Older computer memory trouble

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

I power on the system, I get no beep, no video, and a strong burning smell. I quickly disconnect the power and remove the RAM and see that one pin in one of the RAM slots is burned/melted and so is the corresponding pin on the stick of memory.

What you describe has nothing to do with memory speed or jumper settings. These are the classic symptoms of a short circuit from power to ground. It was hot enough to stink in probably three seconds, that's a lot of energy.

Without having the mobo and memory in front of me, I can't say exactly, but likely it's the wrong kind of memory for the mobo. Check the spacing of the gold contacts - the pitch of the 66 is probably larger & further apart than the 133.

The damaged socket should not be used if possible. If you must use it, clean the metal contacts (a toothpick is a good tool), even if you need to cut away some of the burnt plastic. Yes, there's a risk of damaging the 133 stick, but if you do, you learn two things: PC133 memory is fairly cheap, and the mobo is fried. Of course, all might return to normal, and so there you are.

Memory is supposed to not fit if it's the wrong type, but that's not always the case, especially between fairly distant generations of the same form factor, and also anything will fit if you push hard enough.

Spend an hour cleaning up the mobo on the bench, and see what happens. Good luck.

Don