need help identifying pc100 sdram module

[afzan]

Ok, I have this wierd sdram module, and I can't figure out what it is.. I know it's a PC100 256MB module, but I don't know how to figure out if it's also ECC and/or Registered

It has 32 chips on it, (16 per side), and the chip markings are as follows:

NEC Singapore
D4564441G5
-A10-9JF

does ECC require extra chips? ie: would be 36 chips for a similar module in ECC?

Is this a registered module? how can you tell?

here's a couple of pics of the modules: pic1 pic2

 

[SKORPI0]

168-Pin Registered DIMM x72 ECC PC100 SDRAM

Capacity - 128
Configuration - 16Mx72
DRAM Device - NEC 16Mx4
CAS Latency - 3.00

 

[bozo1]

I think those chips can be used in a variety of configurations both registered and unregistered depending on the module.

 

[Sheriff]

SKORPI0 hit it with that link and Yes the ECC Registered sticks have an extra small chip on them (left center of your gif)

 

[afzan]

Originally posted by: SKORPI0
168-Pin Registered DIMM x72 ECC PC100 SDRAM

Capacity - 128
Configuration - 16Mx72
DRAM Device - NEC 16Mx4
CAS Latency - 3.00

yes, I did a google search too.. the module I have is different, it's 256MB, not 128MB.. what I want to know is how to find out if it's ECC and/or Registered..

In some motherboards it doesn't work at all, in others it only works as 128MB (probably because there are 32 chips vs. the usual 8 or 16), and in others it works fine as 256MB

 

[afzan]

Originally posted by: Sheriff
Yes the ECC Registered sticks have an extra small chip on them (left center of your gif)

that's what I wanted to know.. thanks..

 

[redbeard1]

This link has a download for dimm_id.exe. This is a dos utility that reads the data off of most sdram. I've used it to get the info you are looking for.

Dimm ID

 

[afzan]

hrm.. according to supermicro a ecc registered module should have 9 memory chips (or 18, or 36)+ 2-3 buffer chips (not 1)

 

[redbeard1]

The little chip on the side of the stick, is the spd module. This module tells the motherboard what type of ram is it, like ecc, pc66 or pc100. That utility should tell you what it is.

I hadn't looked at the picture before. I have some ram like that, though mine are 64 meg. That is just a different style of ram, not neccesarily ecc. Usually ecc would have 9 chips per row, for a total of 36, like you suggested.

 

[afzan]

alright, I'll have to try that, I was feeling too lazy to put the ram into a system to test it like that

 

[afzan]

ok, I tried out the ram on an Asus P3B-F, the bios detects the SPD (it's cas 2!), and says it's non-ecc..

but dimm_id.exe reports that no dimms are installed..

The reason I want to find out more about this module is because it's a real hit or miss when installing it in other motherboards.. some won't boot with it, others will only see it as a 128MB module..

Is this simply because it has 32 chips? or for some other reason?

 

[redbeard1]

Whether or not a particular board sees it as it's full size would be, in part, based on the number of chips on the stick of ram. Some boards are limited in seeing a certain amount of chips and memory addresses per slot, or in total for the board. Some old boards had an accumulated limit of how many double or single sided sticks you could use in total, and with the extra chips yours has, it could easily be a problem on some systems.

Did the asus see it as the full 256?

 

[afzan]

yup.. the p3b-f sees it as 256MB, so does a TUV4X.. in the manual for the TUV4x it specifically says modules with more than 18 chips are not supported, but it works fine anyways..

off the top of my head, I don't think the ram worked in an intel oem 810 board, and only shows up as 128mb in a p2b-f.. I would have to double check though, it's been awhile since I last tried this ram..