Cannot add 3rd DIMM

[Nealzx6]

Hi everyone. You've already helped me via my girlfriend regarding my hard drive problem. Now I have another problem with my memory upgrade I hope you can help with.
The system came with 512mb, I added another 512mb a couple of months ago and all was fine. Now when I try to add a third 512mb the pc wont boot up, just gets to the BIOS screen and hangs. The module is ok, I've tried it in all combinations of DIMM slots so its not a dead module, it just wont accept the 3 dimms together.

The original DIMM is a Kingston PC2700, the 2nd and 3rd are Kingston PC3200's

I've included the info below if that's of any help.

Motherboard Chipset nVIDIA nForce3 250, AMD Hammer

BIOS Properties
BIOS Type Award
Award BIOS Type Phoenix - Award WorkstationBIOS v6.00PG
Award BIOS Message W7030NMS V2.1 111005 09:36:51
System BIOS Date 11/10/05
Video BIOS Date 07/09/05

CPUID CPU Name AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3000+

Thanks for your help and an excellent forum.
Nealzx6

[glc]

This is a limitation of the memory controller. You have 3 slots in that board but only 4 memory banks. Memory modules can be single or double banked. If you use 2 double banked modules, you can't use the 3rd slot.

I know this may not be your motherboard, but here's a chart that applies:

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/produc...il.php?UID=572

How to tell if a module is single or double banked? GOOD question. It used to be if it had chips on only one side, it was single banked - and chips on both sides were double banked. This is not always the case.

[Nealzx6]

Thanks for that GLC, looks like the DIMM is up for sale on ebay then. I looked on ebuyer where I bought the memory from and by the look of it, there's no way of telling if the module you're buying is single or double sided. How do you get round this?

[glc]

Sell the PC2700 and keep the pair of 3200's.

You really don't, unless the vendor happens to KNOW.