Anyone good with RAM types?

[MCW]

Hi all,

Quick Question, going to make use of the spare ram slot in my laptop and purchase another stick of memory for it, Problem is, What type of ram do I need to buy? I have heard a matched set of ram is a lot better but that means more cost to me, especially with the stick of ram in slot one being perfectly functionable.

the laptop is a Dell ATG D630, if anyone has any idea then that would be great. I think the memory in it is DDR2 - 6400 type... but need this confirming...

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Crucial http://forum.crucial.com/t5/Standar...ow-what-kind-of-memory-to-purchase/ta-p/67481 are very helpful with this kind of thing.

Question
How do I know what kind of memory to purchase?
Answer
Crucial makes finding the right upgrade easy. We offer two ways to find the right memory — our System Scanner tool and our Memory Advisor™ tool.

Our System Scanner tool automatically scans your system to tell you about your current memory configuration and recommend compatible upgrades for your specific system.

Or, use our award-winning Memory Advisor tool, where we've compiled all the information you need into one easy-to-use, searchable database. Our Memory Advisor is the most complete tool of its kind, with more than 250,000 solutions for over 50,000 different computers, printers, servers, and more. All you have to do is tell us what system you have, and our Memory Advisor tells you what upgrades will work for you. And we guarantee the memory you buy through the Memory Advisor will be 100 percent compatible with your system, or we'll refund the price of the incompatible module.

 

[MCW]

i will have a look cheers

 

[wintonian]

If your going to go poking around in a laptop then you'll need this, and particularly pages 21-23.

 

[Donny Dave]

The Crucial system scanner is a brilliant little tool to determine what memory you can put in a PC/laptop, and what the capacity of the RAM slots are. However, I advise against buying from Crucial though, as they can be on the pricey side ....

 

[table38]

Watch out for restrictions in mixing different types (registered, unregistered, size, speed etc.).

We just bought some workstations with 12 x 2GB DIMMS already installed, but the 8GB upgrade DIMMS we bought to bump up the memory wouldn't work when mixed with the 2GB DIMMS in any combination so we ended up throwing all the 2GB DIMMS away

As with PaxVobiscum's suggestion, the Kingston memory finder can be helpful as well. http://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search/options/

 

[MCW]

So I might be better off getting 2 x 2GB sticks, which are DDR2 - 6400. That speed and type will work in my laptop as I have read up on it this morning, However, I'm not sure if using my stock DDR2 - 5300 with an aftermarket 6400 would be a good idea as there would be two varying speeds

 

[table38]

Short Answer: Yes

Long Answer: You really need to find the technical documentation for the laptop and see if there are any restrictions. I'm not an expert on Dell kit, but as a general rule, if you mix speeds it will either not work, or work at the lower speed.

There is a manual here ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_laptop/esuprt_latitude_laptop/latitude-d630-atg_User%27s%20Guide_en-us.pdf but it's not especially helpful.

The best I could find on t'net was:

What memory type should you use?
You should use DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) SODIMM modules for notebook computers.

Can you install different size RAM modules into the laptop?
Yes, you can. For example, you can have a 1GB module in the socket A and install a 2GB module into the socket B. Your laptop will see 3GB total.

But if you want your memory to operate in dual-channel mode (better performance), you’ll have to install identical size and type memory modules into both sockets.

 

[MCW]

Yes I found that same info as well in that quote of yours. After a bit of debating and research again, I plunked for 2 x 2gb's of ram compatible with my particular laptop for £28 off ebay brand new. Hynix brand as well which apparently is a good company.

now that's sorted I just need to try and sort out the most recent graphics card driver, which is a lot harder than I thought. apparently the newest one is 2007 which it isn't.... ah well

 

[table38]

I think that's what we call "built in obsolescence". You really were supposed to go out and buy a new laptop y'know

There is a driver here which suggests it's 2009, but I haven't downloaded it to check!

 

[Crossover]

My understanding is if you mix RAM, it will work at the lower speed (and if you buy faster RAM and the mainboard isn't designed for it, it will also throttle back)

Pairing RAM *tends* to be less of an issue these days and I have certainly installed a few mixed sets before, but it all depends on the device.

I believe Crucial tends to be a little more costly due to the lifetime warranty they have on their kit

Also, bear in mind that if you only have a 32 bit OS, don't bother trying to go over 4GB, as the laptop will simply be unable to use it (on a 32 bit system with the 4GB max installed, the system will probably be able to use somewhere around 3.5GB of it, as the 4GB limit includes all the other memory chips too)

 

[wintonian]

If your going to go poking around in a laptop then you'll need this, and particularly pages 21-23.

Umm, I posted a link to the service manual here.