Re: Motherboard and Memory Questions on recovered DAFir
@Albert: The Digital Audio has this quirk that it has 3 physical RAM slots but 4 logical ones. @Mark: The DA does need 133MHz. What you can do from here is swapping the modules in slot 2 and 3 and see how they are reported then. If slot 2 is reported empty after the swap, you know the module has got damaged somewhere in the process. If slot 3 is reported empty still, something could be wrong with the slot. That would be bad news. In that case, you would need a good motherboard. But I think I’ve read in other threads that RAM is an unfathomable thing sometimes, so it’s worth trying all 6 permutations of your 3 RAM modules. That is, once you are sure that all 3 are good. Albert’s suggestion is a good way to find that out. The main thing is to be absolutely systematic. It’s good to write down what you are doing so you can trace everything back. It’s also good to (temporarily) mark the modules so you can clearly identify them. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Motherboard and Memory Questions on recovered DAFir
The Digital Audio has this quirk that it has 3 physical RAM slots but 4 logical ones. System buses have a finite load capacity. The trade-off was the sum of slots on the associated LSI chip is seven. Earlier models had three PCI slots and four RAM slots, for a total of seven. DA and QS models have four PCI slots and three RAM slots, also for a total of seven. The eighth load on the bus? It is used by the processor in all cases. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Motherboard and Memory Questions on recovered DAFir
I've tried swapping the sticks and the empty slots change depending on where I move them. Thanks. Mark Murphy On Mar 15, 2011, at 8:01 AM, Geke wrote: @Albert: The Digital Audio has this quirk that it has 3 physical RAM slots but 4 logical ones. @Mark: The DA does need 133MHz. What you can do from here is swapping the modules in slot 2 and 3 and see how they are reported then. If slot 2 is reported empty after the swap, you know the module has got damaged somewhere in the process. If slot 3 is reported empty still, something could be wrong with the slot. That would be bad news. In that case, you would need a good motherboard. But I think I’ve read in other threads that RAM is an unfathomable thing sometimes, so it’s worth trying all 6 permutations of your 3 RAM modules. That is, once you are sure that all 3 are good. Albert’s suggestion is a good way to find that out. The main thing is to be absolutely systematic. It’s good to write down what you are doing so you can trace everything back. It’s also good to (temporarily) mark the modules so you can clearly identify them. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/ group/g3-5-list -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Motherboard and Memory Questions on recovered DAFir
On Mar 15, 2011, at 12:35 PM, Mark Murphy wrote: I've tried swapping the sticks and the empty slots change depending on where I move them. Thanks. Mark Murphy On Mar 15, 2011, at 8:01 AM, Geke wrote: @Albert: The Digital Audio has this quirk that it has 3 physical RAM slots but 4 logical ones. MY DA also has the mystery 4th Slot ... Sounds like you have located a bad stick of RAM ... the one that shows up as an empty slot, even though it contains the stick ... -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Motherboard and Memory Questions on recovered DAFir
Mark, First thing I notice with this information is that the memory cannot possibly be all original. Just looking at the report on the RAM that is in the 2 populated slots you have 2 totally different speeds and latency types of memory. Granted I come from a PC World mostly and just dabble in Macs, but in a PC this would cause problems including it not being able to recognize the memory (Anyone know if this is true for Macs?). The other thing is you have 4 slots and if all are filled with 512MB you should be seeing 2 GB of total RAM. Since the computer is recognizing just 2 slots I would do the following. Remove all memory and then test 1 stick in all 4 slots and see if it is recognized in all 4 slots. Move onto the next stick and do the same. You can also record what the computer detects each individual stick as so you can have that for your records. I suspect you have 4 different types of RAM and that's confusing the computer. Thank You, Albert From: smac0031 m.smurph...@gmail.com To: G-Group g3-5-list@googlegroups.com Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 9:39 AM Subject: Motherboard and Memory Questions on recovered DA I was able to get my DA G4 operational again by replacing the power supply. I have noticed something odd. The machine has all its memory slots filled with 512 sticks. I am 99% sure they are the original sticks from the machine from before the power outage. I tested them in another machine and they all tested out OK. Now with these sticks back in the DA About This Mac is showing only one GB of memory when there are 1.5 GB installed and before the power outage it showed 1.5 GB. About this Mac shows each slot as: DIMM0/J21: Size: Empty Type: Empty Speed: Empty Status: Empty DIMM1/J22: Size: 512 MB Type: SDRAM Speed: PC100-322S Status: OK DIMM2/J23: Size: 512 MB Type: SDRAM Speed: PC133-333 Status: OK DIMM3/J24: Size: Empty Type: Empty Speed: Empty Status: Empty The machine only has three slots and they are all filled. Part of the problem is I never checked this far into this before this problem so I can't say for certain what has changed other than the machine always showed 1.5GB. I thought the 133Mhz machine couldn't use, if I am reading this correctly, PC-100 ram. Something similar to this happened on the Dual Processor G4 I used for a couple of days before it died. It had 2GB of ram. When I checked it it showed only 1.5 GB. As I used it I would occasionally come across a Memory Failure statement or it would say memory failed. It wasn't a system error. I can't say what I was doing when I came across this statement. Anyway, a day or two later the Dual Processor G4 quit working. The power light would come on but It wouldn't boot. This machine had a broken USB port that some idiot broke at work. I am thinking maybe this is what killed the Dual Processor. I can't say for sure, but I am guessing that the motherboard in the Dual Processor is dead. I tried all this ram in a third machine and It liked all of it. It handled the 2GB from the Dual Processor and the 1.5GB from the DA. I thought I was very careful to keep these sticks straight and together, but it is possible I could have mixed them. I don't think so. What could be going on here? I am I looking at a possible motherboard failure in the DA? It doesn't look like it would be very hard to change. I thought about getting another motherboard for the Dual Processor, but even the used ones a expensive. Mark Murphy -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Motherboard and Memory Questions on recovered DAFir
I looked into the other machine and I found two sticks of Crucial 133 ram. So I did screw that up. But, it didn't make much difference. I looked at the ram in the DA and pulled out the two sticks that weren't marked 133 and put in the two sticks I found. The only change is that in slots J21 and J22 now have 133 ram and J23 shows empty. I think this is an improvement. Mark Murphy On Mar 14, 2011, at 9:55 AM, Albert Carter wrote: Mark, First thing I notice with this information is that the memory cannot possibly be all original. Just looking at the report on the RAM that is in the 2 populated slots you have 2 totally different speeds and latency types of memory. Granted I come from a PC World mostly and just dabble in Macs, but in a PC this would cause problems including it not being able to recognize the memory (Anyone know if this is true for Macs?). The other thing is you have 4 slots and if all are filled with 512MB you should be seeing 2 GB of total RAM. Since the computer is recognizing just 2 slots I would do the following. Remove all memory and then test 1 stick in all 4 slots and see if it is recognized in all 4 slots. Move onto the next stick and do the same. You can also record what the computer detects each individual stick as so you can have that for your records. I suspect you have 4 different types of RAM and that's confusing the computer. Thank You, Albert -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Motherboard and Memory Questions on recovered DAFir
Mark, Once again as noted in my previous email I would suggest working with one stick of RAM at a time and moving it through all RAM Slots. This will narrow down where the exact problem is. Albert From: Mark Murphy m.smurph...@charter.net To: g3-5-list@googlegroups.com Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 11:30 AM Subject: Re: Motherboard and Memory Questions on recovered DAFir I looked into the other machine and I found two sticks of Crucial 133 ram. So I did screw that up. But, it didn't make much difference. I looked at the ram in the DA and pulled out the two sticks that weren't marked 133 and put in the two sticks I found. The only change is that in slots J21 and J22 now have 133 ram and J23 shows empty. I think this is an improvement. Mark Murphy On Mar 14, 2011, at 9:55 AM, Albert Carter wrote: Mark, First thing I notice with this information is that the memory cannot possibly be all original. Just looking at the report on the RAM that is in the 2 populated slots you have 2 totally different speeds and latency types of memory. Granted I come from a PC World mostly and just dabble in Macs, but in a PC this would cause problems including it not being able to recognize the memory (Anyone know if this is true for Macs?). The other thing is you have 4 slots and if all are filled with 512MB you should be seeing 2 GB of total RAM. Since the computer is recognizing just 2 slots I would do the following. Remove all memory and then test 1 stick in all 4 slots and see if it is recognized in all 4 slots. Move onto the next stick and do the same. You can also record what the computer detects each individual stick as so you can have that for your records. I suspect you have 4 different types of RAM and that's confusing the computer. Thank You, Albert -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
