I have a couple questions about upgrading my RAM. Here are my system stats: P133 24MB RAM 6 Gig Hard Drive (not that it matters) I have 5 slots for RAM on my motherboard. 3 are filled, two of them with identical RAM boards which have 8 thick black things on them. There are no serial numbers I can find anywhere on these boards. I also have another board which has 4 thin black things. On the top right of the board it says v1.0 On the green part of the board it says HT04/1MX16/TSOP There is numbering BC1 to BC5 and U1 to U4 along the top part of the green. On the first, 3rd, and 4th black thing it says: 0116160BT3D 70 28H4954 IBM 1452 P51001WO PQ and on the seond one it says the same thing, but the bottom two lines instead are: IBM 5352 Q11A00WO PW I know my computer came with 16MB of RAM and I know that my uncle put in 8 more 2 years ago, but I don't know how much RAM is on each board or which one(s) my uncle put in. The two identical ones are in the bottom, and 2nd from the bottom, the 3rd and fourth from the bottom are empty, and the top one has the one with all of the serial numbers. When I start up my computer it says 24MB EDO DRAM at Row (s) 2 and for SDRAM it says nothing. Under my system tab in Windows it says 24.0MB of RAM. OK, there's all my info. My questions are: What type of RAM should I tell my computer store I need if I want to upgrade it? Will I be able to buy 16s and put them in the two empty slots, or if I want more than 5 sticks of 8 (I'm assuming the ones I have are 8 each, but I don't know), or 40MB or RAM will I have to get rid of all my RAM now and put in new sticks that are all the same size? How do I upgrade RAM? Just put it in and Windows automatically detects? Or do I go automatically detect hardware, under Add New Hardware in the Control Panel, or do I have to do something else? What would happen if I touched one of the black things on the RAM? Would it wreck it (just curious)? The main reason I want more RAM is because I can't afford a new computer, but I want to be able to play RealPlayer videos with a good framerate. A friend of mine has a P166 with 32MB RAM and he gets good framerates, and someone told me they get excellent framerates with a P133 and 80MB RAM. Most people I talk to think RAM is the deciding factor when it comes to multimedia and RealPlayer. Do you think more RAM will help me get a better framerate? Myabe my friend with the 166 gets a good framerate not because of his higher RAM, but because he has MMX and I don't? Could this be it? Would more RAM help me get better framerates, cause my RealPlayer is pretty choppy on 300kbps files? Is there a website that will help me learn to install RAM, learn about RAM, learn about the different types of RAM, or have a index of serial numbers of RAM types? If there is a website you know of that has at least one of these things and is a good quality source, please let me know. Is there any chance that even though new RAM should work with my old RAM, it might just not? Might it be safer to chuck what I have and get all new RAM? If I get rid of my current RAM to install new RAM, how would that work? Would I even be able to start my system without any RAM installed if I have taken the old stuff out, but am still installing the new stuff? That's a lot questions, I know :), but hopefully I can get some of them answered. I appreciate you taking the time to read this. Thanks.

Lee: 1)Your system will not boot without RAM. 2)DO NOT TOUCH THE IC'S ("little black things") on the memory boards!!!!!! DO NOT TOUCH the board without touching the metal case of the computer (and hold on to the case when installing the new ram). 3) purchasing new ram will cost you as much as getting a used P200 system with 32 MB 4) your buddy's 166 w/mmx will always be faster than the 133, no matter how much ram you add. 5) Each of your sticks are 8MB 6) you do not have to have Windows detect anything. RAM is detected by the BIOS when you first boot the system. Windows will allocate what it uses automatically. 7) You should buy two or four 16 MB sticks and install them. Make sure they are all of the same type (EG: EDO, Non-EDO, etc.). 8) shop at Fry's electronics (west coast electronics store). 9) Go to the library and checkout some "repairing and upgrading PC" books. 10) Good luck.

^^ merits applause ^^

Yup - clear, concise and to the point.