Help re more memory for dell pc

macman

Run the Crucial system scanner and it will tell you what you need-you may need to buy a matched pair of 512MB modules rather than a single 1GB module. You can then buy from them or elsewhere if you wish.

TakeThis

macman wrote: »

Run the Crucial system scanner and it will tell you what you need-you may need to buy a matched pair of 512MB modules rather than a single 1GB module. You can then buy from them or elsewhere if you wish.

You may have arrived to the party a little too late. They already know what they need(I wouldn't trust Crucial anyway). They only need help with the configuration.

A matched pair of 512MB PC2-4200 costing up to £15 or the replacement of the existing with 2 x 1GB of the RAM linked to in my post. £20 (they can fit the old RAM in slots 2 & 4 to go to 3GB at the expense of the clock rate. Though the added RAM could make up for any possible loss of performance in that respect). I'd go with the second option, funds permitting.

robmar0se

macman wrote: »

Run the Crucial system scanner and it will tell you what you need-you may need to buy a matched pair of 512MB modules rather than a single 1GB module. You can then buy from them or elsewhere if you wish.

I'd go with Macman's advice - IMHO Crucial are one of the best, with no quibble lifetime warranty. We use them exclusively because of the quality and low risk, only ever had one faulty item, which was replaced without any issue.

Good luck......

TakeThis

robmar0se wrote: »

I'd go with Macman's advice - IMHO Crucial are one of the best, with no quibble lifetime warranty. We use them exclusively because of the quality and low risk, only ever had one faulty item, which was replaced without any issue.

Good luck......

Strange because Macman's advice was not so different from mine, only hours later.
His suggestion to use the Crucial System Scanner was unnecessary, as the OP had already run CPU-Z (which tells you exactly what you have on-board. Unlike the Crucial Scanner which tells you only what they have for sale that is compatible with the machine. PC2-4200 is conspicuous by it's abscence. In addition to this, the scanner can get it wrong).

Since macman wrote that that the OP could purchase from Crucial or elsewhere, I'm not sure of which part of his advice you are in agreement.
The part to run the System Scanner?
The part to purchase a matched pair of 512MB?
Does that mean that you disagree with my suggestion of 2 x 1GB RAM?

smos585

Go with crucial, they're the best - pny are cheaper but IMO marginally less reliable - play are just a reseller and sometimes you don't know what you're going to get.

TakeThis

Seems as if people would rather ramp up the hyperbole about Crucial, rather than to advise the OP as to which configuration is best for them.
In reality the 10 year warranty of PNY RAM would outlast the machine anyway. But what is not being addressed, is if the OP should purchase 2 x 1GB modules or 2 x 512MB modules.

Price is not the issue, as there is only just over £5 between the quotes in any case.

John_Gray

TakeThis wrote: »

Seems as if people would rather ramp up the hyperbole about Crucial, rather than to advise the OP as to which configuration is best for them.

It would seem that people are saying that their experience with Crucial has been uniformly positive. That surely is valuable for someone who hasn't apparently done this sort of thing before?

Now that it established that the OP has Vista, the greatest improvement would be obtained by increasing the memory from 1 GB to a total of 2 GB, with a somewhat lesser improvement obtainable by further increasing the memory to a total of 3 GB.

So the OP just has to decide whether to buy an extra 1 GB (as 2 x 512 MB modules) or an extra 2 GB (as 2 x 1 GB modules).

wealdroam

TakeThis wrote: »

Strange because Macman's advice was not so different from mine, only hours later.
His suggestion to use the Crucial System Scanner was unnecessary, as the OP had already run CPU-Z (which tells you exactly what you have on-board. Unlike the Crucial Scanner which tells you only what they have for sale that is compatible with the machine. PC2-4200 is conspicuous by it's abscence. In addition to this, the scanner can get it wrong).

And CPU-Z can't get it wrong?
Is that what you are saying?

I too have had only good experiences with Crucial.

robmar0se

TakeThis recommendations are fine if price is everything and risk secondary.

For OPs that are not conversant and are more risk adverse, then it pays to go with the experts.

Crucial (aka Micron) are a major manufacturer supplier of RAM chips, they guarantee that the chips they sell will fit yr machine/motherboard. Comparing Crucial’s analyser to cpu-z is fine, no problem, but in this case we know the OP has PC4300, which was not made in huge numbers originally, and probably very little available today, even PC4200 is probably not made anymore, but I stand to be corrected on this. So the OP needs a specific technical recommendation of compatible RAM – surely its better to take a professional outfit’s recommendation, rather than unknown/unseen poster on these boards – dare I say it, we all get it wrong at times……..

The thing is if you buy from Crucial, and you have any problems, you can call them up, they are experts and they will advise, on this or any related RAM issue. If you buy from a reseller such as Play, you won’t get the same level of expertise..

You pays the money you make the choice.

For the price difference - £4 - I’d just get a matching pair of 2 x 1gb PC5300’s – put them is slots 1 & 3; the old 512mb x 2 in slots 2 & 4.

Have a great day........

TakeThis

robmar0se wrote: »

TakeThis recommendations are fine if price is everything and risk secondary.

For OPs that are not conversant and are more risk adverse, then it pays to go with the experts.

Crucial (aka Micron) are a major manufacturer supplier of RAM chips, they guarantee that the chips they sell will fit yr machine/motherboard. Comparing Crucial’s analyser to cpu-z is fine, no problem, but in this case we know the OP has PC4300, which was not made in huge numbers originally, and probably very little available today, even PC4200 is probably not made anymore, but I stand to be corrected on this. So the OP needs a specific technical recommendation of compatible RAM – surely its better to take a professional outfit’s recommendation, rather than unknown/unseen poster on these boards – dare I say it, we all get it wrong at times……..

The thing is if you buy from Crucial, and you have any problems, you can call them up, they are experts and they will advise, on this or any related RAM issue. If you buy from a reseller such as Play, you won’t get the same level of expertise..

You pays the money you make the choice.

For the price difference - £4 - I’d just get a matching pair of 2 x 1gb PC5300’s – put them is slots 1 & 3; the old 512mb x 2 in slots 2 & 4.

Have a great day........

That is exactly what I did.

You see, you agree with me after all. Is that not almost exactly what I wrote, to which you replied that you agreed with macman?

I didn't ever say that the OP should not buy the modules from Crucial, I suggested that I would not put my trust in the Crucial Tool and secondly for the OP not to be overly concerned with the hype around Crucial. Especially when the information is readily available on the DELL website.
I would rather trust the manufacturers website, than the Crucial Tool. Especially when I've already showed you that the Crucial Tool had it wrong when it came to an Advent machine. But you chose to put your blind trust in the Tool and formed your argument around it. Only after posting the machine's specs did you quiet down.

So whilst the Tool can be used as a guide, I would not fully depend on it.

In this case, as the price differential for 2 x 1GB is only around £5, the Crucial modules are a viable purchase in this case.

Since macman did not make a recommendation for 2 x 1GB modules, it appeared that you were recommending 2 x 512MB and going against my recommendation for 2 x 1GB and possibly moving the old RAM to 2 & 4.

I'm glad to see that you have modified your statement to be in agreement with my original recommendation, as it clarifies the position to the OP.

If the 'have a great day' comment was aimed at me... I am, thank you. Travelling around the world and currently in South America.
Hope you are having good weather there in Brighton.