Cachable RAM on MVP4

[bisonator]

I put this in mobile aswell, sorry for double post, but I think you guys over here have more activity so I am more likely to be answered...

I have a PB laptop, it has an VIA MVP4 chipset but I am unsure of the mainboard manufacturer as it does not say anywhere. It has an AMD K6-2 450mhz (non +) With an external L2 cache, 512k external I beleive it is set to. Now, I have read somewhere that 'cacheable RAM' could be exceeded if I install too much, reducing performance. It came with 64mb, but I have increased it to 192mb becasue I want XP to run on it. Now, can anyone explain cachble RAM to me as I am unsure what it is and what impact it will have on my system. Thanks.

[bisonator]

Please? Someone?

[RaiD_357]

Those old VIA Apollo MVPx-based mobos with 512k external cache could only cache 128MB of RAM. The 1 meg cache ones could do 256 and the 2meg cache could take 512. I wouldnt exceed 128 megs of RAM unless you get a K6-2+ or something cause those have on-die cache that can cache 512MB of RAM. The K6-3+ can cache a gig of RAM.

But dont take my word for it, Id benchmark with 128MB of RAM installed and then benchmark again with 192 and see if the system slows down any.

[bisonator]

cheers man, I didn't think about benching it, What test do you recomend? I can use sandra, but that only does one aspect at a time. It's a PB machine, but do you think it possible to change the cache up? I mean, the BIOS is pretty linited as to what I can change.

[RaiD_357]

You should probably just run Windows 2000 on it... even the 192MB of RAM is still very skimpy. XP runs pretty slow on my system with 256MB of PC133.

EDIT - err I didnt see your other post until now. Id just use the sandra memory benchmark or maybe 3dmark 2001. You can't change your motherboards cache, that wouldn't do it cause youd probably have to change the tag ram IC as well, not to mention theyre both permanently attached to the pcb. The best thing you could do to increase your cacheable ram is get a k6-2+ off of ebay or something. I have a K6-2+ 550 in my MVP3-based mobo and it runs great, nice and cool too. Probably the first ever overclocker's CPU... *sniff*

[bisonator]

It is all a case of 'what I can get my hands on'. Since I will only be word typing and internet surfing anyway, I think it should go ok, I had it going for a little while on 128, and it just about went, maybe 192 should give me just a little more. cheers for the help anyway.

[bisonator]

yeah, I would, but I dont have a clue how to fit it, well, get the laptop apart anyhow, and would i need a chip which specifically sed "mobile" or are they all like that?

EDIT- Could I overcome the caching problem by disabling external cahce? or would the perforamnce hit from that not be compensated by the extra 64mb RAM?