Asus F3Jm (F3 series) - Anyone try more then 2GB RAM???

Just curious, has anyone tried more than 2GB in and F3J series notebook (F3Jm more specifically)? Asus specifies a 2GB max. I want to put 4GB total in it.

I'm running Vista Business on it, and my performance score for my memory is the lowest @ 4.5. Still pretty good, but I have a thirst to make it better. I wanna try and put 4GB in it, but I don't want to waste my money of it's not going to be recognized and usable. If it's not, then I'll just get 2GB of better RAM than what's in it.

It has the Intel i945PM chipset in it, which can take up to 4GB total, but I think the limiting component here would be the way Asus has the BIOS configured, correct?

-Randy

 

The i945pm chipset does in some cases support 4gb of memory. However in most cases, the bios is the limiting factor when upgrading memory. If ASUS specifies that it has a maximum of 2gb of memory, it is most likely because the bios is limited to support only 2gb. I have a i945pm in my dell and it wont boot with 4gb of memory, so its really a hit and miss thing.
Please do not use the Windows indexing tests for anything, they are completely invalid and your scores will vary on a daily basis.
If you want to know the real performance of your memory, download SISandra, and you can run memory benchmarks, so you can see with real numbers how your memory performs.

K-TRON

 

Good info, thanks! My main concern with the memory is with gaming. My CAS Latency is @ 5-5-5, and from what I understand a lower latency is better for overclocking and gaming, correct? I've found 4-4-4 being the lowest offered in 4gb ddr2 pc2-5300. I guess I just really want to know if anyone has tried this in this notebook before I go spending the money on new memory. maybe i'll go post on Asus' forums...

Thanks again!

Randy

 

There is no real causality between the hardware limitations and the stated amount of supported memory. The official statement contains the minimum of (a) the hardware&BIOS-supported RAM; and (b) the maximum amount of RAM that was available when the notebook was released. So if only 1GB sticks were available, they will list the computer as max 2GB, because that's what they could test it with.

On the other hand, it's indeed hit and miss, you can't be sure that it'll work unless someone has done it before. If possible, try the memory stick in the computer before you buy it, to see if it works. Otherwise, google hard for people who did it and reported positive or negative results.

 

The PM945 chipset is limited to 3GB, even on an x64 OS, so it won't really matter. This is a hardware limit. I have no idea why, and I may be completly wrong, but this is both from my own and others experiences.

 

Is that something you read, or based strickly on personal experience?

This was pulled from the Intel Chipset datasheet:

1.1 Mobile Intel® 945GM/GME Express Chipset
Feature Support

1.1.2 System Memory Support
• Supports single-/dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM
• Maximum Memory supported: up to 4 GB at 400, 533 and 667 MHz
• 64-bit wide per channel
• Three Memory Channel Configurations supported:
— Single-Channel
— Dual-Channel Symmetric
— Dual-Channel Asymmetric
• One SO-DIMM connector per channel
• 256-Mb, 512-Mb and 1-Gb memory technologies supported
• Support for x8 and x16 devices
• Support for DDR2 On-Die Termination (ODT)
• Enhanced Addressing support (XOR and Swap)
• Intel® Rapid Memory Power Management (Intel® RMPM)
• Dynamic row power-down
• No support for Fast Chip Select mode
• Support for 2N timings only
• Supports Partial Writes to memory using Data Mask signals (DM)

1.2 Mobile Intel® 945PM Express Chipset Feature
Support
All features supported by the Mobile Intel 945GM/GME Express Chipset shall be
supported by the Mobile Intel 945PM Express Chipset unless noted otherwise below.
However, the Mobile Intel 945PM Express Chipset does not support Integrated Graphics
display. Additional features/differences are also listed here, if applicable.

 

Wow.... I feel like a big fat retard lol. After reading my own post, I realized that it says it does in fact support up to 4GB RAM, however:

• 256-Mb, 512-Mb and 1-Gb memory technologies supported

See what I get for not reading completely??? My laptop only has 2 memory banks, so if the chipset only supports 1GB sticks of RAM, then 2GB would be the maximum supported. Well, it was worth a shot I guess.

 

Again, don't bet that it only supports 1GB of RAM. They may only have said it because only 1GB sticks were available to test with.

So it may still work with 3 GB. The only way to know for sure, is to try it.

Although, especially if you're using WinXP, I don't really think 2 to 3GB is worth too much trouble...

 

Both something I read on the forum, first discounted, then read about it some more, tried it, found it to be true, told a friend about it, who also discounted it, then he found it to be true. The tests were on different brands (I had an Asus, he a Clevo) with updated bioses.

 

Sir, congratulations, you have done great job. Once you have discovered that your motherboard supports up to 4 Gb and you have 2 memory banks, and your motherboard supports all 3 memory configurations, you can make the last step:
4 Gb/2 banks = 2Gb per bank max.
What else do you need?

List of supported technologies is an evidence that at times your computer has been built there was no 2 Gb memory sticks thus 2Gb technology was not mentioned. Not a big deal

 

I have this same series notebook and have always wondered the same thing. I have a install disk for Vista Ultimate 64-bit laying around, guess it would be worth a shot at some point to see if it works. We had a new BIOS update a month or so ago, I've never seen release notes address an increase in supported RAM though...

 

Back from the dead, sort of...

Buy.com has an insane deal going on, I picked up a 4GB kit (2 x 2GB) for $20 shipped! I figure, for that price it would be worthwhile to put this debate to rest. My system is using over 1GB of RAM at idle, and approaches 2 at times under heavy program load, so if I can get the system to recognize even 3GB I'd be happy. What I've read outside of this site seems to suggest that the 3GB limit on the 945PM express chipset is due to 32-bit windows systems rather than being a hardware or BIOS limitation. What I am going to do is install the 4 GB on my existing Vista H.P. 32-bit system, and post the results. At that point, I still have a Vista Ultimate 64-bit disk, which I may attempt upgrading to. From what I've read, MS blocks this type of upgrade (from 32 to 64) by making the Windows executable file 64-bit. I am looking to find confirmation that I can do a clean install at boot-up, or some other work around.

 

Can you post a link to this ram on buy.com? I wouldn't mind picking it up just because it's so cheap. If it recognizes it, great! If not, it didn't hurt anything to try.

 

There is a 5% off coupon: http://enews.buy.com/cgi-bin5/DM/y/no270LoW5d0F3M0CTHp0G8. Here is the link to the computer memory itself: http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=204465745
and here is the link to the mail-in rebate form: http://ak.buy.com/buy_assets/retail/pdfs/08Q4/1031-1113sm-bk_crucial.pdf

Should have posted that up initially.

 

Awesome find!

Do you really think it's just a Windows limitation and not the BIOS? I can get a free copy of Vista Business 64bit, and if it would recognize 4gb RAM, I would be ecstatic!

 

That's my hunch, but obviously I don't want to go out on a limb and promise anything until I test for myself. I was kind of surprise that nobody jumped in and tried this yet. Like I said, it's cheap, and honestly I'd be happy with 3GB if that's all I end up getting recognized. I can see no reason that ASUS would create a BIOS that doesn't at least match up to what the motherboard and OS can support.

EDIT: feel free to add to my rep ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/reputation.php?p=4110563) if you find my deal useful

 

I have a F3JP that is running on 3GB of RAM. I have Corsair modules. I have not had any problems what so ever with the laptop not recognizing the RAM. I am tempted to try for 4GB but think that it might be a waste of money considering I am only running on a 32 bit version of Vista. Let me know if your F3 supports the full 4GB! Good luck

TIM

 

So you are running a 1GB and a 2GB then? I thought I read that you aren't supposed to mix sizes with DDR2 RAM, even though you end up with an odd number with 32-bit windows anyways. I have 2 1GBs now, so I might do some memory tests between running a 1GB + 2GB vs. 2 2GB chips, see if one offers an advantage over the other.

 

I have 3GB in my F3Jp. Running Vista x64 Ultimate and have no issues. Might borrow my roommates other 2GB stick to see if it will allow 4GB.

 

It doesn't really matter, feel free to mix them.

 

The F3Jm and F3Jp have the same chipset. I wouldn't be surprised if they had the same motherboard with a different video card soldered on there, seeing as it's the same body. I'm fairly confident that 4gb would recognize in my F3Jm if I install Vista 64bit.

4cefed4: Any luck with your install?

 

I haven't had a chance to put the new RAM in, probably this weekend. My computer had to go back to ASUS for service, and now I'm experiencing some other problems (surprise, surprise). I am going to bring those to light in another thread and see if I can get some help there.

 

So can any of you confirm that the ASUS F3 JM can support above 2GB of RAM? I was looking to upgrade my friends notebook to 4GB of RAM, cause I got a few extra sticks laying around, but I'm not sure if it'll work or not. He's running Windows XP Pro 32bit so even if I were to install 4GB of RAM the maximum Windows would recognize would be 3GB, but at least it would run in dual channel.

 

If you have the sticks lying around, how about just try it?

 

But that means I have to head over to his house, open his notebook (which he happens to be over protective about), and install the RAM which possibly might not work.

I'd rather know the chances of it working now rather than having to listen to him whine after a possible failure.

 

I got my 4 GB as a present tonight. I will be installing it tomorrow morning so I'll let you know the verdict for a 32-bit Vista system.

 

As promised, I installed the 2 x 2 GB memory this morning. I got excited when I saw 4.00 GB listed in Control Panel>System, but it looks like that is just the detected "Installed Physical Memory (RAM)". "Total Physical Memory" is listed at 2.87 GB. In BIOS, I saw 2942 MB as the installed amount, and this amount is listed in Task Manager>Performance as well. Can anyone recommend a good free app for testing memory performance? I am going to run the windows vista score, but we all know how useful that is, haha. People who claim to have 3GB showing actually have 2.87 like me, I'm assuming? Next up is to compare performance of 2 + 2 with 1 + 2. Eventually, I am going to install Vista Ultimate 64-bit and find out if BIOS will limit me to 3GBs.

 

This might sound like a lame question but I have an ASUS series 3 (F3F) which I assume is cosmetically similar to the F3Jm. I want to rip out and install new DDR2 memory sticks but can't find any instructions or guides about this on the web. I haven’t taken out any screws yet as some laptops are real problems. Could anyone please give me some advice on how to do this as I didn’t want to botch this up as my last laptop required completely disassembling it via removing all of the screws, the HDD, keyboard etc but at least I had a guide. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers, Craig

 

We do not have a disassembly manual for the F3 but usually RAM replacement in ASUS notebook is very easy. Here is a generic guide:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=2187411

4cefed4, in that case it indeed seems that a chipset limitation exists.

 

I installed Vista Business 64bit, and i still show the 2.8~gb. It has to be the BIOS. I wonder if there's a program, or maybe someone out there that can reprogram the BIOS...

The chipset supports 4gb, we just need to up the memory allowance in the BIOS

 

EBE Thanks for that. I will give it a try.

Regards,

Craig

 

I have an F3JP, and it's been running along just fine with 2Gb Ram (well, as fine as anything with Vista), but I decided to up it to 3Gb ram to improve performance a bit (I do get a lot of disk swapping still, even with 2Gb!).

I bought a 2Gb stick, and installed alongside one of the existing 1Gb sticks. As far as I can tell, apart form capacity they are the same in every way.

The bios recognizes it (reports 29xxMb ram), but neither Vista or Crunchbang Linux (off usb pen drive) will boot. I took out the 1Gb stick (so now I just have a single 2Gb stick in there). and it booted fine. In fact, I am writing this message on it.

Any ideas what's going on here? The bios sees it, so I should be able to boot up at least, surely?

FWIW, my BIOS version is 208

 

honestly couldn't tell you... I ended up getting a 4GB kit of G.Skill ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231154). Bios and Ubuntu only show 2.9-3GB, but she runs like a dream, so it was well worth the $50.

I previously had Vista Business 64bit installed, and it recognized 4GB, but could only use 3GB of it. Still booted and ran fine though.

This is just a guess, but maybe the motherboard in these laptops cannot support 2 sticks of memory of differing size/specs. My 2 sticks are both 2GB, but are identical in every way.

 

Well, it was a red herring. I have no idea what the real problem was, but I put the 1Gb stick back in to see if I could boot from a CD, and everything worked fine. Really odd, as the one I removed and replaced was the one that was in there originally, i.e. it's not down to me putting the new memory in wrong. Maybe it just needed to get used to the new memory stick ;-)