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I'm looking to buy some more SDRAM for my pc since someone lost one stick of mine. I now only have 128mb running on xp and its isnt really enough.
So i was wondering, the 128 stick i have in runs at 100mhz but my motherboard is capable of PC133. Would it be worth paying a bit extra to buy a 512bm or two new 265mb sticks of PC133 or should i just get a 256 stick of 100.
also, is it true SDRAM being made now no longer down/up clocks to 100mhz if its PC133 and if so how can i tell which will or which just wont work
im confused =[
thought it might be worth mentioning i'll be getting it off ebay so it will most likely be the old type of sdram if it has in fact changed
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Most SDRAM is backwards compatible. In other words, you can run a stick of 133 in a 100 machine. Also, MOBOs have a limit on how many megs per socket they could handle, I would suggest you can your manual to make sure it's not more than 256 before spending the money for the 512 because your computer will only see 256 of it.
Clyde
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My motherboard can handle a 512mb stick
As for wether it clocks back, when i went to buy some ram from a shop they told me it simply wouldnt work if i added a 133 stick to my 100 stick. was he wrong? or maybe exagerating to cover themselves. He told me theyd changed how it was made so it was no longer possible.
ps: i only have 2 memory slots
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pc133 goes for about the same price as pc100 so you might as well get pc133. Both will work.
Pay close attention to the point above about what your mobo will take and won't take.
After shipping I think ebay may be the same or higher price then you can get new memory from pricewatch.com.
I'd get one stick of 256mb pc133 if I were you.
Decisions like these are a pain since you hate to throw money at an old system when you can rebuild, but if you rebuild you have to get a new case/psu/mobo/cpu/memory.
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"He told me theyd changed how it was made so it was no longer possible."
I've never heard that and tend not to believe it. Hopefully someone will post who is more sure though.
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I read here about so called high density ram here that shows up at only half it's size on older boards but I know nothing about speed problems. I run PC100 and PC133 together in an old slot1 board but they are all older sticks.
I upgraded a neighbours PIII 800MHz from 128MB PC100 to 512MB PC133 CL2 (2x256MB) and it became a lot faster at booting and running so it was really worth the money.
BTW:
Try out if your system works stable if you set the 128MB you have to 133MHz!
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ok what i'll probably do is go for a 256mb stick of pc133 when i see a cheapish one on ebay (is does seem to be genuinely cheaper on ebay here in the UK, looking at pricewatch i see the prices are the same number but in dollars)
and if i have the money or i cant get them to run at 133 i may get an extra stick later on.
Skunk how would i go about changing the 128 stick to run at 133, some setting in the bios? is there any danger to the other stick i put in if i do this?
thanks for all the help!
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"He told me theyd changed how it was made so it was no longer possible."
I have never heard that. SDRAM is an industry specifcation put together by JEDEC. That same organization has also published DDR and DDR2 standards.
Traditionally, you didn't mix different manufacturer DIMMS. This used to be more practical (electrical timing was sometimes different, standards were in developement) than it is now. Work published by JEDEC has generally eliminated this issue.
Other than that, you don't mix ECC and non-ECC SDRAM. As memory has increased in density (512MB-1GB is fairly dense), ECC RAM has become much more common and cheaper. SDRAM comes in buffered ECC, non-buffered ECC, and then regular non-ECC. Beside that, SDRAM PC133 is backwards compatible to PC100.
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ughhh. so is a 256mb stick of pc100 i buy likely to be ECC or non-ECC SDRAM? how can i tell
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Beware the high density/low density issue as was mentioned...& the max amount per slot.
http://howto.lycos.com/lycos/step/1,,5+30+82+23519+37366,00.html
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"how can i tell"
You read. Any respectable dealer will properly label the RAM in ad and on the package. Just buy new RAM from a reputable dealer, like newegg.com for example.
If your computer is a stock model (say HP Pavilion 7320, for example) go to a major memory site like kingston.com (many sites will feature listings) and look up what RAM is supported. Staying with the HP model example, here is its listing at Kingston.
It's still recommended you look at your motherboard's specifications. Since you will have your computer open, look for make/model label (maybe a sticker). Take this to the manufacturer's website and lookup all the data (perhaps in the manual) on that model. Then take this with you shopping. The motherboard information will be specific and tell you exactly what you can use.
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