C306Z hardware upgrade?

**lurker1652** · 06-08-2022

I have a Ricoh c306z, which seems to work but trying to upgrade firmware lately with the Ricoh Upgrade Tool it locks up and I have to power cycle it.

This reminds me of PCs acting up when memory modules are damaged and I wonder if there's a memory test function to confirm the memory module is healthy.

Also, I wonder if changing the module for a bigger one and swapping the hard drive for an SSD would make it any snappier. Any experience in that regard?, are memory and disk upgrades any good?

**copier tech** · 06-08-2022

Originally Posted by lurker1652

I have a Ricoh c306z, which seems to work but trying to upgrade firmware lately with the Ricoh Upgrade Tool it locks up and I have to power cycle it.

This remind me of PCs acting up when memory modules are damaged and I wonder if there's a memory test function to confirm the memory modules is healthy.

Also, I wonder if changing the module for a bigger one and swapping the hard drive for an SSD would make it any snappier. Any experience in that regard?, are memory and disk upgrades any good?

The best & safest way to update the firmware is VIA the SD card method. The tool is very unreliable on many models & some users have ended up needing to replace the controller board after using the update tool after it fails half way through the process.

**UNICORNico** · 06-08-2022

Originally Posted by lurker1652

I have a Ricoh c306z, which seems to work but trying to upgrade firmware lately with the Ricoh Upgrade Tool it locks up and I have to power cycle it.
This remind me of PCs acting up when memory modules are damaged and I wonder if there's a memory test function to confirm the memory modules is healthy.
Also, I wonder if changing the module for a bigger one and swapping the hard drive for an SSD would make it any snappier. Any experience in that regard?, are memory and disk upgrades any good?

Currently it is in a trial period, but I have in 2 or 3 machines where the HDD, was replaced by an SSD because they were cheaper. And so far we have not noticed problems, the only difference has been that the device seems to boot the systems somewhat faster.

**lurker1652** · 06-08-2022

Originally Posted by UNICORNico

Currently it is in a trial period, but I have in 2 or 3 machines where the HDD, was replaced by an SSD because they were cheaper. And so far we have not noticed problems, the only difference has been that the device seems to boot the systems somewhat faster.

Good to know. What about memory?:
1. Is there a memory test function?
2. Is there a second channel to add another module?
3. If not additional module, would it add any value going with a module bigger than 2GB?

**lurker1652** · 06-08-2022

Originally Posted by copier tech

The best & safest way to update the firmware is VIA the SD card method. The tool is very unreliable on many models & some users have ended up needing to replace the controller board after using the update tool after it fails half way through the process.

Regarding the update, that would be my next step. The tool downloads and keeps the firmware files, so I will try with SD upgrade.

Just wanted to make sure memory module/s are healthy.

**UNICORNico** · 06-08-2022

Originally Posted by lurker1652

Good to know. What about memory?:
1. Is there a memory test function?
2. Is there a second channel to add another module?
3. If not additional module, would it add any value going with a module bigger than 2GB?

The problem with RAM is that we do not know the specifications of the speed BUS at which these memories must work in the controller.
533mhz or 1333mhz? If you do the test there is a risk that you will not recognize the RAM by the frequency. And to place one of more capacity, it is unknown what is the maximum that tolerates.

By how they are physically we can intuit that they are DDR2 or DDR3 in some cases, and according to what I look at most are Samsung chip, but the PCB belongs to RICOH itself.

Regarding the subject of testing, if I can tell you that at least in my experience and used RAM modules of copiers / printers in laptops and have worked, it will be a way to make a Memtest (one of the best programs for RAM testing).

**slimslob** · 06-08-2022

Originally Posted by lurker1652

Regarding the update, that would be my next step. The tool downloads and keeps the firmware files, so I will try with SD upgrade.

Just wanted to make sure memory module/s are healthy.

The files that the tools downloads are not SD card firmware. They are either package firmware or remote firmware. Remote firmware files can be installed using WIM.

**Gift** · 06-09-2022

I don't see the RAM as any potential bottleneck for a MPC306.

**UNICORNico** · 06-09-2022

Originally Posted by Gift

I don't see the RAM as any potential bottleneck for a MPC306.

After many years, I have the theory that Ricoh mainly uses HDDs as Virtual Memory, instead of using RAM for said processes, being faster. This may be due to how the Operating System (or its kernel) is designed on machines. In fact, it reminds me a lot of how some somewhat older versions of Linux worked, forcing the generation of a specific partition to Virtualize Memory.

**luca72** · 06-09-2022

Originally Posted by lurker1652

I have a Ricoh c306z, which seems to work but trying to upgrade firmware lately with the Ricoh Upgrade Tool it locks up and I have to power cycle it.

This reminds me of PCs acting up when memory modules are damaged and I wonder if there's a memory test function to confirm the memory module is healthy.

Also, I wonder if changing the module for a bigger one and swapping the hard drive for an SSD would make it any snappier. Any experience in that regard?, are memory and disk upgrades any good?

look! if you want boost your ricoh mf, at zero cost, you can disable the java enviroment from user tools>exension feature>auto start>[deselect java]

for the rest...i suggest that is born unsteady, and dies so...LOL...i think that if ricoh in 2022 use a mechanical hdd, probabily there is a reason