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PC Forum PC Help Forum » Hardware » Memory » [Answered] Upgrading RAM. Easy?....NOT!

Memory - Upgrading RAM. Easy?....NOT! posted in the Hardware forums; I am looking to upgrade from the two 512 Mb stick I have to two 1Gb sticks. So I am looking around, doing as much research as I can before ...

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  #1  
Old 10-31-2008
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Default Upgrading RAM. Easy?....NOT!

I am looking to upgrade from the two 512 Mb stick I have to two 1Gb sticks.

So I am looking around, doing as much research as I can before purchasing. using the "memory configurators" on several different sites that sell, or manufacture memory, and got more and more confused the further along I went.

Here's what I have, according to SIW, and Belarc. ( I am narrowing it to the Basics)

MOBO is an Intel D845GERG3.
Processor is an Intel Pentium 4, 2.4
I built this PC myself from parts I aquired, and/or had lying around, and the MOBO and processor are from a Gateway E Series, E-4000.

So. Here's what I came up with, and this is where it get's confusing.

According to the Crucial.com PC scan tool, I need DDR 333 (PC 2700). OK, cool.
Memorystock.com says DDR 333 (PC 2700) too.
So does Newegg.com, BUT also has DDR 400 (PC 3200) listed for it too!

Tiger Direct and corsair.com don't even have the E-4000 Series listed.

4allmemory.com says I need DDR 266 (PC 2100), and so does Upgradememory.com

So basically, I got two websites telling me 2700, two telling me 2100, two telling me they don't even know what the hell I'm talking about, and one that's pretty much saying "Well, We THINK you can put 2700 in it, but you MIGHT be able to put 3200 in it too!"

SHEESH! WTF? Someone please tell me what is going on here?

Any recommendations? I am thinking of going with the Kingston 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR333 (PC 2700) Desktop Memory, Model KVR333/1GR from Newegg.


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Old 10-31-2008
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Default Re: Upgrading RAM. Easy?....NOT!

Hello fordktpjoe and welcome.

Since you are dealing with parts that came from a Gateway the wisest thing to do would be check the sticks that are in it to see what they are.

Most memory has an identifying label stuck to it and that would be the preferred way to ensure you are looking at the right product.

As far as being able to run different memory the way it works is that you could in fact run PC3200 on a board that uses PC2700 due to backwards compatibility but the memory would run at the slower speed thus depriving yourself of its full potential.

The thing with Gateway though is that they were known for proprietary issues so the backwards compatibility that works well with most any other board could be an issue.

Comes right back to checking what's in it being the best plan of action.


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Default Re: Upgrading RAM. Easy?....NOT!

By the way if you don't have the labels on your memory and can't identify it for sure then you could download CPU-Z install it and it will tell you what speed your memory is running at as well as some other info.


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Old 10-31-2008
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Default Re: Upgrading RAM. Easy?....NOT!

OK, the chips don't have stickers on them, I got them out of another old PC I had laying around here...it was one of those you get from the little "mom and pop" computer places.

Here's what CPU-Z told me. (that's a pretty cool program, BTW)

Slot 1. Samsung 512 Mbytes SDRAM DDR PC 3200 (200 MHz) Manufactured in week 2, 2007.

Slot 2. Xerox 512 Mbytes SDRAM DDR PC 2700 (166 MHz) Manufactured in week 25, 2002.

Didn't realize how BAD a match these were! But Hey, she's been running ok for a year or so now. bet she'd run even better with some matching chips that run at 333 MHz as opposed to 166....Ya reckon?


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Default Re: Upgrading RAM. Easy?....NOT!

It's running a stick of PC3200 now so I'd get a pair of 1GB PC3200 which should be readily available and more useful down the road should you decide to pass them off as there are a lot of boards running DDR400.

You'll definitely get better performance with a matched pair.

Now to get back to your original post the memory you were considering is sufficient for that boards needs though it's a shame that motherboard isn't dual channel capable.


  #6  
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Default Re: Upgrading RAM. Easy?....NOT!

Well darn. I already ordered the PC 2700. That's OK I'll just live with it, I am quite sure I'll still see an improvement.



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