Possible to disable the onboard memory making 2G possible?

Ferrograph · Sep 12, 2008

Ok, here is a challenge for someone. Find a way to disable the onboard 512MB memory on the 150 (1G Ram, 120G HDD) so that a 2G memory can be installed.

Im thinking that there must be some tracks that can be cut or pulled high/low to disable the onboard memory. Most memory has lines for enable/disable.

Idea's anyone?

ipearl · Sep 12, 2008

Re: How to disable the onboard memory making 2G possible

if there is such a line, it would be controlabe by the Bios, No ?
Unless its reversable i dont think any one will cut lines to reduce the ram.

And lets say if its possible to Cut the lines what makes you think the Bios can handle 2GB

qasar.es · Sep 12, 2008

Re: How to disable the onboard memory making 2G possible

According to Intel, it should work with up to 2 GB, see http://ark.intel.com/chipset.aspx?familyID=35553.

ipearl · Sep 12, 2008

Re: How to disable the onboard memory making 2G possible

Bios is still released by Acer. Not intel

Ferrograph · Sep 12, 2008

Re: How to disable the onboard memory making 2G possible

Yeah it can definately handle 2G of mem.

You used to be able to get an adapter that would allow 2 sticks of ram to plug into one slot - like a pcb with 2 sockets on it. Probably wouldnt fit into the case physically so thats almost certainly out.

Does anyone know what might happen if you put a 2G stick on this mother board. Do you get 2G (512MB of the 2G stick ignored) or a non starter?

ipearl · Sep 12, 2008

Re: How to disable the onboard memory making 2G possible

Most people tested as non starter

Ferrograph · Sep 16, 2008

Re: How to disable the onboard memory making 2G possible

Here's something to ponder on. I looked up the onboard ram chips and they are 1G, so the onboard memory is actually 1GB. So how come the motherboard only recognises 512 of it?

Is this something to do with bios?

SbM · Sep 16, 2008

Re: How to disable the onboard memory making 2G possible

Ferrograph said:
Here's something to ponder on. I looked up the onboard ram chips and they are 1G, so the onboard memory is actually 1GB. So how come the motherboard only recognises 512 of it?

There are 4 RAM chips: 4 x 1Gbit make only 512MBytes, dude

Also, the platform can only handle 1GB RAM sticks in each slot. Since there's only one slot in the One, there's apparently no way you can get 2GB total, unless you're very skilled and replace the on-board chips with 2Gbit ones...

hmraao · Sep 16, 2008

Re: How to disable the onboard memory making 2G possible

Ferrograph said:
Ok, here is a challenge for someone...

THIS IS NOT A HOW-TO, IT IS A IS-IT-POSSIBLE-TO and the answer would seem to be NO!

Sort out your "bloomin" subject title.

Ferrograph · Sep 17, 2008

Re: How to disable the onboard memory making 2G possible

Ah, I see. And appologies for the misleading subject title.

So that would seem to be sbjuct closed! Thanks to all who took the time to comment.

Puru · Sep 17, 2008

ok so does this mean I cannot upgrade my one's ram to 2gb....I'm a newbie and have Aspire One - AOA150-Bb. The thing is I'm running vista on it and want to upgrade the ram....I read on the forums that there is an additional ram slot and the 1gb is on the motherboard soldered...please advise

Ferrograph · Sep 17, 2008

Contary to some reports the soldered onboard ram is only 512MB, and 521MB in the slot.

So your options are:

# 1GB stick in the slot - Results in 1.5GB RAM
# ... oh there are no other options.

Well unless you can get some skilled individual to remove the onboard chips and replace with chips to make 1G onboard.

dantes720 · Sep 20, 2008

As kind of a random weigh in, I just got my AAO this afternoon and installed a 1gb chip, but my system info is reading 2 gb total. No clue how that happened...

SbM · Sep 20, 2008

dantes720 said:
As kind of a random weigh in, I just got my AAO this afternoon and installed a 1gb chip, but my system info is reading 2 gb total. No clue how that happened...

It's a system bug. The BIOS should report the correct value (1536 MB)

thirteenthd · Sep 25, 2008

I have a somewhat crazy idea... What about physically desolder the RAM and associated electronics off of the m/b? From what I gather the system won't POST/start when a 2GB ram module was inserted is due to the fact that the overall system RAM would be 2.5GB (512MB soldered + 2GB RAM module.) Which would be over the limit of what the chipset can handle. I don't have the sufficient technique and knowledge to do it otherwise I'd try this myself. Anyone care to shine some light on this?

bishooman · Sep 28, 2008

i still need to know how to disable the onboard ram i think i damged it when i unassebled the device can still any body help ??

deeviation · Oct 8, 2008

bishooman said:
i still need to know how to disable the onboard ram i think i damged it when i unassebled the device can still any body help ??

Before you commit youself to this being the problem, Why do you think you have damaged the Ram? its not exactly an easy thing to do unless you left the battery in and you were poking around in there...

Have you checked everything else first??
Check all your connectors, ribbons, etc, make sure everything is correctly in place, secured and undamaged.

Upgrading the on-board modules may be possible. You would beed an infrared heater (not an affordable option for backyard modders), some tweesers, and i suppose you would just use the 2gbit modules of eactly the same manufactuer/series... an impractical option. If anyones got the tools and the guts, would be interesting to see the result.

bishooman · Oct 9, 2008

deeviation said:
bishooman said:

i still need to know how to disable the onboard ram i think i damged it when i unassebled the device can still any body help ??

Click to expand...

Before you commit youself to this being the problem, Why do you think you have damaged the Ram? its not exactly an easy thing to do unless you left the battery in and you were poking around in there...

Have you checked everything else first??
Check all your connectors, ribbons, etc, make sure everything is correctly in place, secured and undamaged.

Upgrading the on-board modules may be possible. You would beed an infrared heater (not an affordable option for backyard modders), some tweesers, and i suppose you would just use the 2gbit modules of eactly the same manufactuer/series... an impractical option. If anyones got the tools and the guts, would be interesting to see the result.

I took my one to service 2 days back, after cleaning everything inside from finger prints and marking the tip of the scrues with black marker (so they do not notice that i opened it

) and yes it did work

after tow days of invistigation from the technicians over there they called me and they gave me a replacment due to onborad memory mulfinction !!

kyf · Dec 21, 2008

has anyone try to desolder on-board 512mb so that it will fit 2Gb ram?
i was thinking that it might work. i don't mind to "destroy" the 512mb if it works. :twisted:

CityZen · Dec 23, 2008

If you go to Intel's website and download the specs for the AAO's 945GSE chipset, you'll find this:

1.4.2 System Memory Support
• Supports single-channel DDR2 SDRAM only
• Maximum Memory supported 2 GB
• Memory Channel Topologies supported:
— Single-channel with 1 SO-DIMM only (up to 1 GB)
— Single-channel with 1 SO-DIMM (up to 1 GB) and Memory Down (up to 1 GB)
• Support for DDR2 at 400 MHz and 533 MHz

This says to me that the only "expected" way to get up to 2GB is to replace the soldered-down memory chips with compatible ones that are twice as big, and I don't even know if such things exist (there are so many ways for chips to be incompatible - different pinout, internal geometry, other specs, or BIOS compatibility, etc.). Given that the soldered-down chips are BGA chips, changing them out is, well, challenging, without specialized equipment and skill.

Of course, this doesn't mean you can't hack 2GB into the machine by some other means. After all, given that it is single-channnel, this means that most of the memory connections for the soldered-down memory are in parallel with the SODIMM socket connections. You'd have to plug in a 2GB SODIMM and (by doing some rewiring) make the motherboard "see" it as 1GB on the SODIMM, 1GB on the motherboard. Of course, there's still the BIOS-compatibility question, as well as many others.

In short, you should expect to be limited to 1.5GB, and you should work around this "limitation" by using more efficient software. Either that, or hope someone makes a mini-PCIe RAM card.