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3 beeps on a 486 computer with an American Megatrends bios?

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4

So far I've figured out that means something about the ram bit I haven't been able to figure out what the problem is

Edit: video link

x86 ram

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

yanagibashi

asked 8 hours ago

yanagibashiyanagibashi

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• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Base 64K RAM failure. Try a different memory stick in the lowest memory slot.
  
  – Mick
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Mick Already tried that :/
  
  – yanagibashi
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Does the motherboard look OK?
  
  – wizzwizz4♦
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

4

So far I've figured out that means something about the ram bit I haven't been able to figure out what the problem is

Edit: video link

x86 ram

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

yanagibashi

asked 8 hours ago

yanagibashiyanagibashi

2333 bronze badges

New contributor

yanagibashi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Base 64K RAM failure. Try a different memory stick in the lowest memory slot.
  
  – Mick
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Mick Already tried that :/
  
  – yanagibashi
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Does the motherboard look OK?
  
  – wizzwizz4♦
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

So far I've figured out that means something about the ram bit I haven't been able to figure out what the problem is

Edit: video link

x86 ram

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

yanagibashi

asked 8 hours ago

yanagibashiyanagibashi

2333 bronze badges

New contributor

yanagibashi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

yanagibashi

asked 8 hours ago

yanagibashiyanagibashi

2333 bronze badges

New contributor

yanagibashi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

yanagibashi

asked 8 hours ago

yanagibashiyanagibashi

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New contributor

yanagibashi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 8 hours ago

yanagibashiyanagibashi

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New contributor

yanagibashi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 8 hours ago

yanagibashiyanagibashi

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1 Answer
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6

Here is a reference to BIOS beep codes. For American Megatrends, look under AMI. 3 beeps means the low 64K failed - a very basic test - which probably means the RAM isn't working at all.

You should first check whether the RAM is compatible with your machine. At that time, there was a lot of variation - 5V vs 3.3V, 30-pin vs 72-pin, EDO vs FPM, not to mention response latency grades from 60ns to 150ns. Usually 70ns FPM will work in a 486.

Watching the first few seconds of video I see you have quite an early board with 30-pin SIMMs, which each provide 8 bits width to the data bus. Since the 486 is a 32-bit bus CPU (unlike the 386 it was never made in a 16-bit bus variant), you always need 4 identical SIMMs together. If you had a board that took 72-pin SIMMs, which have 32-bit width each, you'd be able to try just one like you are.

The effect of fitting just one SIMM in this machine would be to provide storage only at one out of every four bytes in sequence. Software just isn't written to cope with that on the PC.

share|improve this answer

edited 7 hours ago

answered 7 hours ago

ChromatixChromatix

77255 silver badges66 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks, that did the trick. One a sidenote, is there a way to tell who manufactured this board there isn't any indications on the board
  
  – yanagibashi
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  The most reliable reference will be the FCC certification ID, which should be printed on the board somewhere. You can look that up in the FCC's database.
  
  – Chromatix
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Alright thanks a million
  
  – yanagibashi
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @yanagibashi MB ID is usually printed on a sticker placed on the lowest PCI or ISA slot (closest to the edge of MB). In some cases its not visible without side view (by using mirror or by removing the MB from case)
  
  – Spektre
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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6

Here is a reference to BIOS beep codes. For American Megatrends, look under AMI. 3 beeps means the low 64K failed - a very basic test - which probably means the RAM isn't working at all.

You should first check whether the RAM is compatible with your machine. At that time, there was a lot of variation - 5V vs 3.3V, 30-pin vs 72-pin, EDO vs FPM, not to mention response latency grades from 60ns to 150ns. Usually 70ns FPM will work in a 486.

Watching the first few seconds of video I see you have quite an early board with 30-pin SIMMs, which each provide 8 bits width to the data bus. Since the 486 is a 32-bit bus CPU (unlike the 386 it was never made in a 16-bit bus variant), you always need 4 identical SIMMs together. If you had a board that took 72-pin SIMMs, which have 32-bit width each, you'd be able to try just one like you are.

The effect of fitting just one SIMM in this machine would be to provide storage only at one out of every four bytes in sequence. Software just isn't written to cope with that on the PC.

share|improve this answer

edited 7 hours ago

answered 7 hours ago

ChromatixChromatix

77255 silver badges66 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks, that did the trick. One a sidenote, is there a way to tell who manufactured this board there isn't any indications on the board
  
  – yanagibashi
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  The most reliable reference will be the FCC certification ID, which should be printed on the board somewhere. You can look that up in the FCC's database.
  
  – Chromatix
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Alright thanks a million
  
  – yanagibashi
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @yanagibashi MB ID is usually printed on a sticker placed on the lowest PCI or ISA slot (closest to the edge of MB). In some cases its not visible without side view (by using mirror or by removing the MB from case)
  
  – Spektre
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

6

Here is a reference to BIOS beep codes. For American Megatrends, look under AMI. 3 beeps means the low 64K failed - a very basic test - which probably means the RAM isn't working at all.

You should first check whether the RAM is compatible with your machine. At that time, there was a lot of variation - 5V vs 3.3V, 30-pin vs 72-pin, EDO vs FPM, not to mention response latency grades from 60ns to 150ns. Usually 70ns FPM will work in a 486.

Watching the first few seconds of video I see you have quite an early board with 30-pin SIMMs, which each provide 8 bits width to the data bus. Since the 486 is a 32-bit bus CPU (unlike the 386 it was never made in a 16-bit bus variant), you always need 4 identical SIMMs together. If you had a board that took 72-pin SIMMs, which have 32-bit width each, you'd be able to try just one like you are.

The effect of fitting just one SIMM in this machine would be to provide storage only at one out of every four bytes in sequence. Software just isn't written to cope with that on the PC.

share|improve this answer

edited 7 hours ago

answered 7 hours ago

ChromatixChromatix

77255 silver badges66 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks, that did the trick. One a sidenote, is there a way to tell who manufactured this board there isn't any indications on the board
  
  – yanagibashi
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  The most reliable reference will be the FCC certification ID, which should be printed on the board somewhere. You can look that up in the FCC's database.
  
  – Chromatix
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Alright thanks a million
  
  – yanagibashi
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @yanagibashi MB ID is usually printed on a sticker placed on the lowest PCI or ISA slot (closest to the edge of MB). In some cases its not visible without side view (by using mirror or by removing the MB from case)
  
  – Spektre
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Here is a reference to BIOS beep codes. For American Megatrends, look under AMI. 3 beeps means the low 64K failed - a very basic test - which probably means the RAM isn't working at all.

You should first check whether the RAM is compatible with your machine. At that time, there was a lot of variation - 5V vs 3.3V, 30-pin vs 72-pin, EDO vs FPM, not to mention response latency grades from 60ns to 150ns. Usually 70ns FPM will work in a 486.

Watching the first few seconds of video I see you have quite an early board with 30-pin SIMMs, which each provide 8 bits width to the data bus. Since the 486 is a 32-bit bus CPU (unlike the 386 it was never made in a 16-bit bus variant), you always need 4 identical SIMMs together. If you had a board that took 72-pin SIMMs, which have 32-bit width each, you'd be able to try just one like you are.

The effect of fitting just one SIMM in this machine would be to provide storage only at one out of every four bytes in sequence. Software just isn't written to cope with that on the PC.

share|improve this answer

edited 7 hours ago

answered 7 hours ago

ChromatixChromatix

77255 silver badges66 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

edited 7 hours ago

answered 7 hours ago

ChromatixChromatix

77255 silver badges66 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

ChromatixChromatix

77255 silver badges66 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

ChromatixChromatix

77255 silver badges66 bronze badges