Intermittent loss of video after memory upgrade

[BayouBill]

I recently upgraded the memory in my eMachines T1090 (which uses a Cognac+ 115661 / 20000731 motherboard with a 900mhz Celeron and the 82810 Graphics Controller and runs Windows XP Home & DirectX 9.0c) from 256mb (2 x 128mb memory boards) to 512mb (2 x 256mb memory boards), which is the maximum it will support, according to numerous web sites. Newly installed memory boards are double-sided 256mb Micron PC133U-333-542-A, nonregistered, non-ECC, CL3. After the upgrade, I am getting intermittent loss of video (monitor shows "No signal" and goes black). If I go back to the 256mb configuration, the video runs normally. I have run the "extended test suite" of Microsoft's Windows Memory Diagnostic tool on the new memory overnight, and it shows no memory errors after 11 full passes, so I think the memory is ok. I have tried running both 6.6 (6.13.01.3004) and 6.7 (6.13.01.3196) Intel graphics drivers. Any ideas on what might be causing this problem and how to fix it? TIA for the help.

[mpulliam]

Will it run fine with one 256 stick? I would run it a day like that, then swap the 256 in it with the other 256 stick and run it over night again.

At this point if it runs fine with either one of the 256 sticks, I would put in 1 256 stick, and 1 128 stick. Run it again for a day/over night.

If it runs fine with 2x 128, 1x 256, 1x 256 & 1x 128, then it should run fine with 2x 256. I am going to wager that the 1x 256 and 1x 128 fails our test though.

I suspect it is limited to 256mb of ram, or 512 ram WITH a bios flash that you might be lacking.

[BayouBill]

Thanks. I've already started those tests. I've been running with 1 stick of the old 128mb memory and 1 stick of the new-ish (used) 256mb memory most of today with no problem. Will try other configs and see what happens.

The motherboard documentation that came with the machine says 256mb max, but all the memory vendors' configurators say 512mb max, so I decided to try 512mb. Any ideas on where I can get a BIOS flash to support 512mb if it's necessary?

[wonkanoby]

http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/mature/

you have the oldest an intel 810 there

i would test the dimms one by one with memtest86

are they a matched pair

http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?f...o=&prod_no=343

is a similar msi board and in test reports 256 mb dimm was a fail

though they only tried one

also many of the boards of that era had 2 limits

like 256mb with regular ram

and 512mb with eec ram

not that im saying to you that will fix it

as it may well not apply to yours

but it did with my sister in laws

that was around the same age

[wonkanoby]

http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?f...o=&prod_no=344

is another similar eara msi board

Main Memory

• Support two 168-pin DIMM sockets.
• Support a maximum memory size of 256MB (64Mbit technology) or 512MB (128Mbit
technology) SDRAM.

so in that case its related to how dense the individual ram chips are

[mpulliam]

I cant find any specific info about BIOS updates, other then there was only one available for your computer.

I did find this though: http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=191701

Very dated info (over 2 years old) BUT seems like researched answers. What caught my eye specificly was:

The lower density stuff might work, but some OEM boards are fussy. HP boards in particular were fussy and really didn't like double-sided DIMMs. I'm not sure what the specific handicaps on the eMachines board is, I only know of it's 512MB limit.

And:

www.crucial.com

You don't have to buy their RAM, but you should pay attention to the capacities and placement that they specify.

Still, the only way to be sure that the RAM will work is to buy from them or from Kingston

Maybe this will help?

-=M=-

EDIT: Crucial Link to SDRAM for T1090 specificly. http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartsp...BCDD69A5CA7304

[Electric Bill]

It could have been worse.
You could have had Intermittent loss of memory after video upgrade.

Sorry - I couldn' resist.

Bill

[BayouBill]

Okay, reporting back...I am stumped!

The 256mb sticks are identical and both use 128mbit technology, which research confirms should be compatible with this mobo (Cognac 20000731 / 115661) and its chipset (Intel 810 / 82810).

With both of the sticks installed (512mb), Microsoft memory tester runs clean overnight, but memtest86 fails with the same problem as exhibited in Windows XP - loss of video signal, leading to "No Signal" and a black screen on the monitor. Since the video signal is lost, it is impossible to tell when or why memtest86 fails!

With only 384mb installed (one stick of the old 128mb memory plus one stick of the 256mb memory), everything works fine, including memtest86. This is true regardless of which sticks are used (I have two 128mb sticks and two 256mb sticks and have tried different combinations of them).

Running under XP Home, the loss of video often occurs when I click to restore FireFox 3.01 from the task bar, or at other times when using FireFox. Following the recommendations on some FF forum posts, I have reduced the graphics settings and even throttled video hardware acceleration all the way down to None, but I still get the intermittent loss of video.

I am completely stumped and have resigned myself to running with just 384mb unless I can find a stable way to run with 512mb.

[Yeah]

After reading your posts I was wracking my brain trying to remember any memory issues we had when I was an installer at Compaq. The only one I recall that may be your problem was double sided memory. The way it was explained to me at the time is that there was not enough juice to push the controller on the second side of the memory stick ( each side of memory needs its own controller). Thus memory may not work or may work but eventually fail. Can you up the juice on the memory bank? My thought would be no. Then you need SS SD 512 sticks. I really dont know if this is your problem but I thought i'd toss it out there.. came across this page on memman though

http://www.memman.com/result.asp?modelID=29791

[BayouBill]

Can you up the juice on the memory bank? My thought would be no. Then you need SS SD 512 [I think you meant 256] sticks.

I don't know of any way to "up the juice", and, as documented in some of the other links in this thread, the Intel 810 chipset does not support the 256mbit technology used on single-sided 256mb sticks. It only supports up to 128mbit memory, which means double-sided 256mb sticks (see the righmost column in the chart at http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/mature/).

The original documentation that came with the T1090 says it will support a maximum of only 256mb. But all the mobo specs and memory configurators out there say 512, so I thought I'd give that a try. Looks like 384 might be as high as I can get, though.