RAM upgrade

S

staf

Member
hi

i was wondering if i could get some advice please?

i have an old Optiplex745 computer and it has 2GB of RAM in it

i want to put another 2GB of RAM in it

this is my fist time at this and i have a couple of questions

i have another old computer that would have DDR2 RAM that i could switch over. but is it as easy as putting it in? would it be compatible? does it just have to be DDR2? and then bingo it works?

and if it dosnet work and the computer dosent boot, would you render you computer broken if its not compatible? so if the RAM dosent work, is it as easy as taking it out again and booting the PC again and it would be fine?

i am aware of the risk of static electricity,

i have a couple of options, i can bring both computers to the shop and get him to switch them over, if the RAM dosent work, i can ask him if hes got some DDR2 lying around and put them in?

any advice on this would be great guys!

thankyou

https://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/optix/en/opti_745techspecs.pdf
 
beers

beers

Moderator
Staff member
How many sticks do you have currently?

You 'could try' adding the other DDR2, ideally you want to match speed, timings and voltage. Otherwise they typically negotiate to the slower stick for all RAM speed. If it doesn't POST you can simply take out the RAM you put in and boot it up again.
 
S

staf

Member
i could open up the other computer, but i dont want to risk static electricity, so i dont know what RAM is in it, , i dont mind paying a tech to do it

its an old computer and im pretty sure it has DDR2 from memory when it worked

ive kept it for parts
 
P

_Pete_

Active Member
Mostly different flavours of RAM have different keys on the connections. So the chances are that if you cannot get it in the slot it wont work, obviously. You could have RAM that has different speeds and timing but if it fits in the slot it should work. Problem with RAM, or any other bus in a computer, is that that particular bus will run at the speed of the slowest component. The easiest way is to go to Crucial and download the memory checker and it will tell you what you want. You don't have to buy it from Crucial although I have found Crucial to be fairly competitive. If you do use the case to discharge your static ensure that the computer is plugged in and turned off. You will not discharge yourself if there is no earth present. Going back to the RAM module if I'm digging round in my junk box for RAM that might be compatible I always check the connection keyway against the module that I have taken out.
 
_Glitch

_Glitch

Active Member
Actually ram speed on DDR2 can have comparability issues. So it's not just, "oh, it's ddr2. i guess i'll just buy whatever and it will work". RAM compatibility was a bigger issue back in those days.
But as beers mentioned, try. See if it works. But check the RAM speeds on them. The computer will clock down to the lowest speeds and highest timings.

If your other ram modile is slower i'll actually recommend buying a new 2x2 ram kit (or 2x4 if you are using 64bit) with the highest supporting speeds and ofcause good timings, but not the lowest. That just cranks up the price with little performance gain. (check the manual for RAM speeds support)
It's also better if the RAM modules are the same. Mismatching ram can in rare cases cause system failure.
 
johnb35

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
DDR2 ram is expensive. Would just recommend saving money and put into a new build.
 
S

staf

Member
hey folks

i finally got some more RAM in my computer!

i now have 4G of RAM and id like to get the specs of the RAM

so i downloaded CPU-Z and for some reason under the memory tab, there is no info and is blank. so i was wondering why this is so?

please excuse me, im still learning about all this, i tried to google my problem and didn't really understand the answers.

is CPU-Z the best way to get information on your RAM? or is there another way?

any help on this would be awesome!

thanks
 
beers

beers

Moderator
Staff member
Can you post a screenshot?

The sticks themselves should have a model or sticker that specifies speed and timings, unless it's super super generic ram
 
Laquer Head

Laquer Head

Well-Known Member
staf said:
i really dont want to open the case sorry
Click to expand...
Seriously? Whats with all these people lately being afraid to take out 1-2 thumb screws and slide a panel off? Unreal how some people want help but aren't even willing to do the most basic of tasks...o_O
 
S

staf

Member
hey folks, thanks heaps for your help

and no, i got a tech to put the RAM in

i found what i was looking for, it was in the *SPD* section of the cpu program

i am slowly learning about all this and its alot of fun!
 
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