pressing <Del> key at the start up and load the default settings for the Chipset setup page,  CPU setup page or any other memory speed related pages.
  • Technical terms
    * SDRAM Cycle length or CAS      This settings defines CAS timing parameter of the SDRAM in terms of number of clocks.
    2 Provides better performance
    3 Provides better compatibility and stability
    * SDRAM Bank Interleave: The item allows you to set how many banks of SDRAM support in your mainboard.
    * DRAM Page-Mode: The item will active or inactive chipset page registers.
    * Memory Hole: You can reserve this memory area for the use of ISA adapter ROMs. The default is Disabled on most motherboards. If you are using any ISA cards with built in BIOS or ROMs set this enable.
    * Read Around write: DRAM optimization feature: If a memory read is addressed to a location whose latest write is being held in a buffer contents, and the read is not sent to the DRAM. The Choice: Enabled, Disabled
    * DRAM clock: This feature is available in most of the Via chipset based motherboards, to set the memory clock.  The choices may be
    1. Host clock - Means running at the speed of the CPU host clock
    2. Host clock-33MHz  Means for example if the CPU clock is 133Mhz then the memory clock is 100Mhz.  This setting will allow you to use old PC100 memory with faster bus speed processors.
    3. Host clock +33Mhz. Means if you are using a 100Mhz processor, then you can run the memory at 133Mhz.
    If you have an option called "Autodetect DRAM clock" May be the better solution is to leave that enabled. This will cause the bios to download the memory speed and settings from EPROM chips located on the memory chips itself and set the speeds accordingly.

  • Rambus memory ?  Technical information www.rambus.com

  • DDR  DRAM, DDR RAM  Technical information from http://www.lostcircuits.com/memory/eddr/

  • SIMM - 72 pin memory installation guide from Memoryman.com

  • DIMM 168 pin memory installation guide from Memoryman.com

  • FAQ's Dimm and Simm Computer Memory rom Memoryman.com

  • FAQ of memory from http://www.lostcircuits.com/memory/ A better resource with up to date info on DDR and RAMBUS
  • Recommended setting for NOVA PC133 memory on Gigabyte GA7-ZM and similar motherboards
    - Top performance - Dis
    - DRAM frequency- 133Mhz
    - SDRAM CAS latency - 3

    - AGP mode: 2x or 4x - Depending on video card (Try 2X for better stability and compatibility, You would hardly see any difference in performance)
    - AGP comp. Driving : - Auto
    - Clkgen Spread Spectrum:- Enabled
    - DRAM drive strength : - Auto