"The Intel VX doesn't have enough Memory Address lines to drive the higher integration DRAM technology, be it EDO or SDRAM. 16-MBit is the highest density supported, while the parts on a 64-MByte EDO SIMM are 64-MBit (eight chips)
Do the math - count the SDRAM chips on your DIMM (the large ones) [if they're ECC DIMMs, round down to the nearest power of two], and compute:
((total capacity in MByte)*8)/(number of chips)
The result is the density in MBit of the SDRAM components used.
Examples:
32-MByte DIMM with 16 chips: 32*8/16=16, usable with Intel VX.
128-MByte ECC DIMM with 18 chips - round down to 16, 128*8/16 = 64, not usable on VX.
As current production is 64- or 128-MBit densities, the bottom line of all this is that SDRAM support in Intel VX is useless with today's DIMMs.
Also, in order to have your board recognize 32Mb per DIMM, you'll need the 16-chip versions. If you have the 8-chip version, only 8Mb (your case) will be recognized.
Remember, it's not a memory problem; it's a chipset limitation. And no, this can't be fixed by a BIOS update."
https://web.archive.org/web/20060209035056/ht … w.wimsbios.com/

Repo Man11 wrote on 2022-05-13, 18:37:

"The Intel VX doesn't have enough Memory Address lines to drive the higher integration DRAM technology, be it EDO or SDRAM. 16-M […]
Show full quote

"The Intel VX doesn't have enough Memory Address lines to drive the higher integration DRAM technology, be it EDO or SDRAM. 16-MBit is the highest density supported, while the parts on a 64-MByte EDO SIMM are 64-MBit (eight chips)
Do the math - count the SDRAM chips on your DIMM (the large ones) [if they're ECC DIMMs, round down to the nearest power of two], and compute:
((total capacity in MByte)*8)/(number of chips)
The result is the density in MBit of the SDRAM components used.
Examples:
32-MByte DIMM with 16 chips: 32*8/16=16, usable with Intel VX.
128-MByte ECC DIMM with 18 chips - round down to 16, 128*8/16 = 64, not usable on VX.
As current production is 64- or 128-MBit densities, the bottom line of all this is that SDRAM support in Intel VX is useless with today's DIMMs.
Also, in order to have your board recognize 32Mb per DIMM, you'll need the 16-chip versions. If you have the 8-chip version, only 8Mb (your case) will be recognized.
Remember, it's not a memory problem; it's a chipset limitation. And no, this can't be fixed by a BIOS update."
https://web.archive.org/web/20060209035056/ht … w.wimsbios.com/

Thanks a lot for providing some assistance, I really appreciate it!

Perhaps I didn't phrase my issue correctly:
A - I do know it's not a memory problem - all the modules work elsewhere.
B - I do know a BIOS update will not address the issue.
C - I do know the VX Chipset has limitations - that's my problem. What modules will be compatible? Counting the chips doesn't seem to work.
D- I also have a feeling ECS, unless there is a malfunction, took some kind of goofball shortcut to staple SDRAM onto this board just to advertise it has support. Finding a compatible L2 cache module wasn't easy, either.

I've attached 3x 16-chip 32MB modules - None of them work in this motherboard (the bottom 2 have the same chip types, it appears; maybe different revisions?). From here, I don't know where else to go to find the right modules for this motherboard. I'm at or have exceeded my "RAM" expertise limitations. Is there a data sheet I should be reviewing and looking for specific chips, which "should" be compatible with VX?

Maybe this one will work? I'm only basing this on its simple design, only 4 chips, limited to a single side - nothing rational as I don't have that level of knowledge at this time.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/143993121397?epid=1300249936

I have a single 64mb sdram module with 32 chips like the one shown in this thread Solder more SDRAM to motherboard, they are rare to see, in my case the chips are marked by IBM, it comes from an IBM PC 300gl with 430vx chipset, in this computer it works perfectly but on another motherboard also with 430vx chipset, DFI586IPVG, it works erratically, sometimes it detects 64mb and sometimes 32 and although it doesn't give errors in mind it causes problems in windows.
And I also have one very similar to the one in the middle of the photo that you show that has written 32mb 4 clocks and works correctly in the DFI, but the chips have diferent making, LGS if I remember well.

If it were me, I'd throw in the towel and buy a pair of EDO SIMMs.

Repo Man11 wrote on 2022-05-13, 21:49:

If it were me, I'd throw in the towel and buy a pair of EDO SIMMs.

I actually have 64MB of EDO (4x16 MB)

Believe me, I was close to that a while ago. This purchase was a classic buy now, look at what it can do later... I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn't look at any of the specifications at all... VX? VX is later in the alphabet than TX... it must be better! All I cared about was it being ATX - I can't believe I didn't look anything else up at all... nothing! Crazy...

After I got it, the problems started when I only had 32MB EDO modules... Of course, they don't work with this board.... So, I bought compatible EDO modules. I would have liked 50ns modules, but those are hard to find 16MB or less, which are not ECC. Oh well... Then I was annoyed this board didn't support a Pentium 233 MMX, but the 200MMX limit was good justification for a 440LX-based machine. Next, I became confounded because I couldn't find a compatible cache module for the board - but then I hit the jackpot (and for free as the seller tossed the cache module in as part of my order). Now, I am near exasperation trying to get 32MB SDRAM working for the machine.... So close to nirvana!... It has become my 'white whale'...

Hoping wrote on 2022-05-13, 21:12:

I have a single 64mb sdram module with 32 chips like the one shown in this thread Solder more SDRAM to motherboard, they are rare to see, in my case the chips are marked by IBM, it comes from an IBM PC 300gl with 430vx chipset, in this computer it works perfectly but on another motherboard also with 430vx chipset, DFI586IPVG, it works erratically, sometimes it detects 64mb and sometimes 32 and although it doesn't give errors in mind it causes problems in windows.
And I also have one very similar to the one in the middle of the photo that you show that has written 32mb 4 clocks and works correctly in the DFI, but the chips have diferent making, LGS if I remember well.

Thanks for the link! I hope it brings me good news... the search continues. I've resorted to asking sellers to sift through their RAM and buying Tonka dump trucks full to get this board working...

Meatball wrote on 2022-05-13, 22:15:

I actually have 64MB of EDO (4x16 MB) […]
Show full quote

Repo Man11 wrote on 2022-05-13, 21:49:

If it were me, I'd throw in the towel and buy a pair of EDO SIMMs.

I actually have 64MB of EDO (4x16 MB)

Believe me, I was close to that a while ago. This purchase was a classic buy now, look at what it can do later... I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn't look at any of the specifications at all... VX? VX is later in the alphabet than TX... it must be better! All I cared about was it being ATX - I can't believe I didn't look anything else up at all... nothing! Crazy...

After I got it, the problems started when I only had 32MB EDO modules... Of course, they don't work with this board.... So, I bought compatible EDO modules. I would have liked 50ns modules, but those are hard to find 16MB or less, which are not ECC. Oh well... Then I was annoyed this board didn't support a Pentium 233 MMX, but the 200MMX limit was good justification for a 440LX-based machine. Next, I became confounded because I couldn't find a compatible cache module for the board - but then I hit the jackpot (and for free as the seller tossed the cache module in as part of my order). Now, I am near exasperation trying to get 32MB SDRAM working for the machine.... So close to nirvana!... It has become my 'white whale'...

It seems to be a particularly picky VX board. My only VX board was a Biostar, and it worked fine with a combination of EDO and FPM SIMMs (48 megabytes total IIRC). It even worked with a K6-2 450 at 400 MHz, but that caused the voltage regulator to overheat and fail.

Try brand name on a label sticker modules like micron, samsung.

Eg: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/273187029729?hash=ite … NEAAOSwVtta527s

Cheers,

pentiumspeed wrote on 2022-05-13, 23:49:

Try brand name on a label sticker modules like micron, samsung.

Eg: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/273187029729?hash=ite … NEAAOSwVtta527s

Cheers,

Thanks! I wish it were this easy... I have a pile of just about every name brand ever sold - Samsung, PNY, NEC, Elpida, Infineon, Siemens, Kingston, Crucial, Micron and none of them work in this board, unfortunately. I think Nanya, Hynix, and Hyundai are the only brands I'm missing - I'll keep them in my back pocket to try until after I go through the pile of < 16 chip 32MB DIMMs I just bought - 13 of them...

Any other brands I should try, please let me know and I'll add them to the list.

Any of these sticks has 8 or 16 chips in brand label?

Cheers,

pentiumspeed wrote on 2022-05-14, 00:57:

Any of these sticks has 8 or 16 chips in brand label?

Cheers,

Both 8 and 16 - Single-sided w/8, Double-sided w/16.

The only 2 modules which have somewhat functioned have 4 chips per side. The order I placed for 16 modules has a number of DIMMs with 4 chips per side, so I am hoping one (or more) of these will work. And the link I provided near the beginning of the thread is for 1 module with just 4 chips on one side; and it's Micron - another variation, which could bear fruit.

some info here: https://www.pchardwarelinks.com/chipsets_pentium.htm

Because the Intel 430VX chipset was one of the first to support SDRAM, many motherboards based on this chipset only support 2-clock SDRAM DIMMs (this also applies to some early 430TX boards). There are both 2-clock and 4-clock SDRAMs. The 'clock' determines the number of DRAM chips accessed each cycle. Contact your mobo manufacturer to determine which kind your motherboard supports. Although 4-clock SDRAM might work in a 2-clock board and, likewise, 2-clock SDRAM might work in a 4-clock mobo, the only way to tell is to try it. Most PC-66 SDRAM produced is of the 4-clock variety. All PC-100 and PC-133 SDRAM is 4-clock. Don't be surprised if it doesn't work in your motherboard. Another hang-up concerning the 430VX (as well as 430FX) chipset is the fact that it only supports 16Mbit DRAM densities. All SDRAM currently being produced is 64-Mbit or higher.

what i'd do in that situation is look for sticks with 1996-early 1997 date codes on the chips, because if they were produced when 430VX was current, they should have the highest chance of working on those boards.