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KEYSTRON MK2DS168E-60 16MB 30pin EDO for a Macintosh SE/30

Posted by: gsprod on 2026-03-07 18:29:56 Hello there, I bought 8x16 MB EDO 30-pin memory sticks on Amazon, hoping to use them in my newly recapped Mac SE/30. However, when I install them (4 of them), I get a garbled screen. If I replace the first stick with a 1 MB stick, it works, but I only see 4 MB. 1. I know all the sticks need to be the same, so I suppose that explains why I get 4 MB. It seems to recognize my 16 MB sticks as 1 MB, I suppose. 2. I also know that, without a ROM change, the Mac SE/30 supports only 4 MB sticks. I was hoping that without a ROM change it would recognize them as 4 MB until I replace the ROM (I’ve ordered a Garrett’s Workshop 8 MB ROM, but it will take a few weeks to arrive). What do you think about these memory sticks? Should I wait for the new ROM, or should I send them back to Amazon because they will never work? many thanks for your advice.

Posted by: mikes-macs on 2026-03-08 10:10:47 Send those back and get a refund. You don't want those. Here is what you need for your SE/30. 16MB OWC Memory Upgrade Module Upgrade your Mac memory and save money by trading in the original factory memory chips. Includes a lifetime OWC warranty. eshop.macsales.com They definitely work, I have 8 of them.

Posted by: gsprod on 2026-03-09 02:00:50 Thank you @mikes-macs Are your memory recognised with a stock original rom ? Are thet considered as 4m stucks or yoy are getting errors ? Thanks again. G.

Posted by: mikes-macs on 2026-03-09 06:01:23 With a stock ROM only 8 MBs are seen, but I have a genuine Mac IIsi ROM SIMM (rare) in my SE/30 and that will recognize all of it. All 128 MBs are recognized with 32 bit addressing enabled. I also have another Mac SE/30 with a Rominator II that will recognize all with 32 bit addressing enabled. No errors but with the Mac IIsi, the memory test at boot is still enabled and takes almost 3 minutes before boot. I believe the Rominator II has the memory test disabled.

Posted by: gsprod on 2026-03-09 14:39:46 thanks for your advice.

Posted by: Aeroform on 2026-03-10 23:36:44 I run these same ram sticks without issue (with stock rom and mode32). Make sure they sit correctly in the slots (modern ram sticks are a bit thinner than the old ones). You might have gotten a bad stick or two so might be worth replacing through amazon to rule that out. Also, hardware issues on your motherboard could cause wierd things to happen as you go up in memory size.

Posted by: Byrd on 2026-03-11 01:03:02 I've never heard of the SE/30 stock ROM not detecting 16MB SIMMS; once you get the right stuff it should be OK

Posted by: iantm on 2026-03-20 19:13:42 My keystron simms are on the way… I’ll report whether they work or not. Though I just noticed mine are FPM and not EDO.

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