Problem with RAM...

[defzeppelin]

I recently received memory I bought off of eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6859828798&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

512MB pc133 SDRAM

I only have three slots so I put the 512mb stick in the first slot *slot where my 128mb stick was* I boot up and my Computer checks for the memory goes from 1 through "128MB OK" then the screen refreshes and it does this again -- this happens about 4 times on the boot up. When this happens it just sits there doing nothing for a long time, so it crashed..

I open up my comp again this time I put my old 128mb ram in first slot then 512mb in second. It reads up to 512mb then it says I have a 164bit memory error. I press F1 to save changes. As my computer is loading it gives me a blue screen telling me I have: "Driver_IRQL_not_less_or_equal"

I know what you might be thinking, this might be bad ram, that is possible, but I want to make sure that I am installing this correctly before I return it. I was also wondering if the Ram is bad can I just use the amount that is good...say that only 412mb works of the 512mb, can I still get it to work with the 412mb?

I have a very old Compaq Presario here are my specs:

MB:
Manufacturer : Compaq
Mainboard : Compaq
Bios : Compaq
Chipset : VIA Apollo Pro
Physical Memory : 128 MB
ISA Bus : Yes
PCI Bus : Yes
AGP Bus : Yes
USB Bus : Yes
SMBus/i2c Bus : Yes
Bus HyperTransport : No
Bus CardBus : No
Bus FireWire : Yes


Chipset:
Processor : Intel Pentium III EB
Frequency : 733 MHz - (current : 733.05 MHz)
Support : Socket 370 FC-PGA
Cache L1 : 32 KB
Cache L2 : 256 KB
Voltage : 2.996 V

TY for any help.

 

[Nitestick]

could be a BIOS limit on maximum memory. you can lock out bad ram but that is only on unix systems, i've never done it myself but this is what i have been told

 

[defzeppelin]

BIOS limit, maybe, but my BIOS are so simplistic it wouldn't allow me to do anything different really. I would get updated BIOS but the Compaq website hasn't had a new version of my BIOS since 2001.

If you have anything else to throw at me, be my guest.

*No sarcasm or whatever*

 

[MrCoffee]

if the ram is bad don't mess around, return it. Run memtest86.

 

[jeremy]

nitestick is right , but its not a bios limit its a chipset limit and theres really nothin you can do about it

 

[defzeppelin]

What does Memtest do exactly? Just test the ram right? I can't even boot up with it.

How can it be a chipset limit if PCWizard says my Maximum supported RAM is 716mb?

 

[Nitestick]

sorry i meant a limit on stick size. some bioses get picky about double sided/single sided ram as well

 

[defzeppelin]

So this means I am screwed right? Well ty all for the help.

 

[defzeppelin]

Quick question: If I buy a new CPU (1.4Ghz Celeron with a FC-PGA2 add-on) will I be able to use this memory chip of 512mb?

 

[MrCoffee]

if the limit is in your bios/chipset then a new cpu wont help you'll need a new mobo (i think). However pc133 ram would limit you to an old mobo, personally I'd just get new mobo, ram, cpu and forget about that pc133, send it back if you can.