D410 and 3/4GB Ram possible ?

Hi,

I just revitalize an unwanted Dell D410 with Windows 7 on a HM160C and it performs quite nicely. It comes with 1GBx2 and since I have a 2GB sitting around, I tried to put it in. While the machine can POST and function normal, the max ram is still clipped at 2GB.

Surprisingly, Windows 7 reports that it sees 3GB but only 2GB is usable. Does anyone one has experience with this machine or similar one that can make it use the extra 1GB ? It is a 915M chipset.

off topic. After using wide screen(1280+) for a few years, this is the first time I used a 1024 screen again and feel that it becomes too narrow in many situations and interestingly NBR forum doesn't like 1024 as it is wider than that and the horizontal scrollbar comes out making it very cumbersome to browse this on the D410

 

Dell Latitude D410 Product Details | Dell

Dell specification says 2 GB max RAM. Perhaps the chipset will POST with 3 GB but the max it can utilize is 2 GB?

 

that seems to be the case but what surprise me is that Windows 7 does see 3GB, just can't use it. I always thought that the OS see what the chipset lets it see it but that doesn't seem to be the case. That is the reason I ask if it is possible to trick it.

Another slight off topic, this old machine feel faster than my other Core Duo T2350 which has a x1250 ATI, 7200rpm scorpio black. Both with fresh installed Windows 7. The only difference I can think of is the chipset.

 

Well with Vista/7 it was funky about RAM. XP could only see 3.5 GB RAM as it was a 32 bit OS but with Vista/7 32 bit it could see 4 GB RAM but only could utilize the same amount.

Adunno about tricking it to utilize more RAM, might have to have custom BIOS for that or something? Did you have the latest Dell BIOS?

Edit: Might also be a chipset limitation?

 

already the latest BIOS I can find.

Most likely chipset limitation, just wish I can squeeze the last bit out of what I have.

And after comparing with this machine, I would never buy another machine(unless the price is really really good) that is not using Intel chipset.

Every component on my Samsung is better than this yet it doesn't feel as snappy(well when it is really heavily used, it does) as this older machine in boot up etc.