Adding RAM to G4 Graphite Dual not working!

[timnancyk]

I have a PowerMac G4 Gigabit Ethernet Dual 450 MHz and I had the following memory installed:

(3) 128K PC-133
(1) 512k PC-100

This has worked for me for years but thought it was time to upgrade to the max at 2GB. So I went online and bought (3) 512k PC-133's from ebay (see spec on new memory below). When I installed the memory, in System Profiler the 3 new chips are showing empty. I know they are seated properly in the slots. The configurations of the chips are:

Original 512k PC-100 in DIMM0/J21 (shows fine in profiler)
New 512k PC-133 in DIMM1/J22 (shows empty in profiler)
New 512K PC-133 in DIMM2/J23 (shows empty in profiler)
New 512k PC-133 in DIMM3/J24 (shows empty in profiler)

Is there something I am missing? Below are the specs for the new memory chips I bought:

Gold Pin 168PIN 6Layer memory
Type: SDRAM
Capacity: 512MB DIMM
Speed: PC 133 133FSB / 133MHz
Density: Low Density
Pins: 168 Pin
ECC/Registered: No/No
Volt: 3.3V
CAS Latency: CL3
Unbuffered, DIMM 1 Bank

Anybody have any suggestions as to what I may being doing wrong?

Thanks,

Tim

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

First off, the ram is MB, not kb

But the specs you show are the correct type for your machine. Most likely, the seller actually sent you HIGH-density chips instead of low-density ones.

If they have dram chips on only 1 side of the board (which is the most common for 512mb sticks) they are indeed HD ones, which will NOT work in G4's of that era.....

check & see what you have. Also try to reset the pram and reboot the machine after verifying they are properly seated into their slots......

 

[timnancyk]

Yes, there are dram chips on only one side of the memory sticks. This means they are HD?? They stated they were LD!! Well if that is the case, then I will have to return and get LD ones.

Thanks!

Tim

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

yup gotta do it.... obviously the seller didnt understand the difference.

LD sticks have the chips on both sides of the board

 

[TDM21]

The problem may actually be due to the fact the RAM is PC133 and your system uses PC100. I've learned that with SDRAM, PC100 memory will work in 133MHz systems, but PC133 won't work in 100MHz systems. I've experienced this with both PCs and Macs.

 

[Dave H]

If you have OS 9 available, you might try DIMM First Aid.
It will need to be run while booted to OS 9 (not running classic mode under OS X).
http://www.mactcp.org.nz/DIMMFirstAid.sit

 

[TrapOx]

It does not matter about the speed. A PC100 system will take PC133 just fine. The only difference is 33mhz.

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

The problem may actually be due to the fact the RAM is PC133 and your system uses PC100. I've learned that with SDRAM, PC100 memory will work in 133MHz systems, but PC133 won't work in 100MHz systems. I've experienced this with both PCs and Macs.

I had 4x PC133 sticks in my '99 smurfbox neveranottaproblemo
It just downclocks itself to run at the lower speed......

 

[velocityg4]

I had 4x PC133 sticks in my '99 smurfbox neveranottaproblemo
It just downclocks itself to run at the lower speed......

As I recall this is not the case with all PC133 memory though. Specifically some lines of more recent Kingston PC133 memory would not work at the lower speeds.