Anyone have experience with Memory & the Sonnet G4 500mHz Wallstreet Upgrade?

7 posts / 0 new
Last post
Offline
Last seen: 11 years 9 months ago
Joined: May 8 2005 - 06:57
Posts: 118
Anyone have experience with Memory & the Sonnet G4 500mHz Wallstreet Upgrade?

Anyone have experience with Memory & the Sonnet G4 500mHz Wallstreet Upgrade?

I got a Sonnet G4 500mHz Wallstreet Upgrade installed and the OLD RAM which worked fine.
64Mb and 128Mb chips TOP and BOTTOM SLOTs.

However I purchased now (4) 256Mb chips and they all work but only recognize 128Mb per 256Mb chip.
Anyone know of any particular chips that will be recognized with my Wallstreet and the Sonnet G4 500mHz Upgrade for the full 256Mb per chip in the TOP and BOTTOM SLOTs?

Any information would help...

I've got the following chips that won't work.
They are labeled

(2) KTA-PB100/256 Low Profile
(1) Sticker is labeled POWERBOOK G3-256MB - looks like Micron Chips
(1) 256M SD SODIMM IH64818 PC-133

These all worki in my Wallstreet but only see 128Mb per chip instead of the full 256Mb - likely these from my reading will then work in a Lombard, but definitely in a Pismo... anyone want to trade or BUY these off me before I goto eBay with them?

Really appreciate any info for the brand and model of 256Mb chip (recognized as 256Mb) that ANYONE has gotten to work with their Sonnet G4 500mHz Wallstreet Upgrade.

TIA

Sonny

Offline
Last seen: 1 year 3 months ago
Joined: Sep 23 2005 - 13:29
Posts: 316
dont quote me but....

as i havent actually played with the laptops, but my experience with my tray loading iMac (mine as well be a laptop, but not quite as good) has been very the same as yours, until i realized that (at least in my case, and im assuming yours as well...) you need to use LOW-DENSITY ram chips... (prepare to pay a premium, cant recommend any particular chip or source...) if youve bought these 256MB chips within the last year or two (or four actually...) they are more than likely HIGH-DENSITY chips, so the controller can only recognize half of it.... a quick way to tell is (at least in my case...) to look at the ram module... if youve only got chips on one side of the module... then youve got a high density module and only half will get recognized.... If you've got chips on both sides of the module then you have a low-density module, which will most likely be fully recognized. again, this is only my experience with the CRT tray load iMac, so YMMV... but the system designs are more similar than you might think, and i wouldnt be surprised if this is your problem.

Bill

Offline
Last seen: 1 year 3 months ago
Joined: Sep 23 2005 - 13:29
Posts: 316
oh and...

and, just another note about my iMac experiences... which, again may also apply to you, im not sure.

On some of the CRT iMacs ive seen... their memory controller will only see a maximum of 128 per slot no matter what you put in it. (even if it is low density)

...bill

Offline
Last seen: 1 year 3 months ago
Joined: Sep 23 2005 - 13:29
Posts: 316
ok, i was right...

right off of sonnets site... about low density ram chips:

Troubleshooting a PowerBook® G3 Series computer with a 256MB DIMM issue.

Product: System:

Crescendo™/WS G3 and G4
• PowerBook G3 Series 233, 250, 266, 292, 300 (“Wallstreet,

Offline
Last seen: 11 years 9 months ago
Joined: May 8 2005 - 06:57
Posts: 118
Yeah, but there is a hickup in your answer

Hey Evilrobot,

Thanks - SonnetTech website sure does mention the 256MB DIMM Issue.

But I'd like to point-out the fact that I'm using:

Kingston KTA-PB100/256 chips

These are specifically designed to be compatible for the Wallstreet.
I contacted Kingston and lo-and-behold there IS A PROBLEM...

It seems that in their database that there were a few notes indicating that there were some problems with the chips - noted in 2001 and 2004 IIRC my conversation with the tech. (maybe a wrong chip used) so if you end up with one of these in the wild give Kingston a call...

Anyways being that these are the 99 series as indicated by the tech and they are DISCONTINUED I will be given a replacement NEW CHIPS (new replacement design) which will be handled via FedEx...

I hope this ends this tale about Bad Behaving Chips for my Wallstreet... and I should end up with a Happy 512MB Wallstreet chugging along...

Offline
Last seen: 1 year 3 months ago
Joined: Sep 23 2005 - 13:29
Posts: 316
ahhhhh...

very interesting!!!! and VERY good to know!!!!! i would have to pull the board out of my REV D. iMac to check the chips, but i think they may be the ones in question...... let me know if the ones you recieve truly are low density and properly recognized.... because, if so, i will definetly open my iMac and call about replacement chips for my "wallstreet" !!! AWESOME!!

Bill

Offline
Last seen: 11 years 9 months ago
Joined: May 8 2005 - 06:57
Posts: 118
KTA-PB100/256 - They Work!

It's been awhile and I forgot all about posting a final results report about my memory chip issue.

Anyway the skinny on this is that YES these do work and it's great that I puchased these two 256MB chips for the low price of $25 shipped to my.

Now the details are that IF you are going to use the Kingston Lifetime Warranty on them you need to be VERY SPECIFIC when you call. Provide ALL the info they ask for and when getting an RMA for you chips you need to specify that you speak with a TECH to verify which chips you are going to get AND that they have them in stock.

Most of them will use High-Density Chips. You need the Low-Density Chips and you need the RMA person to note that specifically. You may have to wait till they get them in stock AND might I add pay up front with you Credit Card to get them shipped first instead of the Free format where you return you defective chips first. These go out of stock readily for some reason and are tough for them to have in stock...

Anyway they should not have (4) chips per side. They should have 6 or 8 chips per side. I have two in my Wallstreet purring away at 512MB with the Sonnet G4/500mHz upgrade...

Pictures: Non-Compatible Chip Front/Back (High Density Chips)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonnyhung/101048188/in/set-72057594067545167/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonnyhung/101048189/in/set-72057594067545167/

Pictures: Compatible Chip Front/Back (Low Density Chips)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonnyhung/101329482/in/set-72057594067545167/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonnyhung/101329483/in/set-72057594067545167/

Pitcure: of it Installed in Wallstreet
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonnyhung/101329485/in/set-72057594067545167/

Log in or register to post comments