New RAM (1 Viewer)

[Peter McDonald]

Hey everyone! Here's my current specs:
Celeron 400MHz
64MB RAM (in 2 PC100 32MB DIMM's)
Max RAM: 512MB PC100
DIMM slots: 2
I just ordered a PC100 256MB DIMM for my computer. My question is: Can I use the 256 module with one of the 32 modules for a total of 288MB RAM? Or are they incompatible?
Thanks,
Peter
P.S. I don't believe they are same brand of RAM, if that makes any difference...

 

[CRyan]

Yep, they can be used together...theoretically speaking. Some brands of memory will not like each other. Some brands of memory may like each other just fine in one board and not another.
Try it and let it boot. If it counts off the memmory correctly, then great. If not, then switch their positions. If still not working, you may be stuck using "only" 256.
C. Ryan
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[Rob Gillespie]

Some motherboards may have problems with 256 sticks (my Asus CUBX does), but you wont know until you try it. But there's certainly no problems with mixing differing amounts of SDRAM. The older SIMM memory used to have to be inserted in pairs.

 

[Peter McDonald]

Thanks for the reply. Is there any chance that this could damage my computer by using these together? (even a remote chance...).
Peter

 

[Peter McDonald]

Thanks Rob. You posted as I was just replying...
Peter

 

[CRyan]

The only real chance you have of ruining the PC is if you physically break it when you are trying the sticks. If you have a store bought PC, then things may be very tight in there. Have you looked inside yet? Simply getting to the slots in some PC's can be very demanding. You may have to take IDE cables out etc to get to them. If that is the case don't wory about it hurting anything, just REMEMBER where they all go when you are done!
Also, it is sometime hard to press those suckers into the slot. Make sure you know how they go in and have them oriented correctly before you go pressing the hell out of them to get them to seat properly.
C. Ryan
[Edited last by CRyan on August 29, 2001 at 03:45 AM]

 

[Iain Lambert]

One small word of warning, depending on the type of memory you've just bought you may find that the marginal performance gain you get from that extra 32Mb isn't enough to counteract the fact that your new stick may be faster than your old one. If thats the case, then the 32Mb one will hold back your performance.
Note the word 'may' all over that sentence. Try it with some benchmarking software, your milage will almost certainly vary.

 

[Peter McDonald]

Thanks guys. I have looked inside the computer, I have installed things in it before (DVD, CD-RW, Soundcard, TV Tuner, H+ DVD Decoder, 32MB stick of RAM) so I'm not too afraid of physically breaking it. I just wanted to make sure nothing else could happen
Iain, I have heard that somewhere before. I guess I'll have to try it with and without the 32 to see which way is better.
Thanks again everyone!
Peter
Edit: Iain, would you know of any good benchmark programs to test this?
[Edited last by Peter McDonald on August 29, 2001 at 01:09 PM]

 

[Iain Lambert]

I was just using 3D Mark 2001 to see what overall performance gains I got, but you might try MemTach which seems to give a quite detailed memory test. The best benchmarks though are always ones that use the applications you are interested in.