News Enthusiast shows how to build 16MB 30-pin SIMMs to upgrade your vintage 386DX PC

[Admin]

If you have a 386DX PC you'd like to really max out the memory on, this project shows how to make your own 16MB 30-pin memory modules for it.

Enthusiast shows how to build 16MB 30-pin SIMMs to upgrade your vintage 386DX PC : Read more

 

[OLDKnerd]

I remember plopping memory chips into memory expansion PCB for Amiga 500.
My first venture in "PC" building.
But as i recall that was a 2.5 MB memory expansion

The 610 MB GWP harddrive addon, that was by far the major upgrade for that machine.

 

[bit_user]

My dad's 386DX-25 took chip RAM. I think he maxed it (or at least populated all the sockets) with 8 MB of memory, back when 2 MB was more typical. It was enough to run Windows 3.1 with ease, even at 1024x768 (on a 13" monitor). Once the internet came along, we added a modem and were running a TCP/IP stack + web browser with no problem.

I was chomping at the bit to do Windows development, since it was the easiest way to get a true 32-bit environment. In DOS, not only did you have the 640k limit (and I couldn't be bothered to deal with extended memory managers), but it was actually pretty annoying if you wanted to go beyond just 64k, because now you needed far pointers that had both a segment and offset component.

I just bought 64 GB for a desktop PC. I only did it to achieve a dual-rank DDR5 configuration, which is slightly faster than single-rank. I'm upgrading from a machine with 16 GB, which I still feel is pretty adequate. It does sort of boggle the mind that so much memory is even needed, but I blame a lot of that on the web (plus I tend to keep a fair few windows & tabs open).

 

[warezme]

I just bought 64 GB for a desktop PC. I only did it to achieve a dual-rank DDR5 configuration, which is slightly faster than single-rank. I'm upgrading from a machine with 16 GB, which I still feel is pretty adequate. It does sort of boggle the mind that so much memory is even needed, but I blame a lot of that on the web (plus I tend to keep a fair few windows & tabs open).

Yes I did the same have 64GB of RAM on my machine.

 

[jeremyj_83]

I just bought 64 GB for a desktop PC. I only did it to achieve a dual-rank DDR5 configuration, which is slightly faster than single-rank. I'm upgrading from a machine with 16 GB, which I still feel is pretty adequate. It does sort of boggle the mind that so much memory is even needed, but I blame a lot of that on the web (plus I tend to keep a fair few windows & tabs open).

I currently have 32GB RAM in my desktop and that isn't quite enough (48 would do) but I cannot add any more. When I upgrade this year (hopefully), I am going 64GB or maybe 96GB. I need it so I can use my desktop as a virtual home lab. With 32GB RAM it wasn't quite enough to run 4x ESXi hosts with vSAN. They each need 6-8GB RAM and my OS boots using 8GB already so I might have starved out my OS. With 64GB I can do that quite easily and have more virtual hosts to play with.

 

[TerryLaze]

That's nice if you are a DIY er and enjoy tinkering and building stuff, but picomem is just like "hold my beer"

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hVe8E5TiWc

 

[bit_user]

With 32GB RAM it wasn't quite enough to run 4x ESXi hosts with vSAN. They each need 6-8GB RAM and my OS boots using 8GB already so I might have starved out my OS. With 64GB I can do that quite easily and have more virtual hosts to play with.

Have you looked into using containers? They can probably substitute at least some of those VMs, but with much lower overhead and more flexibility.

 

[jeremyj_83]

Have you looked into using containers? They can probably substitute at least some of those VMs, but with much lower overhead and more flexibility.

I'm a VMware Administrator so I need these to be virtual hosts. I can then run containers on the hosts if I want.