Optiplex GX620 memory limitation

The 620 will run 64 bit windows.  HOWEVER it will STILL ONLY SEE 3.5 gigs period end.

So I'm not sure what you mean by "incorrect".

The bios A11 will show 8 gigs on the tower version but the OS if 64 bit will not boot.

According to Intel's own specs

http://intel.ly/R5SMbF

the GX620 chipset is limited to 4 GB.

This is incorrect.  I am seeing vendors offering GX620 desktops with 1 year warranty selling Windows 7 Professional 64 bit machines out there in the market.

Hi
Sorry but your statement was unclear.  As I kept reading it about twice or
thrice, then it became clear.

It would have been much easier to read, had you phrased it somewhat like
this:
With 4 GB RAM, OS 64 bit will boot but will only see 3.5 GB.  With 8 GB
ram, the OS will not even boot leave alone using 3.5 GB.

But thanks much for all your answers on the GX620.  It helped me move
forward if I should consider buying it.

Sincerely

I rate the GX620 as a Good Buy due to the ram being cheap and it having the ability to do windows XP thru Win8 with the Pentium D or other Pentium 4 that supports NX.  Unfortunately many of the older P4's do not support NX or even emt64.

I can buy GX620 towers locally with Pentium D for $99 or less.

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Some say they have gotten it to work with PC@-6400, 800MHz RAM, but I have never been able to get one to work with it.

Mine is quite happy with 2x2gb of PC6400, but it won't boot Windows with 4x2gb of the same.

Older versions of the Bios don't like it.  Use BIOS A11.

BUFFERED, ECC, REGISTERED, RAM does not work.

Ram goes into slots 1  then 3   white tabs.  Then Slots 2 then 4  Black Tabs.

1 dimm works.  2 dimms work   memory should be matched pairs.

Mixing speeds and vendors is always an issue.  aka toshiba with hynix and micron etc.

No point at all in using 4x 2 gig dimms because it does not allow you to use it.

[quote user="Thunderbill"]Some say they have gotten it to work with PC@-6400, 800MHz RAM, but I have never been able to get one to work with it.

Mine is quite happy with 2x2gb of PC6400, but it won't boot Windows with 4x2gb of the same.

[/quote]

The other really annoying thing is that in the BIOS Setup it will show all 8 gigs of ram and it will POST and boot with 32 bit XP.

The minute you install  an X64 os however windows crashes to the black screen of death.

Hi Osprey4

Just signed up this forum. May I ask you questions about my Optiplex GX620?

It's a single core I think  (Intel) R (Celeron) R  CPU 3.06ghz

3.06ghz RAM and I wan to install a 320g HDD SATA that Dell Disc in Austin sold to me this week

It is presently loaded with WinXP and I want to install Win7 on the new hard drive. Any particular

Win 7 installation I should use and is all this compatible?   Appreciate your input.

The booting statement is incorrect.

I have a optiplex gx620 mini tower that has win 7 home premium 64 bit and it boots fine.

If you put 8 gigs of ram in it will not boot with a 64 bit OS.  The statement is not incorrect.

The bios will actually show 8 gigs installed.

With 32 bit XP the system will boot but again have 3.5 gigs period end.

This is a chipset limitation.

The system steals ram for the onboard INTEL Video.  The frame buffer steals regardless of whether or not there is a PCI video card or not being used.

If you add 8 Gigs its the same issue even with 64 bit OS.

They have recently updated the Microsoft catalog for AD198X codec to say

I have seen inexpensive 900 Series Pentium D's on Ebay and Amazon

SL9QQ seems to be the max for a 5150

Intel Cpu Pentium D 945 3.4Ghz Fsb800Mhz 2Mbx2 Lga775 Dual Core Tray

Intel - P-D 3.4GHz/4M/800 Dual Core CPU SL9QQ 

6 used from $12.00

Hello. 

The GX620 will boot and properly utilize a 64-bit operating system, so there must have something else going on to cause that issue.  Try using the clean command from within the windows utility "DISKPART" to completely clear your boot disk (DISKPART is accessible from a windows 7 and above supervisor command prompt).  If using windows XP then you can try the disk management snap in or FDISK and remove all partitions.  When you are certain that your boot disk is completely blank place it back to the normal configuration and reinstall the operating system that you are having a problem with.  If you still have the problem then try a completely different disk (also try disk cable just to be sure).  Also the memory that you are using may not be compatible with 64-bit operating system, though that may be a long shot.   I would try installing to a completely blank disk drive.

With regard to memory, you can install 8gb and it will show up in the BIOS and even show up in the 64-bit OS, but it will not be usable.  So even with a 64 bit OS the maximum amount of memory available to the OS is 4gb, even with BIOS A11.  Its a hardware issue with the chipset and is unresolveable, believe me I've tried and if I can't get it to work it probably will never work...  fyi...   Best regards.

With regard to memory, you can install 8gb and it will show up in the BIOS and even show up in the 64-bit OS, but it will not be usable.

Mine wouldn't boot Windows (8 x64) with 8gb installed.