256Mb max, what now?

[bicol_willem]

Yup, had a collection old PC´s, all broke here and there but ..... was able to make one out of it all running. As the memory is SDRAM all I have available max is 2 x 128MB PC133. The processor is a AMD Athlon 1700 and is up to the job.
Had a look a PCLinuxOS LXDE but that needs 384Mb min.
Stubborn as I can be, I installed it anyway and for a moment I thought: Hmmm, works well. But soon it became clear the 256Mb is just not enough and the performance slipped soon below usability.
Now then, Had a look at some very light distro´s but it became quickly clear that such in fact seems stuff for geeks only (jmho).
Once apon a time .... I think I read somewhere something about adding memory simply by a usb stick ..... Was it a dream or can someone pointing my out how to do so. Man, if that works I could add a lot of memory!!! 
If not, this poor PC seems doomed to me.

[T6]

it is easier and since it is a good cpu, find a 512 ram pc133 module than try to make a slow usb 1.1 port work as a extremely slow ram module, if possible

[Crow]

That seems bad news for me, I have not tried the last LXDE but made a remaster last year with the version available, put edu games, flash and wine and have been installing in PII with 256MB RAM (better with PIII), they work fine for the kids.

In my experience below 192MB RAM programs speed goes down fast and becomes unusable at 128 MB . I will update this days, hope it won't degrade the performance.

[dougmack]

I have a pile of old memory sticks.  I don't know how to read the part numbers for what they are, but if you tell me a part number for 512 MB or 1024 MB or whatever you can plug in, I'll take a look, and you can have 2 or 4
or whatever for postage.  I'm in NY, USA. --doug

[DeBaas]

Antix on PII 128M
Install takes a while but its usable.

[gandy]

Seems strange that an Athlon would use SDRAM. I have an old Athlon that uses DDR. Amazon has some SDRAM that's cheap. http://www.amazon.com/Generic-512-MB-PC133-SDRAM/dp/B000068IKV/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_2

[YouCanToo]

I have a pile of old memory sticks.  I don't know how to read the part numbers for what they are, but if you tell me a part number for 512 MB or 1024 MB or whatever you can plug in, I'll take a look, and you can have 2 or 4
or whatever for postage.  I'm in NY, USA. --doug

Why not do a search in say Google, or your favorite search engine, for the part number you have and see what it shows they are???

[YouCanToo]

Seems strange that an Athlon would use SDRAM. I have an old Athlon that uses DDR. Amazon has some SDRAM that's cheap. http://www.amazon.com/Generic-512-MB-PC133-SDRAM/dp/B000068IKV/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_2

Really doesn't it depend on the motherboard and not the cpu on which type of ram it needs???  I have a couple of Athlons that both use SDRAM one is a 1800+ and the other is a 2200+

[T6]

old athlons didn't had the memory controller in the cpu, it remained on the mainboard

i have seen atlhon cpus in hybrid mainboards with both ddr266 and pc133 ram slots, most of them low quality mainboards that didn't survived but those cpus could work that way, what i never did was try to make them work with both ram modules, only had pc133 or ddr266 at that time, no idea if it could work with both simultaneously, probably not

[gandy]

You are correct. I just remembered that I have both types. Two that use SDRAM and the other DDR. I have quite a few DDR laying around but I put most of my larger SDRAM chips in other people's machines so they could keep using their old boxes.

[bicol_willem]

it is easier and since it is a good cpu, find a 512 ram pc133 module than try to make a slow usb 1.1 port work as a extremely slow ram module, if possible

Not that easy...... (at least here). Faced out long time ago. IF found the price would likely justify buying a new mainboard etc. End of fun.
I agree, a bit of luck and finding one or two of these 512Mb´s would do the trick but my hopes on this are slim.

[bicol_willem]

That seems bad news for me, I have not tried the last LXDE but made a remaster last year with the version available, put edu games, flash and wine and have been installing in PII with 256MB RAM (better with PIII), they work fine for the kids.

In my experience below 192MB RAM programs speed goes down fast and becomes unusable at 128 MB . I will update this days, hope it won't degrade the performance.

You better don´t ....

[Crow]

That seems bad news for me, I have not tried the last LXDE but made a remaster last year with the version available, put edu games, flash and wine and have been installing in PII with 256MB RAM (better with PIII), they work fine for the kids.

In my experience below 192MB RAM programs speed goes down fast and becomes unusable at 128 MB . I will update this days, hope it won't degrade the performance.

You better don´t ....

Not the version I installed in school but the one that I have in my machine.

I should try the new LXDE and do the same, would be cleaner in the end 

[bicol_willem]

I have a pile of old memory sticks.  I don't know how to read the part numbers for what they are, but if you tell me a part number for 512 MB or 1024 MB or whatever you can plug in, I'll take a look, and you can have 2 or 4
or whatever for postage.  I'm in NY, USA. --doug

Now THAT sounds very generous!
Partnumbers ....... You see I don´t have a 512Mb to check on that. Generally the capacity is somewhere given on the stick as well as the speed. PC100 or PC133, both is OK but preferable of the same. A SDRAM can be recognized at its 2 (two) lock slots rather then one like DDR. Physical ize is about the same. I got no more then 2 slots so I won´t be greedy  

[bicol_willem]

Antix on PII 128M
Install takes a while but its usable.

Thanks, will look at that as well.  Although I would rather stick to a PCLinuxOS version any kind. But if nothing goes I sure give it a try rather then giving up this box.