Urgent Help re SODIMMs - Have I been sent the wrong ones?

[WebbyWonder]

Hi Folks,

Please forgive me - I'm SODIMM about RAMs... Sorry, couldn't resist.

I have a feeling my first newbie question here is about a very basic thing I ought to know already, but I've searched for and failed to find the answer anywhere. I've bought some memory and need to know by 1159 GMT tonight if it's the wrong sort so that I can send the store an Email...

I have got a bod-standard old Dell Inspiron 1100 I'm trying to upgrade for my sister to use. (Haven't even flashed the BIOS since buying it new in, about May? 2003.)

It only has 256MB RAM - a pair of 128 slices filling the 2 slots - however, it can take up to 1Gig, so that's what I attempted to order...

I found a store (I hadn't heard of them but they had a decent score on PriceGrabber.) and chose ... 2 x 'A-Data' branded 512MB 200 pin DDR SODIMMs that were advertised as having PC2100/2700/3200 compatibility.

The package arrived on Friday... it contained 2 SODIMMs in small, plain, unsealed pink plastic sleeve type bags. There was no paperwork at all. That immediately worried me... Looking closely, the various memory chips on each board have no name etched on them and the labels stuck on them are plain white with...

DDR 200 PIN
PC400 512M

written on them, that's it. No barcodes, no logos, no serial numbers, no nothing. I was dubious about the things, but since the bags weren't sealed, I decided to try them in the laptop anyway. Obviously they fit OK, but whichever way round I tried them I just got a dreaded 4 beep code - It went beep-beep-beep -- beep! That's a memory issue alright.

So now that's where you folks come in, I hope...

I know very little about memory issues, but I have to assume that 'PC400' must mean 400MHz speed? As far as I can work out 400MHz is usually linked to PC3200, not PC2100, which is usually 266MHz...

I see many adverts offering RAM that is offered as 'PC210/2700/3200 compatible' and that's why I'm confused... Should the SODIMMs I've been sent be 'backwards compatible' and be able to work with a PC2100 setup?

If the new SODIMMs should work... there isn't any non standard hardware to cause a problem (mind you, it is a Dell ). So I was wondering if it might be due to never having flashed the BIOS... Do you think that might fix the problem?

If these units are not compatible with a PC2100 setup, I need to be sure of my facts so that I can send an Email to notify the company by 1159 GMT Sunday night so they'll give me an RMA on Monday (I hope... )

Anyone able to advise me, in simple laymans' terms... Please?!?!

Thanks in advance,

 

[WebbyWonder]

Well nobody answered, which was disappointing. I apologise for disturbing the peace here by replying to my own request for help!

Anywayyyyy... Just in case anyone's even vaguely interested - it appears that the Dell Inspiron 1100 requires special RAM. Yet another reason for me disliking them - they seem to make a habit of making things difficult... Needless to say, they sell suitable memory - at about twice the normal price.

Whatever happens, I'm not prepared to pay Dell's rip off prices ... Apparently Kingston does make compatible RAM and I expect others probably do too.

I guess I was actually quite lucky that the sticks I was sent were not the brand that had been on offer on the site. I sent an Email last night and used that reason to request a refund. I received a very pleasant Email this morning offering either a £5 (almost $9) refund as compensation for them having sent the wrong brand if I wanted to keep the sticks, or a full refund if I wanted to return the memory. Unfortunately I had to say I wanted to go ahead and return them and they sent the necessary RMA this afternoon. It's a shame because these would have been pretty cheap 400MHz sticks if I could have kept them.

So it's Dell 1, Me & the other company 0 ... ... so far at least.

Have a great 4th!

 

[kof2000]

u can plug them in and then run everest to check the brand of the memory and other info.

 

[penguinrusty]

PC400 means 200mhz.

 

[jancz3rt]

Hey

I would certainly try one stick and not put the other one in to see whether or not it works. If it does, then we will be talking about a different issue. Please try that first and then let us know. As for not replying, we all have our own lives and this forum is our hobby. Please be patient.

JAN