EeePC 900 Picky with RAM Modules
As reported on the EeeUser forum, the EeePC 900 is somewhat picky with RAM upgrades. If the RAM chip is not exactly spec’d like the stock RAM module, then the computer would be prone to freezing, especially when switching between battery and mains power.
And so I tried upgrading my EeePC 900 with a 2GB Kingston memory chip that I currently use on my Compaq B1200. It’s a PC2-5300 CL5 200-pin SODIMM with part number 9905295-052.AH0LF and serial number 900FE501.
I booted up fine on battery power, but when I plugged in the mains adaptor the screen garbled up.
I next tried an Apacer 1GB module with part number CS.01G2A.C00 thinking that it was supposed to be similar (it’s 1GB, after all). The system boots up fine both on battery and mains power. But when you switch from battery to mains, the system just freezes.
And then lastly I tried a Kingston 1GB module with part number 9905295-015.A00LF, and it’s the same with the Apacer chip.
The issue seems to be with running on “high performance mode,” which essentially means at a clock speed of 900 MHz. The EeePC 900 clocks down to 630 MHz when running on battery, to extend battery life. The system then goes back up to 900 MHz when plugged in, so the system is faster. This is with latter BIOS versions. In the earlier BIOS releases, the change is not dynamic. You have to select either power saving or high performance option in the BIOS, and the speed is static at either 630 MHz or 900 MHz.
Note that all of these above RAM modules worked fine on my 701.
Also, note that the RAM module that came with the EeePC 900 is an AData PC2-3200 (running at 400 MHz) with part number DOGC1A08342. I find it strange that the chip is a 400 MHz one. Even the original 512MB chip that came with my EeePC 701 was a 667 MHz one!
This means if you plan to upgrade your 900’s RAM, better make sure the module is compatible!
Upgraded my Asus Eee PC to 1GB of RAM
Recently I complained about the Asus Eee PC choking on 512 MB RAM. So I decided to upgrade. Asus has announced that it will honor warranty of units with broken warranty stickers, but I wasn’t sure if this applied to my territory. Still, I took the risk. But I didn’t want to totally get rid of my warranty stickers, though. And the shop I bought my Eee from had their own warranty sticker, so I made sure these were intact, just in case they won’t honor warranty without their stickers.
First I went off to buy a Kingston 1GB DDR2-667 SODIMM stick, which is dirt cheap these days.
Then with a bit of sticker backing / wax paper, a precision flathead screwdriver, cotton swabs and some WD-40, I proceeded to remove my warranty stickers. Oh, and you need a lot of patience.
Here’s how to do it:
- Spray some WD-40 onto a cotton swab, until the tip is damp with the lubricant.
- Swab the surface of the sticker until the lubricant has been thoroughly absorbed (repeat #1 if needed).
- Spray some WD-40 onto the tip of the screwdriver.
- Wedge the tip of the screwdriver underneath a corner/edge of the sticker and slowly peel it off by wedging the screwdriver in a few millimeters at a time.
- Apply lubricant to the screwdriver again once it becomes dry.
- Repeat the last two steps.
The sticker should now be easy to remove, as the adhesive side no longer sticks to the surface of the Eee too much. Your main concern here would be that the sticker doesn’t disintegrate. These warranty stickers are made to rip apart when you try to remove them.
Once you have completely removed a sticker, transfer it onto some wax paper or sticker paper backing, so you can easily replace it when the need arises.
The results:
RAM and mini PCIe slots of the Asus Eee PC. The RAM stick was easy enough to replace.
Don’t try this at home, kids! Okay, you can, but be sure to contact your local Asus centre first, to confirm if they will honor warranty without the stickers.
Asus Eee Choking on 512MB of RAM
If you think 512MB is enough to run Xandros Linux on, you’re probably right. That is for the average user, though. For someone like me, whose work involves new media (managing a ton of sites via Web and FTP) 512 megabytes is usually not enough. That’s even when running on Linux.
Last night, I experienced slowing down of my system when running these tasks:
- Two Firefox windows with about 15 to 20 tabs each
- Pidgin, with two chat tabs open
- gFTP open (no active transfers)
- Two Kwrite windows open, used for editing files by gFTP
- Popup Notes open, with 4 short notes.
- Konsole with two tabs open (just idle, though)
I have four virtual desktops, where I assigned different main tasks each - two “faces” for one browser window each, one face for FTP, and another for the chat. I say “faces” because I’m used to the desktop cube of Compiz-fusion under Ubuntu (where the cube sides are like faces).
So there, switching across desktops took longer than usual. I wasn’t able to check the memory manager for actual usage, but I’m pretty sure it’s choking on 512MB. Maybe I should enable a swapfile? I’m actually thinking of buying a 1GB RAM stick for the Eee. I’ll wait for word from Asus if this won’t void my warranty here locally.
Asus Honors Warranty Even With Broken Stickers
It has been a concern that opening the RAM / mini PCIe slot would void Asus’ limited warranty, because the small yellow sticker that covers one of the screws would inevitably be broken. This meant limited options for upgrades, particularly on the Eee’s memory slot.
Asus clears things up with a press release:
ASUS Computer International (“ASUS”) recently received feedback from one of its valued customers with questions concerning the purpose of a seal stating, “Warranty Void If Removed” over the access door to the single SODIMM slot on some models of the ASUS Eee PC. ASUS wishes to assure its customers that merely breaking or removing this kind of seal will not void the ASUS Limited Warranty.
So basically they say that it’s always best to have your unit serviced by authorized service personnel. Still, for most advanced users, I think accessing the RAM and mini PCIe slot would be simple enough.
Personally, I feel that 512MB of RAM is enough for general purposes, especially when using Xandros. But those who are using Windows XP need that RAM boost, and are better off spending the extra $30 or so for a 1GB stick.
So it’s clear then — you don’t void your warranty opening the access door to the RAM slot. But for more advanced hardware hacks, I think that’s a different story.
(via Eeeuser.com; hat tip to Joel; image from asuseeehacks.blogspot.com)
