Novice needs to add memory to pc?

ssparry

I am bit of a novice when it comes to the technical side of my pc. Having spent nearly a year with an incredibly slow pc, I have spent some time on here looking at similar threads and it seems pc needs more memory. It currently has 256mb. I have been on cruicial.com and found what I need (I think) can I get the memory cheaper on Ebay? Is it safe to buy on Ebay?

It says on crucial.com that I currently have PC2100 installed, and that each memory slot can take upto 1gb PC2700, assuming its ok to mix these (not exactly sure what they are)?

Would it be better to go for an additional 256mg or 1gb? I use the pc a lot during the day, and every evening just mainly for internet and the odd letter! I also have a lot of photos stored.

Is it relatively easy to add the memory? Is it just a case of putting it in or is there wiring required? The pc is hidden in a desk so I can't get it out at the mo, but which part will come off to give access? The top and front look fixed on so I am ssuming it will be the back (typical)

cheqmate06

No cables required when upgrading ram but be careful when choosing as very easy to get wrong type(to my own experiences).To get inside case should be held on by two screws at back and once removed these will let lid slide off.

penrhyn

Memory is dead easy to change, its simply a matter of plugging it in.
If you are running XP you could get away with another 256M, if it were me I'd probably add a 512m card as you won't get much benefit from any more.

You could benefit from clearing out the junk from your PC as well using something like Ccleaner and maybe defragging your HDD.

I would recommend you get the memory from Crucial, it may not be the cheapest but I've never had any problems with them.

Now watch the Video:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SiFIgSQOY7g&feature=related

BillScarab

If you're running XP I think you need at least 512Mb and 1Gb wold be even better. You can mix memory speeds but if you put a faster (pc2700) stick in with a slower (pc2100) stick the faster memory will run at the same speed as the slow memory. I wouldn't buy memory from ebay, Crucial are not that expensive and they don't charge postage. Also Crucial memory has a lifetime warranty and if they have recommended the wrong memory for your machine they will replace it. I've seen reports of people having memory 5 years old replaced by them before now.

Depending on the cost and how much you want to spend I would either buy one 512Mb stick or one 1Gb stick.

DatabaseError

i'm with bill on this one, the price of 1 gig is so low its not worth thinking about less, and if you have 2 slots i'd stick 2gig in. as to ebay, i've never had any problems with ram from there, and i've bought both new (for desktop pcs)and 2nd hand (sodimm for lappys)(except the latest lot i bought, which i'm still waiting for after a week(£4/gig!)). i would worry about 2nd hand for a desktop because you never know if its been seriously overclocked, and it could be a bit flakey.

[MaccA]

Hi ssparry,

Technically you can mix RAM speeds (PC2100 & PC2700) but I have known friends do this and have incredibly unstable PCs. No damage was done, it just needed the new chip removed (or the older one) and it went back to normal, but its worth bearing in mind.

Given the price of RAM nowadays I think I'd buy 1GB of the fastest your computer will take (generally the higher the number the better) and remove the old stick completely. That way you're not only quadrupling your memory level but also increasing the speed your computer can "talk" to that memory.

As the others have said, installing RAM is easy, just find a spare slot and push it in until it clicks (you might have to push quite hard).

Worth noting is that RAM does have a 'primary' slot, so if you take the old RAM chip out, make sure the new one goes in the same slot. If you're leaving the old one in then the new one can go in the slot alongside it.

Good luck

[MaccA]

weegie.geek

The price of DDR2 is so low it's not worth thinking about less, Tony, but the OP's using old DDR which is still in the region of £30 a gig.

Also, penrhyn seems to say that more than 768MB won't make much difference in XP. While this *might* be true in the OP's case (i'm saying this because they've got a 133fsb processor, which will be pretty old and slow by today's standards) it's certainly not true for everyone. I'd advise 1GB for XP, or 2GB if you can afford it. Most people will notice the difference imo.

If the OP fancies spending a little more money for a much faster PC all round, then for £100 they can upgrade to a low-end dual core which will still pee all over their current setup, a new motherboard, and 2GB of DDR2 ram. Considering that 2GB of DDR would cost something in the region of £60, you have to question the validity of upgrading a DDR-based system's ram.

ssparry

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280209374000&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=018

Thank you so much for all the replies, can someone have a look at the above link and see if thats a good buy? I'd get one from crucial.com, but if I can save £10 then that would be great, as it is this money is having to ocme out of my daughters birthday fund!

PROLIANT

Don’t forget your ESD (Electrostatic discharge) protection, an antistatic earth strap for your wrist will cost you around £3.00 and will save tears and expense from killing your RAM with static.

ssparry

omg is there a chance I can electricute myself doing this?

Nilrem

you shouldn't need to worry about hurting yourself when fitting ram*, but you can damage/kill some PC parts like memory if you're not careful to ground yourself when working on it.
Basically if you get too much of a static charge you can damage the part.

I would recommend making sure the machine is turned off at the mains, but leaving it plugged it, then touching the bare metal of the case every now and then whilst fitting the ram (and try to avoid wearing nylon and wool, or anything else that creates a lot of static).


*Unless the case is cheap and nasty, in which case have some sticky plasters handy (I actually keep a few in my tool kit after slicing fingers open on cheap cases with razor sharp edges).