K8TM-ILSR RAM speed problem

I'm using 2x512 Kingmax PC3200 memory in my MSI K8TM-ILSR mobo. The ram works fine & stable (and is even the EXACT same model listed on the official supported DDR400 list), but I can't get it to run any faster than DDR333/PC2700. I've tried changing the BIOS "DDR Speed" setting from "AUTO" to "Limit: 400MHz." I can get the timings down to 2-3-2-5 stable, but I've also tried many other timing combinations (for example, the slowest). I've also tried tinkering with the voltage. Oh, and I have the latest firmware update.
And ideas? Do you think it's the RAM or the motherboard that is to blame? From my experience, the mobo is extremely picky about the ram - I had 2x512 Kingmax PC3700 ram that wouldn't even allow my PC to POST, even though they worked beautifully on my friend's ASUS mobo.
So, is there any hope for me running my RAM at DDR400 speeds?

Honestly, I have the 6741 K8TM-ILSR running AMD 64 3200 with fsb set to 215. In this box I have two 1 GB sticks in that board of:
Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, Low Latency 184 Pin 1GB DDR PC-3200 PRO - Retail
I also run the 6701 K8T Neo-FIS2R. This is essentially the same chipset just a few more options than the other board. I have two 512 MB sticks in that board of:
OCZ Enhanced Latency Series Platinum Edition 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200 - Retail
The ILSR is on the 1.4 bios and is as solid as a rock even with the fsb set to 215. You say to yourself so what. Well.. The memory of course shows its running at 333 as do various utilities. However, I am running 2 GB's there and any little things going on between those two chips might slow it slightly for safety. I had to push them to about 2.75 volts to get the stability, but it is solid. And, I must say that it runs faster and more reliably than the more expensive "Cadillac" of boards.
The Neo-FIS2R I have spent my life rebooting and changing bios rev, currently at 1.6. I had changed it to 1.8 and determined I could keep that and have a boat anchor or try plan "B". Plan "B" just happend to "B" bios rev 1.92B. As I swore repeadtly at every bios version I spent my time mostly rebooting and trying to find a HAL that would work properly. I happened to read an article where the tested this board and to get compatibility with the widest variety of memory they used bios rev 1.6. I pondered this and flashed back to 1.6. She has been stable, but far from fast. Yes, it has every thing nice including (for the moderator) a 550 W power supply delivering juice (per spec is another story).
What's my point? The bigger faster board shows 400 speed and all kinds of other things that says it should be the fastest. It has never run a cycle over stock speed, quite simply because it crashes every time. It does run, and I suspect a bios rev might make it right someday, but there you go. The board showing 333 is actually one of the best I have ever had, little micro-atx woogums that it is. Oh, I had to juice the ocz ram up to about 2.80 volts to get any stability.
Peace

Similar Messages

MSI K8TM-ILSR RAM reported incorrectly

Hello,
Just bought an MSI-K8TM-ILSR motherboard and GeIL 512MB DDR400 (appears in the compatibility reports as being OK) - but when I boot up (with quick boot option disabled) the BIOS reports 256MB. Linux (MDK10) and WinXP also only report 256MB instead of 512MB. Checked the obvious: looked at the RAM stick to make sure it's 512MB... the manufacturer sticker says it is 512MB.
Checked if there's a BIOS updated related to this - v1.5 said to correct a problem with RAM report after POST... but I already have that version of the BIOS.
More details on my hardward:
* Mainboard Details: MSI K8TM-ILSR (6741) , Version 1, BIOS version 1.5 (A6741VMS V1.5 101404)
Note: my BIOS says its date is 14/10/2004 while the website says 20/10/2004 (but still it's v1.5)
* CPU Details: AMD Sempron 3100+, Clock speed 1.8GHz, FSB 400MHz, Manufacturer code: SDA3100AXBOX
* Memory Details: GeIL 512MB CL2.5 DDR400 Manufacturer Code: GE5123200B, Slot location: DDR1
* Power Supply: ANTEC TruePower 430W
* IDE Devices: Seagate Hard drive and Lite-On CD/RW and DVD
* Other Devices: N/A
Operating System: Linux and WinXP

Just did what MSI tech support instructed me to do, i.e. change the AGP aperture which was intially set at 128MB (same as the memory on my AGP card) down to 64MB and lower but it made no difference. I tried up (even though that logically should make things worse), and no difference observed there either...
Hope someone else finds a solution to this...

K8TM-ILSR usb + ram problem

i was wondring if anyone could help me with a problem
after flashing the bios to 1.5 my usb devices dosent shutdown
and also i cant get my ram speed above 333mhz tried all the opsion i could think about and no luck
Amd 3200+ fsb200 2200mhz
Adata 2X512 pc 3200
IBM S-ata 160GB
ATI 9800XT

After BIOS 1.4 I and many others can´t set the ram speed to more than 333 either...
Worked at 400 before (1.3), but not anymore... Haven´t tried 1.5...

Msi K8TM ILSR do not recognize 2 modules of RAM???

Everything works fine but one thing, mainboard recognize just one module of RAM. It has sockets for two modules and I put 2 modules of Elixir 400 MHz 256 MB. Mainboard always report 256 MB ram instead of 512 MB.
I also tried to install 2x Spectectek 400 MHz 256 MB and it is warking the same. Then I tried to test both memory sockets and they both working. When I'm using just one module, it is working correctly no matter in wich socket I've placed memory module (when using just one module)...
Please help!
p.s. sorry for bad English...

I got black screen after all trying to solve the situation.
I'm sorry I was rude. I will try to share the knowledge I got during this few days without sleep :(
Anyway, I used another mainboard to solve this problem. Later, I will se what is problem with K8TM ILSR. I downloaded bios version 1.6 from MSI site and flash it ( http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/download/dld/spt_dld_detail.php?UID=574&kind=1 ). It was always saying that I have 256 MB of RAM (not 512 as I put 2 modules of 256).
As I said I will try to give my best to post solution of mentioned problem...

K8TM-ILSR CPU temperature "not present"

I've received a replacement K8TM-ILSR after problems with RAM.
That's now fixed, but now in the Health Monitoring part of the BIOS, the CPU temperature reading is weird:
- at boot up the temperature starts in the 80 degrees C (that can't be right!)
- then it starts dropping, and after a minute or two reaches 20 degrees C and is still falling
- when it reaches 16 degrees C the reading disappears and is replaced by "not present"
So as the machine warms up, the CPU temperature actually drops. After a few hours of being switched on, returning to the BIOS still reveals CPU temperature "not present". Only if I reboot from cold do I get a reading, but the reading is always decreasing until it changes to "not present".
BIOS v1.4 was supposed to correct a problem with temperature reading - my motherboard has BIOS v1.5... so that can't be the problem, can it?
I'm wondering whether to send the motherboard back for a replacement while I still can.

Ah, one more thing: the temperature sensor is on the motherboard, and not in the CPU, correct? So if there is a problem it's with the motherboard not the CPU?

Mixing RAM Speeds...No Ben Hur jokes please ;)

Is it ok to mix RAM speeds. Somehow I purchased some RAM awhile back that was PC2-3200U-255 for my Quad. Oops, I never noticed that is wasn't what came with the computer, the 4200-444. Well, I just bought some more RAM at 4200-444, and noticed that I had varying speeds. Will this variation pose any problems?
Thanks!!

Thanks for the link Josef. Very informative. Unfortunately, I am still confused (my permanent state).
So I checked my invoice from my purchase and it looks like I purchased 5300 instead of the 3200 that is showing in "System Profiler". I opened up the computer and indeed it is 5300. So, is mixing the 4200 and 5300 a no no? Is the 5300 in fact being read as 3200? And doesn't the other RAM automatically run at the lowest speed, no matter what speed is highest?
Thanks, sorry that I don't get it. I did searches and am still confused.
Slow learner,
fatlanglois

Fan speed problem Power Mac G5 Dual 1.8 GHz PowerPC - please help

Please HELP, I have a fan speed problem with my Power Mac G5 Dual 1.8 GHz PowerPC
This is a NOT an Intel machine. I am running Mac OS X v10.5.8
Power Mac G5 - PowerMac 7,2 - Power PC 970 (2.2) - 1.8 GHz with 2 CPUs - L2 Cache (per CPU) 512 KB - Memory 8 GB - Bus Speed 900 MHz - Boot ROM version 5.1.5b1
I have included below Links to download a sound file (.m4a) that I recorded of the fan speed problem and both a .pdf and .spx files of my system profile.
download sound file
http://homepage.mac.com/rep3/filechute/myG5dualsFans.m4a
down load .spx file of my system preferences
http://homepage.mac.com/rep3/filechute/systemProfileREP3-G5dual.spx
down load .pdf file of my system preferences
http://homepage.mac.com/rep3/filechute/systemProfileREP3-G5dual.pdf
When did the fan problem start?
After I replaced the mother board on the computer.
Why did I replace the mother board?
Because the experts at apple agreed with my diagnosis that the major crash problems & kernel panics must have some thing to do with a logic board gone bad. They would not work on it, because this Power Mac G5 dual 1.8 GHz machine is now a legacy model.
What I have done to attempt to fix my fan speed problem? yes I checked the obvious things, here is a list:
1) yes I checked to be sure that the new mother board was the same part number as the original one, and that all things that were unplugged from the old mother board - were actually plugged into the new mother board.
2) all the fans work, I can see them spinning if I use a flashlight and look at them (cover on and off to get at some of them)
3) check all RAM to make sure: a) it was installed properly b) that the RAM worked using TechTool Pro c) even started the machine with only the original RAM that came with it.
4) I installed a Temperature monitor - to see if there was something reading as very hot inside that was causing the machine to continually run the fans at a high speed. No, no heat issues that I can see. Here are the reading from the sensors in degrees fahrenheit, 2009-10-11 16:11:01 -0500
CPU A Die Temperature: 75.7℉
CPU B Die Temperature: 81.5℉
Drive Bay: 68.9℉
Main Logic Board Air Inlet: 64.8℉
Main Logic Board Ambient: 73.6℉
Main Logic Board Backside: 76.3℉
Memory Controller Heatsink: 93.2℉
Processor Card A Ambient: 77.5℉
Processor Card B Ambient: 77.0℉
5) zapped the PRAM
6) followed the SMU reset instructions for
Power Mac G5 (Late 2004)
To reset the SMU on a Power Mac G5 (Late 2004) computer, simply do the following:
• Turn off the computer by selecting Shut Down from the Apple menu or by holding the power button until the computer turns off.
• Remove the power cord from the computer.
• Wait two minutes.
• Plug in the power cord.
• Turn on the computer.
7) followed the SMU reset instructions:
Resetting the Cuda/PMU
How to reset the PMU:
• If the computer is on, turn it off.
• Disconnect ALL cables from the computer, including peripherals and power.
• If possible, move the computer to a place where you are not standing on carpet.
• Open the case and ground yourself by touching part of the metal frame inside the computer.
• Find the Cuda or PMU button
• Press the Cuda or PMU button ONCE. Do not press the button more than once before starting the computer up again.
• Wait 10 seconds, then reconnect the cables you removed in step 2 and turn the computer on.
• If the computer still does not respond after resetting the PMU, the computer may require service from an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
8) ran disk utilities, repaired permissions
9) found a setting in the system preferences that a chat room person suggested had something to do with fan speed. In Energy Saver, under options, processor performance was set to highest, I set it to automatic - this did not change anything that I could tell - BTW I checked my other G5 (a single processor that works fine) that is the setting that that it is set to, and it is nice and quiet.
10) restarted the machine, ..
11) found a Fan Control System Update - but it did not install when I tryed to install it -
12) booted from OSX install disk and ran that disk utility
13) used OnyX to fix disk permissions, clear caches and temp items
Nope - still have the same high speed fan problem. ... PLEASE HELP!!
I have been reading in the MacInTouch reader reports - found this: some one said to use this - thermal re-calibration using the Apple Authorized Service Providers' disk - but that's not available, at least I can not find it - anyone? have an answer to finding this - or can do it for me? I am in Chicago.

The Genius at the downtown apple store said that because it's a "legacy machine" they would not work on it, .. so should I push them?
Well, I personally think that's ridiculous, I'd Push them, I'd call AppleCare & talk up the chain if need be... there the ones that have or should have that Disc... man o man... Personally I'll never visit an Apple Store again in my lifetime, maybe try an independent AASP if none of that helps!..
http://tinyurl.com/ykomqkn
Man-o-man, pop my cork before I explode on that one, if I had anything to do with it I'd close that store.

SIS 648 Max RAM speed

How can i set RAM speed? Plz give me step by step exp
I have 512 DDR 400 ram, will it work? I didnt find any 512 ram in tested hardware on this board.
Tom

Hi Tommen,
I can not give no a step by step guide, for that I know to little. Under the "Frequency/Voltage Control" you can set the CPU/DRAM ratio. When you change the ratio you can see the DRAM freq. just below. For DDR400 it should say 200MHz.
In the "Advanced chipset.." you can set CAS latency, timing and command rate. These settings are depending on what kind of RAM you have, and would also effect the RAM speed.
But if you have read this forum a bit you probably have seen that a lot of us using DDR400 in this MB have had problems.
In addition MSI has the program "Fuzzy Logic" but few of us (if any) has been able to use it with success for this MB.
I'm intresting to here how your DDR 400 is working?
My 512 DDR400 was working perfectly except from when rebooting I had to turn off og on the PS. To get it working as it should I had to set it as DDR333 (shown as 167MHz in bios), and set timing to Normal.
Everyone else....please feel free to correct me..

K9N2 Sli Platinum + SSD OCZ Vertex 3 = Slow Speed Problem [PARTIALLY SOLVED]

Hey folks,
I have a problem with my new SSD. I only get sequential reads of 140MB/s and writes of 114MB/s.
I think it is a driver related issue. I once got faster SATA2-like speeds but cannot reproduce the system settings again... Everything back to SATA1-like speeds after reboot.
First my pc specs:
MSI K9N2 Sli Platinum, BIOS v3.9
- 6 SATAII ports by nForce 750a SLI
- 2 ESATA (External-SATA) ports (back panel) by JMB363
- Supports storage and data transfers at up to 3 Gb/s
AMD Phenom II 965 Black
Patriot PV224G8500ELKB Viper II Series DDR2 4GB (2 x 2GB, CL5 PC-8500/1066MHz)
SSD SATAIII OCZ Vertex 3, 120GB, FW v2.11
LG Internal BlueRay BH10LS30
Windows 7 Ultimate x64
I only get very slow speeds with the SSD. I tried so many things that I am getting very frustrated now, I am even thinking about getting a new board and ram just to get the SSD up to speed...
1)
I installed Win7 first with all the default settings in Windows Setup from DVD. Default "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers" driver was "Standard AHCI1.0 Serial ATA Controller".
SSD was connected to SATA1-port, On-Chip Sata Controller AHCI enabled in BIOS, Extra RAID/IDE Controller disabled.
All fine, but whichever benchmark I used (AS SSD, HD Tune Pro, Atto Disk Benchmark, CrystalDiskMark; other tools used: DriveControllerInfo, AIDA64/Everest, CrystalDiskInfo ) I got e.g. 140MB/s Read and 114MB/s Write sequentially (CrystalDiskmark, similar with random data AND only zeros ).
Trim working (it seems) with AHCI driver. I also changed to nvstor64 driver (nforce driver setup 15.56), with is marginally faster but not what you would expect from a SATAIII drive on SATAII controller.
2)
I installed Win7 using "diskpart" (Shift-F10) during disk setup, setting a cluster size of 64k instead of default. No real change.
3)
After reinstall of Win7 x64 (again...), I changed from SATA1 port to SATA6 port, also enabled Extra Raid/IDE controller set to AHCI as well.
Nothing changed. With all settings to default in Windows (ahci default driver), I then manually updated the ahci to nvstore64 driver in Device Management, rebooted.
Then a minute later after reboot I got the following Sequential speeds with CrystalDiskMark:
273MB/s read and 137MB/s write (random data) + 274MB/s read and 220MB/s write (with zeros) !!!
While I ran this benchmark Windows came up with a message: "You must restart your computer to apply these changes - Restart Now/Restart Later".
After the previos reboot, when I changed manually from AHCI to NVSTORE, I had changed nothing in the current session, apart from running CrystalDiskMark.
I did reboot and I was back to the slow SSD speeds again = 140/114 MB/s...
4)
I have tried every possible combination of mainboard SATA ports, drivers changing with nvidia setup/manually, deleting and disabling controllers (incl BSOD and startup repair :D ), chaning bios settings around, but I just cannot get back the faster speeds
There is never any change in speed, whether I use ahci or nvstore64, whichever benchmark I use, whether random or zeros...
5)
Could the SSD be broken, something internally preventing it from faster speeds (with this one random exception)?
Could it be that my K9N2 SataPorts only allows for / reduced to SATA1 speeds?
Am I missing something with the driver setup?
Do I need additional drivers for the extra JMicron Controller when using SataPorts 5/6 ?
I have no other mainboard to test this with...
Please guys, I am going to jump out of the window if I can't fix it... :(
Thanks, Mike

Hey guys - problem 'solved':
I tested the OCZ SSD Vertex 3 120GB with following sata3 controller card http://www.lycom.com.tw/PE-115H.htm.
The card itself works immediately (needs at least PCIe x4 slot, will work slower otherwise but still faster than the OCZ SSD @sata1 with nvidia chipset).
There is some raid setup, doesn't apply to me, the boot even with the card is really only a few seconds longer and not annoying at all. Windows (7 x64) needed a driver, supplied on CD (which is cheap and making noise like h**l). The card works w/o the driver but doesn't harm to install it...
Also, just to clarify, this sata controller card did not need any specific setup at all. Just put it in, plug in sata cable (I use akasa sata3-rated), maybe change boot device in BIOS (I didn't even have to), done - booting Windows as usual.
Benchmark CDM with sata controller card Lycom PE-115H:
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3845/cdmpe115hahci0x00.png
http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/7549/cdmpe115hahcirand.png
Speed is much better than before with nvidia chipset 750a SLI controller: sata1 (sata2 whenever it randomly worked):
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/505/cdmahci0x0.png
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6258/cdmahci0x0sata6contnv64.png
Final thoughts:
Well, I am happy with the SSD speed now (PCIe limited to 5Gbps). However, I had to spent quite some time to get it working on my sata2-cabable mainboard. Finally, I had to buy a extra controller card to get it working reliably at speeds faster than sata1. There is hardly any useful information on why this problem occurs with (older) nvidia chipsets and OCZ (sata3) SSDs. I still think that OCZ must know about this problem, but regards this issue as low priority, while at the same time not planning on giving up on sales to people with nvidia chipsets. Maybe OCZ should just make a big sticker on the box the drives come in with something like "Does/Might not work with nvidia chipsets, please use third-party sata controller card or different SSD manufacturer". But then none of these potential customers would buy OCZ SSDs...
I will keep the sata3 controller, anyway handy to have, but return the OCZ Vertex 3 120GB and replace it with a SSD from a different manufacturer (Corsair Force GT, Patriot and OWC are not that great to get around here). The benchmarks for most people will not achieve the maximum advertised OCZ speeds anyway, so why not go with a brand that allows for some plug'n'play with some customer support.
Hope this post helps others like me with their nvidia chipset + sata1 speed problem
Cheers, Mike

Hi! i have a macbook pro 3.1 with a 10.6.8 version. I want a 10.7 but i dont want any speed problems, what do you think?

Hi! i have a macbook pro 3.1 with core 2 duo, 3gb ram and a 10.6.8 version. I want a 10.7 version but i dont want any speed problems, what do you think?

Some MacBook Pro versions cannot be upgraded past 10.6.8; others are maxed out at 10.7.5. newer models can go all the way to 10.10. So it is important to know exactly what version you have--there may be close to 40 variants produced since the MB made its debut in 2006.
You can safely give us a snapshot of your model and its current config that will allow us to deternmmine your model and its upgrade potential, plus show it you have any software that may impede any upgrades. Please download and install this free utility:
http://www.etresoft.com/etrecheck
It is secure and written by one of our most valued members to allow users to show details of their computer's configuration in Apple Support Communities without revealing any sensitive personal data.
Run the program and click the "Copy report to clipboard" button when it displays the results. Then return here and paste the report into a response to your initial post. It can often show if any harmful files/programs are dragging down your performance.
Remember that, on leaving OS10.6.8, you lose the ability to run older softare written for older PowerPC Macs (yours in Intel-based). Programs such as Office 2004 will no longer work (min of Office 2008 needed to work on newer OS versions), and AppleWorks will stop working completely

Fcp - ram speed, bus speed, and 64 bit processing

how much do these (ram speed, bus speed, and 64 bit processing) specs play a role in fcp's performance? I hear conflicting opinions about it's utilization of the 64 bit processor(s). some say yes some say no. is ram speed from one rev to the next that much different, particularly in the last two G5's? Or, is the amount of ram and the processor type the most important considerations in optimizing fcp performance? thanks for your help!

SD/SDI card is to bring in video material in formats other than DV. If all you will ever work in is DV or HDV, firewire only is fine. If you want to work with non-DV formats and without expansion slots, you need to look into something like the AJA io to do your conversion and bring it down firewire. This solution has its own potential problems when the device and the hard drives are on the same bus.
You need a second drive just for media. On the Powermac you simply add a second internal drive. This is not possible on the iMac - an external firewire drive is the only option. This by itself is not an issue. Most people who do this with any seriousness end up adding a series of external hard drives to deal with the mass of media.
The limiting factor is that you only have one firewire bus (all macs have only one firewire bus) and if you run into problems with the camera (or VTR or AJA io) & hard drives not cooperating on one bus, you have no option to fix it. On the iMac, you have no option to add in a card to create a second firewire bus in the system.
So yes, the people at the store are correct. You can make the iMac work (with an external firewire drive). However, if you run into problems, you have severely limited options to mediate them. What I was trying to suggest is some things work better. An analogy might be, If I need to drive nails, the handle of a screwdriver can be made to work, but I should not be surprised if it does it badly and breaks when pushed hard.
good luck.

MSI K8TM-ILSR Concerning with Motherboard Monitor

Does the K8TM-ILSR work with Motherboard Monitor 5?
and sorry if i posted on wrong board im a noob

i tried mbm5 last night to run with some programs
at the moment i dont think mbm5 supports our k8t mobos
and it also cause some problems with pc alert 4 when i used it
(it was saying my cpu temp was 127 deg cel )

K8TM-ILSR CPU temp changes with restart of computer

I have K8TM-ILSR motherboard with Athlon 64 3000+ NewCastle installed. My motherboard BIOS version is 1.5. I have Zalman 7000 CPU heatsink with fan speed fixed at 1350 RPM. Cool'n'Quiet is enabled.
I have noticed very strange behavior of CPU temperatures measured by MSI PC Alert 4.
Sometimes when I turned on my computer is my idle CPU temp around 29C and my cpuburn CPU temp around 47C.
Another time when I turned on my computer both temperatures are around 15C higher. The results don't change as long as I don't turn the computer off and on again. It's completely random, but once the computer is turned on it sitcks with the either first or second values.
Other conditions: optical drive is empty, hard disk has no job, Cool'n'Quiet is working, CPU fan has 1350 RPM all the time. case fan is working normaly (Antec Aria case).
Did anybody else noticed anything similar. What could be wrong here?

hello.
your die temp for CPU is 70º C
dont use pc alert. its report offen wrong values. use speedfan instead. Cool'n'Quiet is maked to save power consumation on CPU. if CPU is not working hard its consume lower power and there is no necesery to be cooled with maximum power and your cooling system is slowing RPM automaticly. when some apllication need more CPU power think over 90% your CPU will be maximum to actual powering automaticly also is correspond for cooling system. so all is fine dont have reason to trouble.

Mixing RAM Speeds In iMac G4 1GHz 17" Flat-Panel?

I'm just checking here.
I have an iMac G4 1GHz 17" Flat-Panel, Model M8935LL/A (USB 1.1 version) that currently has the standard 256MB PC2100 (266 MHz) RAM module installed in the factory slot, and a 512MB PC2700 (333 MHz) RAM module installed in the bottom (user-accessible) slot. I bought the machine direct from Apple, so despite the "official" spec (which calls for PC2100 RAM in both slots), it's obvious that Apple knows PC2700 RAM will work in that machine. My understanding is that the faster PC2700 RAM simply downclocks to accommodate the lower 266 MHz bus speed of the M8935LL/A. As I understand the DDR SDRAM spec, any DDR SDRAM (PC1600 through PC3200) module will simply overclock or underclock to accommodate the host bus speed...but feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken on that point.
I'm fixing to upgrade the hard drive to a larger capacity model. I've done it before, so I know it's no picnic. Since I have to go past the factory RAM slot anyway to change the hard drive, I figure I might as well upgrade the internal RAM to the full 1GB limit. (Yes...I know Apple says you can't exceed 512MB in either slot, so please—no remonstrances about sticking to Apple's spec. The spec is wrong.)
Obviously, it's possible to mix the two RAM speeds between the two slots, since Apple shipped the computer that way. Here are my questions:
• Is there any downside to going the other way when I upgrade the RAM—that is, putting a 1GB PC2700 (184-pin) module in the factory slot, and a 1GB PC2100 (200-pin) module in the user slot? The reason I ask is because my preferred supplier (OWC) can't supply me with both modules in the same speed.
• Is there any performance advantage in both modules being the same speed—that is, both PC2100 or both PC2700? If not, I'll just buy the one of each speed that OWC has available.
Thanks!

jjw wrote:
So, you know have 2Gb available in your flat screen imac?
Yes indeed—2GB confirmed as available by Apple System Profiler. Both modules are PC2700. Everything is working fine.
I guess I can understand why Apple discourages users from replacing the 184-pin "factory slot" module. There's not a whole lot of slack in the motherboard connector cables, so it's best to disconnect them in order to get the bottom section to lie flat on the workbench. I suppose some folks might be hesitant about disconnecting things, but it's really quite simple, and involves only three connectors. After having changed the hard drive a few years ago, replacing the RAM was a piece of cake by comparison.
A word of caution to anyone who's going to attempt it, though. There are TWO heat sink interfaces between the bottom section (where the motherboard is mounted) and the top dome. Those heat sink surfaces are coated with thermal paste at the factory, but the compound dries out over time, becoming a rubbery membrane between the heat sink surfaces. Once you separate the top and bottom sections, the membrane rips apart, and the firm connection between the heat sink surfaces is permanently gone. It's a bad idea to simply put them back together after you change the RAM module; you won't get a good thermal connection.
The solution is to scrape all of the old rubbery compound off all four surfaces (two on the bottom and two on the top section). I did it with a piece of PVC, but you can use anything with a sharp edge that won't scratch the metal surface—even your fingernails will work, unless the old compound has dried out to the point where it's hard. After you scrape the old gunk off, apply new thermal paste to all four surfaces.
The other maintenance item you can perform while you're in there is cleaning out all the dust, which accumulates in vast quantities and interferes with cooling. I vacuumed it out with a plastic crevice tool, being careful NOT to touch any of the components with the tool. Vacuuming can build up a static charge on the tool, especially in dry environments, and high static voltages aren't friendly to microprocessors. I used a securely grounded anti-static wrist strap throughout the entire operation, and even wrapped it around the vacuum tool.
Good luck!

Athalon XP clock speed problem

I hav just installed a K7N2 Delta Mobo in my system, but I'm having CPU clock speed problems.
The Bios and the Infoview program both state that the CPU clock is running at 1105 Mhz. I am sure this should be 1533 Mhz for an 1800xp.
I updated the bios using MSI live update, and the first time I booted the system, the bios displayed the speed as 1533 Mhz, but on every subsequent boot up it is back down to 1105 Mhz again.
How can I get my processor to run at the correct speed?
Thanks
Trev

Sorry, just realised I have posted in the wrong forum.
Please forgive me

K8TM-ILSR RAM speed problem

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