I have access to 4 IOs: V1, V3, V4a and V4b.
Each work in their own way. All came with what looks like the same 32M SoDIMM, and all (except V1) are flashed back to V1 BIOS. All have the same sound chip.
My conundrum is that the V4b will not work with a 128M memory module. I've bought two. The first was from coast-to-coast memory. Presumably it's a PC100 Cas-2 part. It works fine in the other 3 I-Openers. The second is a Centon part from circuit city. It also works fine in the other 3 I-Openers.
In each case, I'm booting either the same or a similar (read cloned) version of Windows98. I have even tried to boot off the same HD.
The symptoms are these: All I-Os work fine with the 32M SoDIMM, Both WinChip I-Os work fine with the 128M RAM. The Rise I-O with gooped BIOS but without the 2 small switches next to the SoDIMM works fine (V4a). The Rise without goop and with the small switches next to the SoDIMM has strange results (V4b).
Using the coast-to-coast memory, the computer may not post. It will often post and allow me to get into the BIOS. It will typically lock-up while I page through the BIOS screens. If I let it try to boot Windows, I get a crazy-colored boot screen and immediate lock-up.
Using the Circuit City RAM the computer will always post and will allow me to page through the BIOS screens. It will not complete booting Windows if left alone.
If I start windows in the mode where you confirm every driver, I can get it to load for a while if I keep the viagart driver from loading. However, even then it eventually locks up.
I've set the BIOS memory config every imaginable way - it seems to make NO difference.
My 2 hypotheses are: 1) that this I-Opener was somehow set at the factory to 100Mhz x 2 and the timing requires a premium RAM, and 2) that there is some issue that does not properly initialize or register the RAM window for Video so that the machine gets confused what is memory and what is display.
Have others had this problem and if so, what was the remedy, if any? Have many folks been able to set 100MHz clock and 2 multiplier on the Rise CPU (or other) and confirmed operation with PC100 RAM?
Thanks
