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


How do you put a 286 in Protected Mode?How to use the “darker” CGA palette using x86 Assembly?What's the fastest way to ignore keypresses?What was the first Intel x86 processor with “Base + Index * Scale + Displacement” addressing mode?Parity error under DOSThe IBM RAM with non-standard pin layout






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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










share|improve this question









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yanagibashi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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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
    7 hours ago

















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










share|improve this question









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
    7 hours ago













4












4








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










share|improve this question









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.











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









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









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




share|improve this question








edited 8 hours ago







yanagibashi













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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.




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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
    7 hours ago

















  • 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
    7 hours ago
















Base 64K RAM failure. Try a different memory stick in the lowest memory slot.

– Mick
8 hours ago





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





@Mick Already tried that :/

– yanagibashi
8 hours ago













Does the motherboard look OK?

– wizzwizz4
7 hours ago





Does the motherboard look OK?

– wizzwizz4
7 hours ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















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



























  • 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













Your Answer








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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









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



























  • 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















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



























  • 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













6












6








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















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














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 7 hours ago

























answered 7 hours ago









ChromatixChromatix

7725 silver badges6 bronze badges




7725 silver badges6 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

















  • 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
















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





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




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





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





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





@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










yanagibashi is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.









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