Upgrading RAM - Need Some Advice

[double b26]

i want to upgrade the RAM in two of my machines. although i can afford to buy all new sticks for both, i would prefer to spend as little as possible on this upgrade. well, not necessarily as little as possible, but if i can cut some corners and save some cash, it would be great!

basically, ive been using the dell as my 'daily driver', and the compaq is around for backup and for my g/f to IM, play (simple) games online, etc while im on the dell doing my thing. so my main concern is getting a matched set of memory (probably 2x512 or 2x1024) for the dell. both motherboards have only 2 memory slots, and i was thinking that i could put the memory currently in the dell into the compaq, since it will be just laying around anyway... i might as well use it, ya know?

here is what im working with...

DELL

Motherboard

Current Memory

COMPAQ

Motherboard

Current Memory

i dont know much about memory and all, so what im wondering is if i can use the samsung and promos memories together in the compaq. the way i understand it (please correct me if im wrong), the speed will be limited by the slower of the two, so it would run at the pc2100 speed. however i was thinking that, theoretically, it would still provide an improvement to preformance... and i wouldnt notice the faster stick being limited, since the compaq already runs at the slower speed anyway. so basically, the memory speed would be the same, but i would have 1024mb overall instead of the current 512mb. is this correct?

another thing i was wondering about... at first, i was just going to buy a matched stick for both pc's (1 samsung for compaq, 1 promos for dell). i searched for a matched promos stick to throw into the dell, but i cant seem to find any for sale. i am wondering if it is important to get the exact same stick, or if a different brand of the same specs would work with it the same? basically, if i get a [brand X] 512mb, 400mhz, CAS 3 stick, would that be the same as a matched promos stick? or are different brands totally different in some way? plus it seems that i can spend less money buying a matched set instead of 2 single sticks. thats why i have been thinking that i would just get 1 matched set for the dell, and use the old stick in the compaq.

while im here... is there anything else i should know about my equipment as far as memory goes before i go buy (motherboard limitations, etc.)? does anyone have suggestions by the way of what memory i should get for the dell? more or less, i have a budget of around $100 for this upgrade. if i cant use the promos stick in the compaq, i will probably only be able to afford 1gb for the dell. if the promos can be used in the compaq, i will get 2gb for the dell. if i go with a 2x512 set, im looking to spend about $50. if i go with a 2x1024 set, im looking to spend around $100. ill probably buy from newegg, and here is what they offer...

newegg - 1GB (2x512)
newegg - 2GB (2x1024)

THANKS FOR THE HELP!!

EDIT: both pc's are running xp media center edition 2005. the compaq is a pentium 4 and the dell is a celeron d.

 

[PC eye]

The Dell runn DDR2 PC3200 400mhz memory and probably maxes at 2gb or memory with only two dimm slots. With only two on the CompaQ that could be 2gb or max at 1gb with a pair of 512s installed if an older board for the DDR266 PC2100 266mhz standard seen there. The model of each would help to be more specific here since the specifications for each system will show precisely what it supports.

When installing faster memory on a system that generally sees a slower speed the faster memory will be slowed to the standard the board supports if you can run the memory. Some older prebuilds could only run single sided dimms while newer run the dual sided. That's where the specifications come in again since you can't mix types and see working results while faster memory of the same type may simply be slowed down.

 

[double b26]

The model of each would help to be more specific here since the specifications for each system will show precisely what it supports.

http://www.computerforum.com/105555-multitasking-pentium-4-celeron-d.html

in thread linked above, about 6 posts down, i posted cpu-z reports for both machines. does that give you the system info you need?

so, in lay-mans terms, can i mix those two sticks of ram and use them in the compaq? can the dell handle 2x1024mb sticks? sorry, but like i said, i dont know much about this stuff. i need simple terms.

thanks for the reply.

 

[johnb35]

The dell can take up to 2gb of pc3200 memory, and usually aren't picky about what brand of memory used.

The compaq can take up to 2gb pg pc3200 memory and most likely picky about what brand and model of memory.

Use www.crucial.com to get compatible memory for the compaq machine. Dells aren't usually picky so you can use any brand

 

[PC eye]

For the CompaQ that maxes at 1gb of PC2100 memory according to the specifications seen at http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...lc=en&product=306764&lang=en&docname=bpb11749 This is HP's own specifications page seen there. DDR266 memory as the standard.

For the Dell,

333- and 400-MHz DDR SDRAM
NOTE: DDR 333 and DDR 400 memory runs at 266 MHz when configured with Celeron 400 MHz FSB processors

NOTE: DDR 333 memory runs at 320MHz when configured with Pentium 4 800 MHz FSB processors

2gb max as seen in the product specifications page at http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim3000/en/SM/specs.htm#wp1075801

 

[double b26]

john and pc eye,

okay, thanks for helping me out. i know it took you some personal time to hunt down those specs, but i do appreciate your effort. thanks again.

 

[PC eye]

No matter type of system or even custom build you work with finding the needed information for each item if custom or overall view if prebiult is the first thing. From there you know what your options are and what is supported. You simply do this stuff a few times and you will find that one out easily. But it can save you a number of headaches when mistakenly ordering the wrong thing!

 

[double b26]

well that makes perfect sense to me. i work on cars a fair amount, so the analogy would be similar to trying to order a new car part, but you dont know the anything but the year, make and model. there could be a wide variety of engines and other options that you will need to know to get the correct part. so the same thing applies here. im not real knowledgeable when it comes to the internal of computers... i can use one, but dont know much about the fine details inside. but, im learning and thats the important thing. so thanks again.

on another note, this morning i decided that the only real way to know for sure whether the memories would work in the compaq was to just give it a go. hell, i already had the covers off the towers to take those pics, so i went ahead and yanked the dell's memory and threw it in the compaq. it worked. in system information it showed that it had .99 gb, so i guess that is the motherboard limiting the total amount to a shade under the 1gb limit.

then i pulled them both from compaq and put them into the dell. it works in there as well, but the system info shows 1.00 gb. i guess that's because the motherboard isnt maxed out yet, so it shows a little more.

i have cpu-z report screenshots from both, and i will post them up here for you to check out (just for kicks) in a while... after i put the memory back into the compaq.

since the two stick do work in the compaq, i guess i will go ahead and pick up 2 gb (2 x 1gb) of memory for the dell. do you have any suggestions about which ones i should go with (from newegg link above)??

EDIT: i was leaning towards the G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory. they are the 2x winner of the customer choice award, and out of 600+ reviews they have a 5-egg rating (except 3% rating them 1-4 eggs). it seems like a lot of people have bought them, and are happy. plus they have free shipping, so what i would pay for some of the cheaper ones + shipping would total about the same dollars. what do you think?

 

[PC eye]

The information on the Dell itself shows the memory standard and commonly known front side bus is 333mhz not 400mhz while supporting DDR400 PC3200 memory. Later when upgrading you may end up with a far newer board taking DDR2 or DDR3 making any memory bought obsolete.

The smart move simply to see 2gb now would be to go for some good value memory for the prebuilt Dell and later plan out maybe your own custom case where you then can look at some real options. Many like GSkill while the top performers usually end up being Corsair, OCZ, Kingston, Crucial, and a few others for gaming builds.

Corsair and Kingston even the more premium brand OCZ offer value as well as performance memory to consider while price is one thing you want to kept down for the most part. 2gb of DDR memory still sees a higher price then that seen for DDR2 800 memory apparently.

The first link shows PC2700 memory(standard for the Dell) by three good brands. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...5+1052308477+1052407860&name=DDR+333+(PC+2700)

For PC3200 which can also be run on many Socket 929 boards the value memory is mixed in with the performance memory as well as a few more brands at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...5+1052308477+1052407862&name=DDR+400+(PC+3200) The two seen for less then $100 there along with GEIL namely PNY and Super Talent are the budget brands wihile Mushkin, OCZ, Kingston, Crucial, and the remaining are far better choices.