RAM For Dell Dimension 5100

Iconic

A friends Dimension 5100 has suddenly become very slow. It appears one of the memory sticks has become faulty because the RAM is now only showing as 246mb whereas two 256mb sticks are installed.

According to the Crucial web site the Dimension 5100 requires memory to be fitted in pairs.

These appear much cheaper than the Crucial option but are they compatible ?

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=104673

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=104003

davb

Iconic wrote: »

A friends Dimension 5100 has suddenly become very slow. It appears one of the memory sticks has become faulty because the RAM is now only showing as 246mb whereas two 256mb sticks are installed.

Are you sure this has changed, and where are you checking it. If the PC has shared graphics, then the system will allocate it before Windows sees it, so Windows will report less than is installed - although 10MB is unusual - 8MB maybe.

If you think the RAM is faulty, you need to check it with something like memtest86

Edit: reading again I see you are a full 256 missing, so I would reseat the sticks and run memtest.

Donnie

Sure...just chuck anything in. Some pieces of cardboard cut into the right shape will do.

Oh...you want it to actually work? Then stick to the specification!

What did the Crucial Tool specify? PC4200 or PC5300 or PC3200?

I'm thinking PC3200 or PC4200. Next, you need to determine whether the memory sold is high or low density. The way to go is to email the seller in order to ask if the module is compatible with your PC.

Your first link is not compatible, the second may be.

Better still, download and run CPU-Z; go to the About tab and click on HTML Dump. Save it and upload it so that I can take a look at it.

Though you should get a pencil eraser and clean the contact surface of the RAM, an upgrade is a good idea anyway.

prowla

If you do decide to buy from Crucial (I am a "satisfied customer" of theirs), don't forget to go via QuidCo (or a.n.other cashback site).

Taffybiker

Donnie wrote: »

...get a pencil eraser and clean the contact surface of the RAM...

This is actually a good tip, but an "ink" rubber works better.

Iconic

Donnie wrote: »

Better still, download and run CPU-Z; go to the About tab and click on HTML Dump. Save it and upload it so that I can take a look at it.

Have saved the file but don't know how to upload it

Will this part of it do?

Chipset

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Northbridge Intel i945P/PL/G/GZ rev. A2
Southbridge Intel 82801GB (ICH7/R) rev. A1
Memory Type DDR2
Memory Size 256 MBytes
Channels Single
Memory Frequency 199.5 MHz (1:1)
CAS# latency (CL) 3.0
RAS# to CAS# delay (tRCD) 4
RAS# Precharge (tRP) 4
Cycle Time (tRAS) 8
Bank Cycle Time (tRC) 12
MCHBAR I/O Base address 0x0FEDA0000
MCHBAR I/O Size 4096

Iconic

or this....

Memory SPD

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DIMM # 1
SMBus address 0x52
Memory type DDR2
Module format Regular UDIMM
Manufacturer (ID) Samsung (CE00000000000000)
Size 256 MBytes
Max bandwidth PC2-3200 (200 MHz)
Part number M3 78T3253FG0-CCC
Serial number 0303C5DE
Manufacturing date Week 08/Year 05
Number of banks 1
Data width 64 bits
Correction None
Nominal Voltage 1.80 Volts
EPP no
XMP no
JEDEC timings table CL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS-tRC @ frequency
JEDEC #1 3.0-3-3-8-11 @ 200 MHz
JEDEC #2 4.0-3-3-8-11 @ 200 MHz
JEDEC #3 5.0-3-3-8-11 @ 200 MHz

closed

reseat the ram

computershack

closed wrote: »

reseat the ram

Seconded. As the RAM heats up and cools down, it can "walk" a little - its called thermal creep. In addition to that, corrosion can build up on the pins between the socket and the memory stick.

Donnie

I was bit unsure of the set up, as I thought that all PC3200 was DDR. But seemingly that may not be the case.

So, the PC2-4200/4300 should be fine, but email the seller to confirm that it is Low Density memory.

The PC2-5300 in your first link will also be compatible, but give you no benefit over the module in the second link.

Iconic

Thanks to everyone for your help it is sorted now!

I tried resetting the sticks but that didn't work. A little apprehensively I then took the sticks out and used a pencil rubber as advised above (didn't have an ink one) , reset the sticks and the RAM now shows at 502mb!!

The computer still needs a bit more ram but it's amazing the difference in performance when the ram is 500mb against the previous 250mb.