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From: scott@stsci.EDU (Jim Scott)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: Memory for A3000...
Message-ID: <1891@nemesis.stsci.edu>
Date: 17 Oct 90 06:15:30 GMT
References: <1990Oct17.015046.10982@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218
Lines: 36

In article <1990Oct17.015046.10982@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>, harris@hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu (Michael Harris) writes:
> Well, I finally did it.  I saved up my money, picked up the phone and ordered
> 2 megabyes of 80ns 1MegX4 static column zips.  An hour later the company I
> ordered my memory from calls back and says "We have just been informed that
> you must add these memory chips in increments of eight."  I said "Oh, you
> must be confused... I wanted the 1MegX4 chips... not the 256KX4 chips."
> To which the lady on the phone responded, "No, we were told that in order for
> the 3000 to realize that you have installed memory, you must completely fill
> a bank."  Now I'm stunned.  I have not heard anything about this on this
> net... nor is it printed anywhere in the Introducing the Amiga 3000 manual.
> 
> Can someone enlighten me a little?  Is this really true?  I want to add 
> 1MegX4 chips but can't afford 4 megs right now.
> 
> Thanks,
> --
> Michael Harris - harris@hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu     __      ___ ___

Hiya -

Yes, you must populate each bank with all 8 chips.  Your confusion 
lies in the same problem I had at first.  1Mx4 means  1 MegaBIT x 4
                                                            ^^^
not 1 MegaBYTE.  Therefore you need 8 to get you to 4 MEGABYTES.
I bought my 8 chips about a month ago and boy! what a difference.
It's great.

As to the manual...I think it's pretty well implied.  It keeps speaking 
in terms of banks of 8, and on page 4-20 at the top it finally
explicitly says (in italics) "ALL EIGHT SOCKETS MUST BE POPULATED"
(true, it is refering at that point to CHIP RAM...but again,
all the time before and after this they are talking about banks
of 8 for FAST and CHIP....)

Happy computing!
Jim