[SGVLUG] Bad memory in Pentium I, HD too large, PC power use

[Matt Campbell]

Hi David,

Just for grins my huge server with 8T storage, 10 drives and fast dual core
CPU weighs in at 120W with 30W per monitor.  The UPS on my fast desktop
machine reports in at 110W + 120W for the monitors.

(Pulling the lion's tail)  Ok, so my big computers draw $20 per month (gotta
love Excel).  Why should I care?  This is so in the noise.

Matt

-- 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: sgvlug-bounces at sgvlug.net [mailto:sgvlug-bounces at sgvlug.net] On Behalf
Of David Lawyer
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2008 3:12 PM
To: SGVLUG Discussion List.
Subject: [SGVLUG] Bad memory in Pentium I, HD too large, PC power use

About 4 years ago I decided to update my Pentium I PC with new memory.  I
got 2@ 64 MB EDO modules and they worked fine.  Then I stopped using the PC
due to excessive RF radiation which I found several months ago was due to a
cheap power supply where they had omitted filtering components from a PCB of
the power supply  (there are just jumpers on the PCB card where there should
have been capacitors, etc.).  So I installed a used power supply from a 486
PC.
I found the PC was frequently crashing but this stopped when I replaced the
newer EDO memory with slower "fast paged memory) from an older Pentium I PC.
Then I returned the 2@ 64 MB of memory for replacement but my first try at
this didn't work since I accidentally returned 2@ 8 MB of memory.  They sent
me new memory but it has the same problem as what I returned:  It frequently
crashes.

Except if I also (in addition to the new 2 @ 64 MB) install say 2@ 8MB of
fast paged memory (older and slower then EDO)  everything is OK and
it doesn't crash.  Boot time is perhaps 10% longer.   I guess the
slower memory in bank 2 slows down the newer EDO memory in bank 1 and thus
it doesn't fail and cause crashes.  It this correct?

So now I need some memory for my other Pentium 1 (I'm using as a
backup) due to the loss of 2@ 8MB I accidentally mailed.  Is it easy to find
locally or do I need to ask OEMPC World in San Jose, where I ordered my
replacement memory from, to return it (after I said they could keep it).
More than 8 MB would be even better.  It can be either EDO or FPM.  I'll bet
people are throwing away PC's with such memory in them.

Re the HD too large problem, I decided to upgrade my hard drive and bought a
used 40 GB HD to replace a bad 3 MB HD which sometimes causes the power
supply shutdown.  My MB (ATC 5000 from 1999) can't recognize it and I found
complaints about this on the Internet.  Even though the BIOS has LBA for the
HD, supposedly able to access 4 TB of disk,  40
GB is too much for it!   On the Internet, they said that even flashing
the BIOS with an update fails to fix this problem.

My PC is fast on the Inherent with either the Lynx (text only) or Dillo
browsers.  Unfortunately, neither is being updated and they do need
updating,  I'm in favor of low energy PC's, like my 486 that per the manual
uses 16 watts in full power mode and 11.5 watts in green mode.  Consumer
Reports rate modern PC's but doesn't list the power they use.  They should.

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