9 Jun
2002
9 Jun
'02
4:17 p.m.
The SE/30 has
8 30 pin slots, and is rated to use a max of 4 MB chips.
That gives it a max RAM of 32 MB.
The important word is "rated". No... Apple never rated the SE/30
for 16MB SIMMs, but various sources claim they work. I have had that experience trying to use 64MB 72-pin
SIMMs. The reason
it doesn't work is complicated but logical. Is is *possible* to
make a 64MB SIMM work in, say, a 660av, but most of the ones that
happened to have been manufactured have an incompatible refresh scheme.
Well, RAM issues aside, some Macs just simply won't look at total memory
higher than they are rated for. For example, the LC II supports 4 MB
simms, and you can install 2 of them. Added to the 4 MB on the logic
board, you have a total of 12 MB installed... but it will only "see" 10
MB of it (this I have tried first hand).
And IIRC, I have read that the PM 6400/6500 will support 128 MB chips,
but even if you install 2 of them, they will only "see" 128 MB total (I
haven't tried despite having a 6500, mine just has 2 64's in it maxing it
out). There are other PowerMacs that are supposed to be the same way.
But then, there are the ones that it does seem to work with. Like the
7200 that is spec'd for 64 MBs max (total of 256 MB installed), but in
fact can use 128 MB chips, and will see the full 512 MB of space.
And then there are ones like the PowerBook 1400 that have mixed reports.
Some people report being able to go above 64 MB, others say you can't. My
guess is both are true, and probably has to do with a board revision.
(another that I haven't tried despite having the system)
I just tossed the info about the SE/30 out there because I didn't want
you to go in blind assuming it would work, and then go nuts trying to
figure out why it didn't (if in fact it didn't, but like you have pointed
out, there are reports that it will).
-chris
<http://www.mythtech.net>