Toshiba Satellite A205-S5804 - what is the real max memory?

[pcandemugamer]

Hi, I finally decided to upgrade my computer above its minimum memory of 2x512mb.

I decided to try to upgrade my memory to 4gb since I was told it was possible by reading about it online. These seem to be unproven rumors though, or just outright lies.

I bought 2x2gb of RAM and when installed the computer will hang at boot-up. With 1x2gb of RAM my computer will run fine, which is the current configuration my laptop has. However, I have also heard that 2.5gb is possible (and that something like 3gb is a supposed maximum). When installed, with the two possible configurations, it will either hang at boot as well or will run fine except the 2gb of ram is unrecognized and the computer only recognizes 512mb of RAM being installed.

Currently my computer has Vista home premium SP1 installed, with no driver upgrades as far as I can tell. (I can't even upgrade my x3100 graphics driver I think.) I upgraded the bios from 1.8 to 2.1 in hopes this would improve the incompatibility of RAM, but this is strangely not fixed still.

Can someone please give me some advice? Should I just return the (extra) 1x2gb and not use any of my old 512mb sticks? I'd like to improve my RAM above 2gb if possible, one reason I purchased this computer is because I read this was possible and it doesn't seem to be that way.

Also, was it an outright lie (or possibly a misunderstanding by tech novices) that these laptops were installed with any chipsets other than gl960?

Thanks for any and all help anyone can provide me.

[allan_huang]

Try putting both 2x2gb sticks in and see if MemTest86+ will reconginze it or try each 2gb stick by itself.
You might have a faulty ram stick.
If that does not work, retun the 2gb and get a 1gb stick? And aim for 3gb.

[Jernkar]

I had that happen in an A135 series with an Intel chipset. It would reconize 2-1gb sticks or 1-2gb stick, but nothing more than that. It wouldn't even POST, just a black screen. I also tried adding smaller sticks to the single 2gb and if it was over 2gbs total it wouldn't POST.