Toughbook CF29 RAM upgrades

Hello,

I have seen quite a few CF29s online that are advertising 2.5GB RAM. I just tested one of my 2GB PC24200 modules and its showing a max of 1.5GB RAM and failing the extended module test.

Which modules are those with 2.5gb using in the toughbook??

Thanks!

 

This question is probably better asked in the Panasonic subforum . You can report your own post with the little exclamation mark in the red and white triangle to the left of your post and ask a moderator to move it there.

 

Now that I am in the right category, any ideas?

Thanks again!

 

Post your cf-29 model number
If you have 512MB onboard you can go as much as 1.5GB only by adding a 1GB module

Read The CF-29 F.A.Q sticky on the top of the page




Alex

 

Simple: they're either wrong or mistaken.

The CF-29 Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 units utilize 200-pin DDR PC-2700 SODIMMs; the Mk4 and Mk5 units take DDR2 PC2-5300 modules.

If the unit has a base RAM of 512MB you can add a 1GB module to get to 1.5GB total.

We have had overall success (at least with the Mk4 and Mk5 units) adding a 2GB Crucial Technology module to the 256MB base RAM units for 2.25GB total RAM.

Just remember: DDR in Mk1-3; DDR2 in Mk4-5.

 

@ TopCop1988

CF-29 Mk1 are shipped with DDR PC-2100 , but PC-2700 or PC-3200 will work fine

Mk4 + MK-5 ship with PC2 4200 , and work with high speed modules

Even CF-19 mk-1 and CF-30 MK-1 shipped with PC2-4200

Alex

 

Just quoting Crucial Tech.

Many (most?) times the faster memory is "backwards compatible", as it runs at bus speed.

 

The memory sites can be incorrect a times , and even the official panasonic manuals can have errors or omissions

Example
The ddr and ddr2 upgrade limit as reported in the panasonic reference manuals has been found to be inaccurate ,discovered by our members testing

Yes ,and I agree that faster speed memory is 100% compatable


Alex

 

Yep the 72 maxed out @ 512 stick of ram according to crucial.

 

And according to Kingston Technology Company.

Before Crucial (aka Micron), Kingston was the memory modules I used exclusively (other than my genuine IBM memory for my PS/2 systems ).

 

Thanks for the replies.

I know about the different RAM types in the different versions. I have a bit of a "Frankenstein" computer. Its an MK2 with an MK4 motherboard. It has 512mb base RAM and the 1.6GHz processor.

I used PC2-4200, because I thought the stock RAM speed was 4200 and thats what I had laying around, but somebody in here said it's 5300? Is that correct?

Also, according to post #5, Only a 256mb model will support a 2GB stick?

 

and they are non-touch

 

so only a non-touch , 256mb model will support 2gb sticks?

 

PC2-4200 is the correct ram , but PC2-5300 is 100% compatable

If you have 512mb on-board 1GB is the upgrade limit



Alex

 

That is really odd. Does anybody know why you can only use a 1gb stick with a 512mb model, but a 2gb stick with a 256mb model?

 

No idea why , but confirmed by myself and others
Read this thread
http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/451104-everyone-told-me-not-do.html


Alex

 

Yup! That's what I put in my Mk5 CF-29NDLGFBM; a 2GB Crucial module. Now have 2.25GB RAM.

 

Yes, because 2.5GB exceeds the limitation of the chipset. It is in the article.

The non-touchscreen has nothing to do with the limitation, all the 256MG Motherboards are non-Touchscreen.

People have sucessfully built Frankenstein Mark 4 & 5 Toughbooks with a 256MB Motherboard and Touchscreen. I will as well, soon as I get the time to do it!

 

Ahh, that makes sense. Why doesn't anybody make a 1.75gb stick? ha. oh well.

 

Many of my past laptops will work when you remove the on-board memory as long as there is a compatible chip in the secondary slot. Is this the case with the CF29 mk4 ? I wouldn't mind removing the chips to get the 2gb module to work.

 

If I recall correctly, someone tried this recently with no joy.

 

Go into task manager and under the performance tab look at your ram usage

Report back

Btw my cf-19 under W7 is using 1.24GB , with 10 IE tabs open ,and watching Internet TV
Running windows xp you will use a fraction of what I am using

My point here is that 1.5GB is all most will ever need


Alex

 

I have diagnostic software that requires 2gb + RAM at a minimum and although I have better laptops around, this one would REALLY be best suited for the environment.

 

Read about readyboost discussed in this thread
http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/444606-lets-talk-sdhc-readyboost.html

It could possibly allow your limited ram capacity



Alex

 

Really, who where, and when was this tried?

I would love to read this! I would be really interested in seeing how someone was able to disable the onboard RAM and would be quite surprised if it did not allow the 2.25GB!

Thanks!

 

Az -

I believe he is referring to crz and his adventures with a duff CF-18. You were pretty involved in that project; I'm sure you remember it.

mnem
Aardvark schmAardvark...

 

That sounds right. Although today I am suffering from CRS......


Can't Remember Shtuff

 

Hi,
Interesting, I myself have a so called frankenstein cf-29. Originally came without touch screen ,now has one. I only added a 1gb stick because I thought it was not possible to add more ( I now have showing 1.49gb).my toughie should then showing 1,25gb or not
cheers
strawman

 

Depends: what is your system's original Model Number ( CF-29xxxxxxx) ?

Having a non-touchscreen Toughbook does not mean it doesn't have 512MB base RAM; having 256MB base RAM means it is/was not a factory touchscreen model.

 

Maybe, but if I was popping off about a CF-18 you can safely ignore most anything I said, I have never seen one in the flesh!

I was pretty excited when I thought that someone had tried to disable one 256MB bank of a 512MB machine! I have been hinting that someone with a problematic Mk4-5 Momboard should try that for a while!

Bingo!

 

Yup - and that's pretty much BIZZACKLY what you were on about in crz's thread... and just as excited! LOL

mnem
My son's 2 nieces and teenage uncle Julian are visiting... we now have a 15, 9, 4, 3, and 1/2 year-old under the same roof. If it weren't for THE GRANDMAS, my head would have exploded a dozen times by now.

 

I think I might try to replace the SPD on the motherboard with one from a pc2-4200 256mb module that uses similar chips, and see if I have any luck.

Worse case scenario: I have to put the stock SPD back in, second worse case: NO onboard RAM shows, but uses my 2gb. Best case: I get 256mb on board AND the additional 2gb.

I will give this a shot and report back. I have had 50/50 luck with different SPDs.

Anybody have a motherboard schematic for an mk4 1.6ghz with 512mb so I can quickly identify which is the SPD ?

Thanks!

 

@ ameritk

Info sent to your email acct



Alex

 

Thanks a TON!

I will try this out hopefully tomorrow morning. I will report back soon!

 

upon further review of the motherboard and manuals sent to me, it looks as though there may not be an SPD chip on board, only RAM ICs.

If the presence detection is in the chipset, I would think that removing the chips would work just fine, however with BGA chips it may be a problem re-installing them!

I will play with this some more and post as I find out new information

 

I am looking to add some more ram. I have a CF-29CTKGZDM. It is a touch screen and it only has 256mb built in it. From what I have been reading is that the 256 can have 2gb or ram added. But I have also been reading that all 256mb built in are non-touch screen???

It did come with 256mb of ram in the slot with a part number of CF-WMBA30256

 

@ Toughbook805

Your CF-29 mk-1 can be upgraded with
256mb/512mb/1GB ddr-1 pc2100 /pc2700/pc3200 only

To use 2GB ddr-2 you need a mk-4 or mk-5 version with 256mb on-board

 

If you have a micro center the 1GB ram is like $49 before tax.

 

will this work for me ktm-tp9828 1g by Kingston. I think it was used with ibm thinkpad.

 

Yes
Specs are 1GB 200pin PC2700 2.5V DDR333 SODIMM.

 

Im thinking about buy some at auction there 5 of them and I can get them for $95 no problem.
Any idea if its worth it.

 

Do you have 5 Toughbooks to put them in?

mnem
Fire.

 

I was thinking I would sell the rest of them.

 

They are worth $40 each , the problem though is they are a common item

Find an item that is hard to find and that there is demand
What you need to bulk buy is CF-29 hard drive caddys

 

Got my 2 gig RAM the other day and slapped it in my Mk5 non touch with the 256 Onboard, works like a champ, then I installed Windows 7 on the machine and that too works like a champ, I had been having the BSOD wiht 7 after Window update, now it updates with no probem, before I was getting memory errors and BSOD. I am simply overjoyed! Then I formated an old 4 gig SD card I had laying around and stuck it in the SD slot, and am using that for rediboost, I have noticed a very nice increase in speed especially when converting and burning DVD's. My first mod was to remove the Panasonic CD drive from the sled and install a nice little Duel Density DVD burner. After soldering that little space that set the device as Master, it too works great and I am able to boot it. This site is SUPER, it has helped me solve many problems getting this old retired Highway Patrol computer made into my personal favorite. We love to camp, so it is now my camper machine as well as the one that sits beside my recliner for quick access when the phone rings with a non-nerd having computer troubles.

See my fiction at: New Page 1

CF-29 2.25 gig of ram (Windows says 1.99 gig usable) 1.6 GHZ Centrino Windows 7 Home Premium with added PCMCIA USB2 card and HOLUX CF GPS card in an addaptor, using a Logitec tracball for a mouse.

 

Hi!

I`ve recently bought a CF29 Mk1 (cf-29cwpgckm) and I want to make a RAM upgrade. Now it has 512 Mb. Can anyone tell me what type of memory I need and how much? I read the threads about ram upgrade and most of the discussions refer to Mk4 and Mk5.

Thanks!

 

You need DDR ram. The newer DDR2 type wont work. And your TB supports 1.2gb (1280mb) ram max. So you can put a 1gb module in it. (You will have to remove the current 256mb module.)

 

I think I have a 512 mb module because there is a free slot for ram. Does it matter what frequency will have the memory I buy? I searched for cf29 memory upgrade and what they sell is PC2100 but on the forum i read that higher frequency can be used. Well the dicussion was about mk4 and later...

 

Can you confirm on the free slot?

The MK1 had 256mb ram onboard and your machine was sold with 512mb. That means you have a 256mb module in it. Unless the toughbook generator frakked something up.
EDIT: Scratch last. MK1's also came with 512 onboard according too toughwiki. (How did i miss that?)

I believe you machine support up to PC-2700.

 

I am pretty sure. I attached a picture with the free slot. So, if I buy a 1Gb PC2700 module should work, right?