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I'm looking to upgrade my VERY old PC with a nice, fat RAM module.
First things first, it's PC-2100 DDR SDRAM (184 pin). I have 512 now (2x256), and want to move to (uh...256 + 1024 is...uh...)...anyways, I want to add a 1GB single module to one of the 256 modules already present (only 2 DIMM slots available).
I found http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820141172
Seems like a good buy.
Any opinions on said upgrade?
Ouroboros
Please check out the "Crucial" memory site.
Also, please remember that mixing memory types can give you problems....... I would prefer same maker........... and at least same speed and clock latency (CL)............ OK I break the rules all the time, but only on my own stuff :D
Not all motherboards support 1gb sticks. Make sure you look at that first because you might be waisting your time trying to get something to work that will never work :-p
You will want to check your motherboard manual to be sure: It's possible it only supports a certain total size of RAM, and only up to a certain size for any individual stick. (Or even only certain sizes at certain speeds, depending on what kind of FSB jumpers you have, etc.)
Pricewise, that looks pretty good at first glance. I haven't heard of Pqi, but memory is increasingly a commodity these days anyway, so as long as you've got a pretty good return or RMA policy going...
If it'll support the 1 gig stick chunk the 256s and get 2 1 gig sticks:)
Yes, a lot of older MoBos will not support 1Gig strips. That is why I suggest that you visit the "Crucial" memory site, as they have a very good memory finding tool.
All you have to do is enter the MoBo or brand name PC details and it will tell you what is supported :)
Two sticks always better than one.reason being that if one bombs out you can still use your pc.
184-pin ram is old? Yikes, some of my units are running 168-pin sdrams...
Yes brokencrow, I did wonder about that............ PC2100 is 184 pin DDRAM, it cannot be SDR as well................... that is 168 pin and runs at 3.3volts rather than 2.5volts. Both are synchronous data rate.
If it really is PC2100 DDRAM (which the PC2100 implies), then I would guess that the machine is about 5+ years old. If it has two DIMM slots, then I would say that in all probability, it will only support 512Mb sticks. This machine is of about that age and will only support a Gig of RAM (2 x 512 PC 2700), and I built many machines around that time that had similar MoBos.
XP wasn't around and ME/98SE is likely to be unstable with more than 512Mb. The greater capacity was for people wanting to run Win 2000 or even NT 4.0
Hell, back then 1Gb sticks were as rare as hen's teeth and cost a fortune?
It would help if we had more details on the make model of computer/motherboard?
:)
EDIT: DDRAM is designed to be backwards compatible, so if his MoBo would support it, he would probably be better off with a total of 1Gb of PC2700, rather than 1280Mb of PC2100. By "support" I mean having a 333MHz FSB as opposed to 266MHz.
Well, I've got some 4 mb 30-pin chips if anyone needs 'em.
Call me old-fashioned. :)
Funny you should mention that brokencrow, I have been looking for some 4Mb 30-pin for some time.
I aquired a Gateway 2000 a while back. It has 8Mb at the moment, and runs Windows 95 rather sloooooooooooooowly :D I was thinking of putting Win 3.11 on it, if I couldn't find any RAM.
I have some 1Mb 30 pin, but they are not compatible :(
A Gateway 2000 with 30-pin slots? Those were nice units in their day. I thought they'd evolved to 72-pins by then. Or are there both?
Hi brokencrow, this is a fairly early one, which is why I am interested in getting it running as it should.
It has all ISA slots and a 80386 Cyrix processor. I happened to have an ISA 33.6 Modem which fits and works........... but I haven't managed to get it on the net yet :D
Yes the memory slots are all 30-pin 4Mb.
It has a Stars and Stripes sticker on the base with "made in the USA", so it predates offshore assembly.
:)
Whoa, 95 on a 386? He-heh, I remember years ago a friend bought a used PC with that same setup and he complained it was slow too.
**sigh**
I suppose I may have to dig up that old ram and send it to you?
You wanna a laugh? The mfg'ing company I work for now is running a couple of old 486's still. One's a one-piece Compaq 486sx 25 we use for programming our phone system. I chuckled when I saw Win 3.1 running in the server room.
:)