The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Old W3V Maximum RAM?

    Discussion in 'Asus' started by ChivalricRonin, Mar 11, 2008.

  1. ChivalricRonin

    ChivalricRonin Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    7
    Messages:
    330
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Hey guys. I was wondering if anyone knew about the maximum RAM capacity for my old W3V model - All of the "at time of release" reviews mention that 2gb is max, but I was wondering if through BIOS updates or the like it ever came up to 4gb?

    Thaks!
     
  2. ClearSkies

    ClearSkies Well no, I'm still here..

    Reputations:
    1,059
    Messages:
    2,633
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    4GB will never work on the W3 (but 3GB should do fine), for reasons detailed around here on the limitations of RAM (search for it, or read here)and that Asus is not likely to ever be issuing any further BIOS updates for the W3 series as it is now long past EOL.
     
  3. ChivalricRonin

    ChivalricRonin Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    7
    Messages:
    330
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I completely forgot that the Pentium M was a 32-bit only chip! That answers it haha! Thank you!

    DDR2-533 seems to be in short supply these days and is more expensive than 667. Do you think it will have any problems downclocking?
     
  4. ClearSkies

    ClearSkies Well no, I'm still here..

    Reputations:
    1,059
    Messages:
    2,633
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    It should downclock fine, but as always YMMV :).
     
  5. E.B.E.

    E.B.E. NBR Procrastinator

    Reputations:
    1,572
    Messages:
    8,632
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    206
    Also before buying 2GB+1GB you should make sure that your computer handles 2GB chips fine. Search around, maybe someone has done that upgrade and is able to confirm it.
     
  6. D3X

    D3X the robo know it all

    Reputations:
    688
    Messages:
    1,666
    Likes Received:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    56
    Actually, I've tried my 2GB Transcend module from my C90S on my W3V, it works but it recognizes only 1GB from the module. The strange part is that CPU-Z sees 3GB but Windows does not nor does the BIOS. Maybe you'll have more luck with a different brand, but keep in mind that it may not work.
     
  7. ChivalricRonin

    ChivalricRonin Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    7
    Messages:
    330
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Okay, I bought 3gb of Patriot DDR667, and I'm having a problem with it recognizing it. Strangely enough, if I put the 2gb chip in the "memory slot 1" under the keyboard, it recognizes it on its own as "2048 mb, single channel" but if I add the 1gb to the second memory slot, the bios then says its "2048mb, dual channel"

    Right now I'm running it with just the 2gb chip in, and it reads the whole thing. I just need it to recognize the 1gb chip!

    This is on BIOS revision 0303. Anyone know if upgrading the bios will remedy this?
     
  8. E.B.E.

    E.B.E. NBR Procrastinator

    Reputations:
    1,572
    Messages:
    8,632
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    206
    You can try updating BIOS of course.

    But you should have read this thread until the end, including D3X-s warning before putting your money into the RAM...
     
  9. D3X

    D3X the robo know it all

    Reputations:
    688
    Messages:
    1,666
    Likes Received:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    56
    It's likely not a BIOS issue. And even if it is, ASUS has not updated the BIOS since 2005(so 303 is the last revision), so it's likely they will never update again.

    Well that's exactly what I meant when I said "it recognizes only 1GB". Having only one slot of 2GB is completely useless and I didn't see the point testing that. I have tried different 1GB modules including APACER, Buffalo and Corsair 1GB along with the 2GB Transcend, and in all cases it only identified 2GB total memory.