idan182 wrote on 2022-02-17, 14:41:

Does EMS needs set up? or that would be automatically if I use EDO RAM?

The presence of EMS doesn't depend on the used memory type at all. It indeed needs a driver, either EMM386 or the like under DOS or given by Win98 to its DOS tasks.

EMS has nothing to do with either EDO RAM or SDRAM; you have to use an expanded memory manager (EMM386, QEMM, etc.) in config.sys in order to emulate expanded memory (EMS) using extended memory (XMS). Many 386-era DOS games require EMS to run; later games use DOS/4GW to access protected mode, rendering most memory managers obsolete.

Also, 512MB or 256MB is massive overkill for DOS memory and may itself cause errors (insufficient memory, because counters roll over on this sort of quantity). It's very likely you have installed more RAM than the motherboard chipset can cache, causing degraded performance.

Can you identify the motherboard? Or at least the chipset? That would tell us what the optimal amount of RAM would be.

Tbh, I find 16MB generally works best for DOS.

I have never encountered a situation where any problems whatsoever were incurred from having >=64MB of RAM

maxtherabbit wrote on 2022-02-18, 04:04:

I have never encountered a situation where any problems whatsoever were incurred from having >=64MB of RAM

Wing Commander Privateer will have corrupted digital sound effects unless you limit your RAM to 16MB. Can't think of any others off the top of my head.

maxtherabbit wrote on 2022-02-18, 04:04:

I have never encountered a situation where any problems whatsoever were incurred from having >=64MB of RAM

Aladdin won't start on a machine with more than 32 MB.

Colonization for DOS will also hang with too much.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2022-02-18, 20:34:

maxtherabbit wrote on 2022-02-18, 04:04:

I have never encountered a situation where any problems whatsoever were incurred from having >=64MB of RAM

Aladdin won't start on a machine with more than 32 MB.

Using eatxms for this issue works fine

that was supposed to say "less than or equal to 64MB"

now I see I got my sign backwards, but I guess you guys knew what I meant 😁