Ram

[caddilac]

I was thinking of getting some more RAM for my computer (I only have 512 mb), but I have no idea what kind to get- there are so many different kinds out there. Anyone have suggestions for what type is good and maybe a good place to buy it for cheaper than Best Buy?

[zimmy]

it's cheapest to buy online. You need to buy the type based off what your mb can support. Give us Mobo model number and i'll tell ya. Also, the 512 you already have... is it 1 chip? or 2 256 chips?

[Thug Nasty]

The best place to get computer hardware online seems to be newegg. (www.newegg.com). I believe the best RAM company is Corsair. They have failed to dissapoint thus far for me at least. But if you shop around you can get a gig memory stick for $75. Let me know if you have any questions. Again like zimmy said, make sure your mobo supports it before you buy it.

[caddilac]

My motherboard says Dell REV AO1- not sure if that is the model number. I have 2 256 chips for RAM right now. I'm not sure what kind they are- I can pull one out if I it helps to know what I should use. Thanks.

[caddilac]

Okay I went to crucial.com because they said that they can find the right ram for your computer model. It said that I need a 240 pin chip? So I went to that other website to look for corsair chips that are 240 pin and found this.

CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 675 (PC2 5400) Unbuffered System Memory Model TWIN2X2048-5400c4 - Retail
Cas Latency: 4
Heat Spreader: Yes
Manufacturer Warranty: Lifetime
Timing: 4-4-4-12
Voltage: 1.9V
Model #: TWIN2X2048-5400c4

Does this look like it's good and might work in my computer?

[Thug Nasty]

I couldn't find anything for the 'Dell REV AO1', but if you're sure that it takes 240 pin then it's all good. But next question: How many RAM slots do you have? How much RAM do you want? How much are you looking to spend? If you're not a gamer or use heavy graphics programs or anything that would even require that much RAM, it would be somewhat pointless to have it.
-John

[caddilac]

My computer has 2 slots, so I was thinking of getting 2 1mb chips. The 2 chip set above is only $175, so I figure what the hell, I'll probably never have to buy anymore until my whole computer becomes outdated. Whats your opinion on the corsair chips that I posted?

[Thug Nasty]

IMHO, I would only get a single 1GB stick of RAM so you would have the 256 + 1 GB. It would save you a bunch, and still be enough for whatever purposes you might need more RAM for. But, I looked up that RAM and it looks like a good deal. As I mentioned before, Corsair makes very reliable RAM and you will not be dissapointed with it. And btw, they aren't chips, they're sticks :P. But overall seems like a good deal. Good luck with it and let me know how it turns out. Feel free to message me with any questions.
-John

[caddilac]

Thanks for your help

[kihop]

Crucial makes good ram too..i've used them for both mac and pc.

[zimmy]

uhhh... that model motherboard probably doens't s upport 1 gig per slot... might wanna check that first

[zimmy]

btw... that dell bit... it's the bios

[caddilac]

ah, that would probably be a good thing for me to know. what exactly will the model number look like?

[Thug Nasty]

uhhh... that model motherboard probably doens't s upport 1 gig per slot... might wanna check that first

Didn't think about that. Good call.
-John

[zimmy]

if it has a dell bios then i assume it's a dell factory machine right? Has some model number on the outside? If so... just tell us what the model of the machine is...they have standard parts

[Thug Nasty]

Zimmy, on newer Dells, don't they have standard parts where it's only possible to upgrade by upgrading through Dell? That might be a problem for caddilac. But I have a buddy that has a dell machine and he added RAM. Meh I dunno.
-John

[caddilac]

It's a Dimension 4700. I guess it actually has 4 slots for sticks (shows how much I know). The manual actually says it can handle 1gb per slot as long as it is non ecc memory. Any idea what that is?

[Thug Nasty]

Your System Information
Maximum Memory: 4.0 GB
Standard Memory: 512 MB (removable)
Expansion Sockets: 4 sockets (2 banks of 2)

Dell Dimension 4700 PC2-3200 (DDR2-400)

You need PC2-3200 RAM (DDR-400).
Check this out: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820221036

ECC is Error Correction Code Memory. On that ^^^ there is No ECC.

That might work for ya. Let's see what Zimmy thinks.
-John

[Billy_Bathgate]

i like OCZ im runnin ddr2-675 at 2 x 1gig...fast as hell and tight timings


timings prob dont mean anything to you

there are alot of good brands

look on www.pricewatch.com you can usually find it cheaper than new egg from there...but sometiems, the price lowest is at the new egg..just varies

[zimmy]

Your System Information
Maximum Memory: 4.0 GB
Standard Memory: 512 MB (removable)
Expansion Sockets: 4 sockets (2 banks of 2)

Dell Dimension 4700 PC2-3200 (DDR2-400)

You need PC2-3200 RAM (DDR-400).
Check this out: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820221036

ECC is Error Correction Code Memory. On that ^^^ there is No ECC.

That might work for ya. Let's see what Zimmy thinks.
-John

yah that would work. I don't know about the brand though. I usually only shop at newegg but you might wanna go to pricewatch with this ... i like kingston or ocz the best. But that has to do with timing issues. Usually that doesn't matter to average users but some of us are picky :P

Remember...even though you have 4 slots... there are 2 banks. Each set of 2 stand as 1 bank. If you have a gig chip in slot 1... then you either have to have slot 2 empty or have a matching chip in terms of size. So in your case...you'd either buy 4 512's or 2 1 gig chips and move that 512 to slot 3...or 1 1 gig chip and move the 512 to slot 3.