[comp.sys.sun] So what about those 4-Mb SIMMs?

romeo@lindy.stanford.edu (Patrick Goebel) (03/02/90)

Judging by recent postings on this bboard, 4-Mb SIMMs are available and
come relatively cheap (i.e. approx. $500/chip or $125/Mb).  Does this mean
I can simply replace the 8 X 1-Mb SIMMs on a SPARCstation 330 CPU board
(for example) with 8 X 4-Mb ones?

Our Sun sales rep says that Sun's 4-Mb chips will be physically taller
than the 1-Mb version and might therefore only fit on a memory expansion
board and not on the CPU board.  Is this true of all (reputable) 4-Mb
SIMMs on the market?

In addition, our sales rep claims that Sun's 4-Mb SIMM upgrade will
require a PROM swap as well.  Can anyone verify this and elaborate if
true?

I'd kill for answers to these questions, but I'd settled for a few
responses.  Many thanks in advance!

Patrick Goebel--romeo@lindy.stanford.edu
CASBS--Budding SysAdmin

francis@chook.ua.oz.au (Francis Vaughan) (03/05/90)

From article <5443@brazos.Rice.edu>, by lindy!romeo@lindy.stanford.edu (Patrick Goebel):
> Judging by recent postings on this bboard, 4-Mb SIMMs are available and
> come relatively cheap (i.e. approx. $500/chip or $125/Mb).  Does this mean
> I can simply replace the 8 X 1-Mb SIMMs on a SPARCstation 330 CPU board
> (for example) with 8 X 4-Mb ones?

Not a problem. We currently have one 4/310 (That is a 4/110 with a 330 CPU
card in it) with 8x4MB SIMMs in it running now.

The memory we have is from Kingston Technology, part number
KTM-4000/9-80s.  Not too hard to work out what that means. There is no
height problem with these, they are exacly the same height as the SIMMs we
took out.  There is NO need for a ROM change. There is a single jumper
next to the memory on the board that needs closing with one of those
little configuration jumpers.

Over here in OZ memory is a little more expensive, but we judged it now
worthwhile to stock the machines full now.  It seems that SUN are trying a
bit of the old FUD factor marketing.

                                        Francis Vaughan
                                        francis@cs.ua.oz.au

weber@cg-atla.agfa.com (Jeff Weber) (03/05/90)

In article <5443@brazos.Rice.edu> lindy!romeo@lindy.stanford.edu (Patrick Goebel) writes:
>X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 69, message 2
>
>Judging by recent postings on this bboard, 4-Mb SIMMs are available and
>come relatively cheap (i.e. approx. $500/chip or $125/Mb).  Does this mean
>I can simply replace the 8 X 1-Mb SIMMs on a SPARCstation 330 CPU board
>(for example) with 8 X 4-Mb ones?

You can replace the 1MB SIMMS on you CPU board with 4MB SIMMS, set the
jumper correctly and boot.  This gives you 32MB on the CPU board.

*** THIS ONLY WORKS W/O THE EXPANSION BOARD INSTALLED! *****

Clearance should be OK because the CPU board is double wide anyway because
of the way the frame buffer goes on.

>Our Sun sales rep says that Sun's 4-Mb chips will be physically taller
>than the 1-Mb version and might therefore only fit on a memory expansion
>board and not on the CPU board.  Is this true of all (reputable) 4-Mb
>SIMMs on the market?

All the normal big vendors of SIMMS are not in the market yet.  We'll just
have to wait and see.

>In addition, our sales rep claims that Sun's 4-Mb SIMM upgrade will
>require a PROM swap as well.  Can anyone verify this and elaborate if
>true?

In order to get the 32MB on the CPU board (w/4MBSIMMS) to like the
expansion memory board there is a follow on release of the boot ROM.  It
should be out anytime now but I don't think its out now. 

>I'd kill for answers to these questions, but I'd settled for a few
>responses.  Many thanks in advance!