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gepepa · May 18, 2001, 03:16 PM

I have a Performa 6400 which I think came with 8MB of ram soldered. I then bought 16MB...but my system tells me I have 32MB(?)...now I have just bought 64MB and have a more knowledgable gent than I coming in to install it. Dumb question...will he have any trouble telling which DIMM to replace? I wouldn't want him to take out the 16 and leave an 8.

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Paul S · May 18, 2001, 06:45 PM

Soldered RAM is on the logic board and isn't removable. The 6400 series had 2 slots. The machines usually shipped with 16MB, meaning you had an 8MB in one of the slots. If you added a 16Mb to the other, that explains the 32MB. Unless the RAM is labeled with it's capacity, the only way to know is to take one out and restart. Depending on how much it says you have, you'll know which one you took out.

gepepa · May 18, 2001, 08:15 PM

thanks, Paul..that seems like bad news...putting the board back and re-starting would be intimidating to me...perhaps to one who knows what he's doing it is not too time-consuming...I hope not..he's working for nothing.

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live as if you will die tommorrow...learn as if you will live forever.

finboy · May 20, 2001, 06:02 PM

Don't forget to press the CUDA switch every time.

Also, the 6400/5400/5500/6500 machines need 2k refresh-rate DIMMS and not 4k refresh DIMMs, which are far more common. If you put 4k RAM in these machines, it will show up as being half of the expected size (though I don't know if it will work or not).

Good luck.

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gepepa · May 20, 2001, 10:10 PM

thanks, finboy...I hope the guy who is installing can understand that. I have already bought the memory, but will try to find out what I bought in refresh rate...they asked me what kind of computer I was using it in and I suppose they do that to prevent a misfit. (I hope)

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live as if you will die tommorrow...learn as if you will live forever.

gepepa · May 20, 2001, 10:40 PM

Me again...I just examined the package and the label reads:
DIMM 8X64 Buffer 5V...I hope the 5V is not the refresh rate. What do you think?

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live as if you will die tommorrow...learn as if you will live forever.

Paul S · May 21, 2001, 08:12 AM

The 5V refers to volts. There were also 3.3V DIMMs. The 6400 takes 5V so that is right. That description doesn't say anything about the refresh rate. It won't hurt to put it in the machine. I suggest putting it in and seeing what the computer reads the total memory as. If it's what you expect it to be, then everything is fine. If not, call the place you ordered it from and explain to them the situation. I'm sure they'd be able to get you the right chip.

gepepa · May 21, 2001, 10:50 AM

thanks, Paul...I will be on the phone to them (MacMart) as soon as they open (they are west coast, I'm east)...what a great site this is...what the internet should be.

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live as if you will die tommorrow...learn as if you will live forever.