Unlock XRAM?

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03-21-2006, 11:16 PM
bigval

Unlock XRAM?

Ok, think there is a way to enable the locked out XRAM on the X-FI XtremeMusic sound card? They appear to have the hynix XRAM chip on board but the only cards with it enabled are the platinum and fatal1ty I believe, which are extremely expensive.

Anyone know any way to unlock this XRAM?

I'm thinking it might be physically cut off but who knows, its a soundcard and creative might not have laser cut it.

Pictured below:

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4421/xram1dh.jpg
03-21-2006, 11:32 PM
nn_step

That isn't technically XRAM, it is probably Cache memory or onboard DDR..
But as of yet I haven't heard of anyway to enable disabled ram on the X-FI boards
03-21-2006, 11:34 PM
Heretic

All of the X-Fi's have XRAM, the lower end ones just have 2mb instead of 64mb. So I'm thinking that: a)whatever is controlling memory access will limit it to 2mb, b)a large portion of the xram may be faulty (I don't know the technical possibility of this) or c) it's actually just a 2mb chip.
03-21-2006, 11:38 PM
bigval

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heretic

All of the X-Fi's have XRAM, the lower end ones just have 2mb instead of 64mb. So I'm thinking that: a)whatever is controlling memory access will limit it to 2mb, b)a large portion of the xram may be faulty (I don't know the technical possibility of this) or c) it's actually just a 2mb chip.

Ahh I see, thanks for that.

Maybe someone knows more about it?
03-21-2006, 11:41 PM
nn_step

why don't you post a good pic of the Chip and we can see what capacity it really is
03-21-2006, 11:51 PM
bigval

I would but I dont own the card, I'll try.
03-21-2006, 11:54 PM
bigval

It appears they use different chips, that one has hynix and this one has Samsung. Both are the xtrememusic version.
http://www.gamepc.com/images/labs/rev-xfi-cardLG.jpg

The numbers from the samsung chips are:

Samsung 434
K4S161622H-TC60

16MB chip? ^^

EDIT

Most cards I've seen are samsung, the only hynix I've seen is the one in the first post.
03-21-2006, 11:59 PM
nn_step

http://www.samsung.com/Products/Semi...K4S161622H.htm
looks like we will need to get a new chip if you want more onboard Cache
03-22-2006, 12:02 AM
bigval

So there is 512K of onboard memory, which is 16bit SDRAM?

But then it says 1Mx16 so 16MB? I'm not too good with this stuff as you can see LOL.
03-22-2006, 12:04 AM
nn_step

Could you please find me a good Pic of the Hynix chip please
03-22-2006, 12:05 AM
bigval

Quote:

Originally Posted by nn_step

Could you please find me a good Pic of the Hynix chip please

ASAP but can you answer the post above this?
03-22-2006, 12:16 AM
nn_step

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigval

So there is 512K of onboard memory, which is 16bit SDRAM?

But then it says 1Mx16 so 16MB? I'm not too good with this stuff as you can see LOL.

Some product specifications list the module organization. A module has rows and columns. 64Meg is the depth and x64 is the width. 64 million rows x 64 million columns. The math to calculate the size of the module is rows x columns divided by either 8 or 9. Confused? Non-parity non-ECC RAM have an even number of chips on the module (divide by 8). ECC RAM has an odd number of chips on the module (divide by 9). .In the example 64Megx64 the math is 64x64/8=512. An example of an ECC module would be 64Meg x 72, the math being 64x72/9=512. Don't stress about this too much. The vast majority of product listings will use other terminology as well so you don't need to rely on this to be sure whether the module is ECC or non-ECC.

edit which means 1Mbit x 16Mbit / (8bits per byte)=2MB chip
03-22-2006, 06:41 PM
Heretic

I'll be replacing my heatsink tomorrow (hopefully), so if you don't have a pic up then, I'll see what ram comes on my x-fi and take a pic.
03-22-2006, 11:12 PM
bigval

It is indeed a hynix chip, reading:

Hynix 536B
HY57V161610ET-6
KOR

Pic below:

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3673/dscn04432md.jpg
03-23-2006, 09:48 AM
nn_step

http://www.alldatasheet.com/datashee...61610ET-6.html
umm that is just a 2 Banks x 512K x 16 Bit dram

Perhaps it is a different chip...
03-23-2006, 05:16 PM
bigval

So the hynix is 1MB and the samsung is 2MB?
03-23-2006, 08:18 PM
nn_step

um the 2 banks make it 2MB..
03-23-2006, 10:55 PM
bigval

Thanks for everything man, good to know.
03-23-2006, 10:56 PM
nn_step

So as of yet, we have Absolutely ZERO pics of the 8MB chip..
03-24-2006, 12:44 AM
Sentential

I thought of this very thing some number of months back and its simply not possible. Its just a standard chip of DDR1 ram but the ones on all non Xfi etc are 8MB not 64MB. There's nothing to unlock or change, its simply not possible.
03-29-2006, 01:47 PM
slavearm

Even if you were to replace it with a higher density chip, is there anyway to actually test to see if it is using the extra memory?
03-30-2006, 02:25 PM
Revv23

Quote:

Originally Posted by slavearm

Even if you were to replace it with a higher density chip, is there anyway to actually test to see if it is using the extra memory?

it would need a bios flash so that the drivers reconize it as a fatality or platnum
03-30-2006, 06:41 PM
nn_step

what we need is a good Picture of the Fatality or Plat
04-04-2006, 05:42 PM
tricknasty

I am having mad problems with popping/hissing in games so i had my sound card out. This is a close up of a Sound Blaster X-fi Fatality. Hope thats what u guys needed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...y/100_1461.jpg
04-04-2006, 05:55 PM
nn_step

I'm not sure if the memory has been specially designed for Creative but you can't find the specific model (48LC32M16A2-75 C) at Micron's homepage.
http://www.micron.com/products/dram/...nsity=64Mb#x32
and it definately is a Micron Chip.
Atleast according to
http://www.nordichardware.com/Review...lse=441&page=3

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