Hello,

I replaced the two 128 MB-RAM-modules in my Thinkpad A22e (Celeron CPU, 
800 MHz) with two modules (PC100) with 256 MB each. After switching on 
the Notebook, it said:

    640K System RAM Passed
    511M Extended RAM Passed

    UNSUPPORTED MEMORY CONFIGURATION: Maximum
    memory size 256 MB.  Shut down computer and remove extra memory.

What's the reason for this limit? Is it a limit of the chipset (Windows 
device-manager shows an "Intel 82440MX Intel 82440MX 
Prozessor-zu-E/A-Controller" [it's a German windows-version]), or a 
limit which IBM has defined? Is there some way to make my Thinkpad 
accept more than 256 MB?

	Hon.

Hello,

Thieu-Hon Tran schrieb:
> I replaced the two 128 MB-RAM-modules in my Thinkpad A22e (Celeron CPU, 
> 800 MHz) with two modules (PC100) with 256 MB each. After switching on 
> the Notebook, it said:
> 
>    640K System RAM Passed
>    511M Extended RAM Passed
> 
>    UNSUPPORTED MEMORY CONFIGURATION: Maximum
>    memory size 256 MB.  Shut down computer and remove extra memory.
> 
> What's the reason for this limit? Is it a limit of the chipset (Windows 
> device-manager shows an "Intel 82440MX Intel 82440MX 
> Prozessor-zu-E/A-Controller" [it's a German windows-version]), or a 
> limit which IBM has defined? Is there some way to make my Thinkpad 
> accept more than 256 MB?


Do you have 16 Chips on each module? The BX-Chipset doesnt recognize 3/4 
of 256MB-Chips correctly - the notebook shows only half of the size. Max 
mem should be 512 Megs.

Does it run with one module? Does it run with a 256 and a 128 meg module?

Did you upgrade the BIOS? Maybe it's a very old version... Just enter 
your Device-ID (like 9549-810) at the ibm/lenovo-site and check for an 
update...

MfG Martin

On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 23:02:37 +0200, Thieu-Hon Tran
<Tran.newsgr@gmx.net> wrote:

>Hello,
>
>I replaced the two 128 MB-RAM-modules in my Thinkpad A22e (Celeron CPU, 
>800 MHz) with two modules (PC100) with 256 MB each. After switching on 
>the Notebook, it said:
>
>    640K System RAM Passed
>    511M Extended RAM Passed
>
>    UNSUPPORTED MEMORY CONFIGURATION: Maximum
>    memory size 256 MB.  Shut down computer and remove extra memory.
>
>What's the reason for this limit? Is it a limit of the chipset (Windows 
>device-manager shows an "Intel 82440MX Intel 82440MX 
>Prozessor-zu-E/A-Controller" [it's a German windows-version]), or a 
>limit which IBM has defined? Is there some way to make my Thinkpad 
>accept more than 256 MB?
>
>	Hon.

I've never used an A22e, but other A2X thinkpads will only work with
low density 256 MB DIMMs.  Be sure that the DIMMs you bought are low
density (they will usually have 8 RAM chips on each side).  Does it
work properly with one of the new DIMMs?  
Andy Cuffe

acuffe@gmail.com

Hello,
thanks for your replies, Martin and Andy.

Martin Petrson wrote:

> Do you have 16 Chips on each module? The BX-Chipset doesnt recognize 3/4 
> of 256MB-Chips correctly - the notebook shows only half of the size. Max 
> mem should be 512 Megs.
> 
> Does it run with one module? Does it run with a 256 and a 128 meg module?
> 
> Did you upgrade the BIOS? Maybe it's a very old version... Just enter 
> your Device-ID (like 9549-810) at the ibm/lenovo-site and check for an 
> update...
> 
> MfG Martin

The RAM modules have 8 chips (Kingston KVR100X64SC2/256) and even if I 
combine one 256 MB module with *any* of the old 128 MB modules, the 
notebook refuses to even boot. It always reports the memory size 
correctly, so I guess it does recognize there's 512 or 384 MB installed.

I went to www.lenovo.com, entered the product code 2655-BCG and the 
website correctly recognized my Thinkpad and listed 70 downloads. I 
searched for "BIOS", "CMOS" and "Basic" (input output system ;) but 
couldn't find any BIOS-update :((
My BIOS version is "1.01 (10ET20WW)", date: 2001-04-04

More bad news (for me): Win2k freezes after a few minutes, if I use only 
one of the new modules. Even if it's idle all the time.

Looks like all hope is lost?

	Hon.

Hello Hon,

> The RAM modules have 8 chips (Kingston KVR100X64SC2/256) and even if I 

okay, these are 32M X 64 - and will not run on a BX-Chipset(they have 
the wrong organization).

You need 16Mx8...

But: wait a minute:

<http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator_new/modelsinfo.asp?SysID=10937&mfr=Lenovo&model=ThinkPad+A22e+Celeron+2655&root=us&LinkBack=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kingston.com&Sys=10937-Lenovo-ThinkPad+A22e+Celeron+2655-xxx&distributor=0&submit1=Search>

http://tinyurl.com/2pjkc4

Kingston says: Max Ram 256MB

Crucial says: max Ram 512? WTF?
http://tinyurl.com/3bjy6a

You _may_ try

KTM-TP390X/256

<http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator_new/partsinfo.asp?root=us&LinkBack=http://www.kingston.com&ktcpartno=KTM-TP390X/256>

pricing may be a "little bit" higher than your KVR100X64SC2/256 - i 
guess about 60% more expensive. check the physical size(lenght and 
width), they may not fit in the memory slots!

> I went to www.lenovo.com, entered the product code 2655-BCG and the 
> website correctly recognized my Thinkpad and listed 70 downloads. I 
> searched for "BIOS", "CMOS" and "Basic" (input output system ;) but 
> couldn't find any BIOS-update :((
> My BIOS version is "1.01 (10ET20WW)", date: 2001-04-04

Bad news: there's no BIOS update for this machine... never seen this 
before on an ibm machine :-(

hth Martin

On Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:49:56 +0200, Thieu-Hon Tran
<Tran.newsgr@gmx.net> wrote:


>The RAM modules have 8 chips (Kingston KVR100X64SC2/256) and even if I 
>combine one 256 MB module with *any* of the old 128 MB modules, the 
>notebook refuses to even boot. It always reports the memory size 
>correctly, so I guess it does recognize there's 512 or 384 MB installed.
>
>I went to www.lenovo.com, entered the product code 2655-BCG and the 
>website correctly recognized my Thinkpad and listed 70 downloads. I 
>searched for "BIOS", "CMOS" and "Basic" (input output system ;) but 
>couldn't find any BIOS-update :((
>My BIOS version is "1.01 (10ET20WW)", date: 2001-04-04
>
>More bad news (for me): Win2k freezes after a few minutes, if I use only 
>one of the new modules. Even if it's idle all the time.
>
>Looks like all hope is lost?
>
>	Hon.

Those DIMMs won't work in your thinkpad.  They may be detected, but
windows will crash (as you've seen).

Try this link which is better organized than the random list you
found.  

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-57598.html

It shows 1.07 from 2003 for the Celeron A22e.  It looks like you still
have the original BIOS installed.

What ever you do, don't update the BIOS with the new memory installed.
Since it's incompatible, it could cause the update to fail.
Andy Cuffe

acuffe@gmail.com

Hello,

Andy Cuffe wrote:
> Those DIMMs won't work in your thinkpad.

Fantastic. I thought *any* PC100-SO-DIMM module would work. Why does it 
have to be so complicated? Well, thank you for your information.

@Martin: How did you find out that these modules are 32M X 64 and that I 
  need 16Mx8?

> Try this link which is better organized than the random list you
> found.  
> 
> http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-57598.html

Well done, IBM ;-) The BIOS-Update cannot be found on the "normal" 
website, can it?

A friend told me about this webpage: 
http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/embedded/273492.htm
which shows that my chipset doesn't support more than 256 MB.

Well, let's forget about it.

Thanks again to both of you for your help!

	Hon.

Thieu-Hon Tran schrieb:
  > @Martin: How did you find out that these modules are 32M X 64

enter KVR100X64SC2/256 on the kingston homepage under part number ;-)


> and that I  need 16Mx8?

experience - here are several thinkpads, a21p, 770x etc - all have the 
BX-Chipset and have the same problem: finding 256MB-modules is expensive 
:-/
The KTM-TP390X/256 works well here.




> 
>> Try this link which is better organized than the random list you
>> found. 
>> http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-57598.html
> 
> Well done, IBM ;-) The BIOS-Update cannot be found on the "normal" 
> website, can it?

i'm astonished too...

> A friend told me about this webpage: 
> http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/embedded/273492.htm
> which shows that my chipset doesn't support more than 256 MB.

How did you check the chipset? Please try
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
and look under mainboard, i'm very curious!

> Well, let's forget about it.

Hell, no ;-)  Please check the chipset again: BX/ZX 512MB and MX 256MB 
possible, you know, i'm curious...

hth,
Martin