AT board memory question

[bill1971]

This is my first time looking at an AT(?) mainboard. This one's small, like a micro-ATX ; CPU and memory placement different. Southbridge "equivalent", and one or two other chips, say "VxPro". Does this ring a bell? I'll look more closely at the MB for identifiers.

One question about memory, since I know little about the AT format:

Looks like there are 4 occupied SIMM(?) slots, each module must be 16MB x 4 = 64MB total of 60ns memory.

There are also two DIMM slots. I have a 128MB stick of EDO 60ns SDRAM. If the mainboard supports the increased amount of ram, and if everything's EDO, can you run these SIMMS and DIMMS together at the same time?

Or is it like trying to run SDR and DDR together? A no-no.

Thanks for any info.

- Bill

[HeadBand]

you can't too bad

[John Prophet]

no simms and dimms at same time

"VxPro". is it a slot one system?

You sure its not "bx pro"?

You are looking at a BabyAT mobo.
You cannot run SIMMs and DIMMs at the same time.

[bill1971]

Thanks, guys.

JP - it's not a slot, it's a socket Pentium 200, and it is "VxPro" on the chips. When I installed 98, and looked at Disk Controllers in Dev Mgr, there is a VIA bus controller listed, so I have to assume it's an earlier(?) VIA chipset.

Thanks again, guys. (I want to get finished with this Dinosaur this evening, hopefully).

Rick - my son misses the "All Evil, All the Time" motto, but maybe
it's unfitting for a Moderator

- Bill

[John Prophet]

http://www.wimsbios.com/index.htm?/HTML1/xpro.html

see if any of this fits


VXPRO

The VXPRO chipset is a relabeled VIA Apollo VP-1 chipset.
You can identify the VXPRO by looking at the Award BIOS Number: 2A5LAH09C
The BIOS number also reveals the real name of the chipset: 2A5LA stands for a VIA Appollo VP-1 chipset.
H0 stands for Hsing Tech/PcChips
Because it's a VIA chipset you can use the latest VIA Busmastering drivers. (see http://www.bmdrivers.com)
You can find BIOS updates at the PcChips website. The model to choose is M537 (don't choose M537DMA33 !!)
Note that this board is also being sold under the following names: Sybercom MB537, Ability (model: ???), Protac MB5370, Eurone/Matsonic (model: ???), Aristo (model: ???), Houston Technologies M537, PCWare (Alton). THESE BOARDS ARE IDENTICAL TO THE PCCHIPS M537 !!
The latest BIOS Release at PcChips shows this BIOS number: 08/15/97 - VXPro-UMC8670-2A5LAH09C-00 and also Release 08/15/1997 S at the top of the screen.
VXPRO+

The VxPro is an old VIA Apollo chipset, circa '97 or '98 I do believe.

[Peter M]

Hehe, ye olde "PC-Chips chipset alias names" page I used to maintain ...

VXpro means it's a PC-Chips M537, and the chipset actually is a VIA VP-1.

If it's not a VXpro+ (VIA VPX/97), identified by a "DMA33" sticker somewhere on the board and/or the board being at least rev. 5.0, the size limit for an SDRAM DIMM is 32 MBytes, rather useless today. If it is the "+" chipset, the limit is 256 per DIMM.

It's either SDRAM or EDO/FPM, but if the DIMMs are 5V EDO, then you can mix them with EDO or FPM SIMMs.

[bill1971]

Thanks for the information,guys:

I just came back from doing a little bargain hunting at CompuSA.

So I can use current/recent VIA 4-in-1 MB drivers? I wasn't certain how far back the 4-in-1's supported.

Being rather ignorant regarding the AT format, what's the second, black power cord go to, that's inside the case? Just curious.

Seems that as I was trying to look around inside this cramped case late last night, I could make out a rev. 5.32 or 5.34. over 5.0 anyway, so I should be able to add memory.

JP - Thanks for the info and links,and especially for following me thru this project!

Peter - are you saying that, if the existing SIMMs and my DIMM module are 5.0v EDO, that both SIMMS and DIMM will run at the same time? (I'm certain of the 128MB EDO DIMM that I have - I just have to find it now!). Peter, I wish you had the time to allow PMs to you, because it seems many times,(make that always), I value your input, but sometimes I need one more sentence or two, just for clarification. Oops, my bad - just noticed that you could be e-mailed. This wasn't always the case, was it?

I ran Memtest86+ (only 3 passes), but I really didn't look at all of the info - I'll check that again, as well as the POST. (I thought BelArc Advisor would give me more memory info/ID, but it doesn't).

98SE loaded a video driver for this S3 Sirge PCI (325) adapter, and Creative drivers for this ISA sound card. Thought I've found an updated video driver for this card. Haven't really tried anything out yet.

Thanks again for all of the info.

- Bill

[John Prophet]

I seriously doubt you can use dimms and simms at the same time no matter what the rev# lol.

The black power chord is probably just the regular at setup....its a "hard wired" type deal as opposed to the atx type....so actually there is 110v on the switch contacts and in that blk cable.

I wouldnt be too sure about the 4in1 drivers going back THAT far but I dont know for certain.

-----------------

I wonder if by this-----> It's either SDRAM or EDO/FPM, but if the DIMMs are 5V EDO, then you can mix them with EDO or FPM SIMMs<------....where it says 5v "DIMMS" he really meant "SIMMS"

as in u could mix the edo/fpm simms together.