Installing RAM

Milquetoast · 12-05-2005, 10:33 PM

I'm thinking of getting some RAM for my computer, but I was wondering, would I be able to install this? I mean, considering that I've never did anything like that before, and know absolutely nothing about the inner workings of a computer.

Inactive · 12-06-2005, 06:10 AM

you will need to know your motherboard model and number. you can use pcwizard (1 of many) and download it here.

http://www.lavalys.com/

then you can go here and see what kind of memory they recommend.

http://www.crucial.com/index.asp

crazijoe · 12-06-2005, 08:03 AM

Piece of cake. I would not worry about it. If you need help, we are always here to guide you.

Inactive · 12-06-2005, 08:14 AM

sorry i pasted the wrong link for PCwizard. it should be

http://www.cpuid.com/

the other link directs you to everest - but they have removed the home(free) version. although the others are 30 trial versions.

~~whodat~~ · 12-07-2005, 10:57 AM

check this
http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardw...utorials/50/1/
good luck

Milquetoast · 12-07-2005, 07:47 PM

All right, I downloaded PC Wizard, and I'm assuming Mainboard is just another term for Motherboard, right? Because I don't Motherboard anywhere.

And I checked the site where I was supposed to get a recommendation on what type of memory to buy, and I downloaded the Crucial System Scanner. And after double-clicking the file now on my Desktop, it opened a txt file, which was unreadable.

If I just copy and paste the information I got from PC Wizard here, would anyone mind telling me what kind of memory I should buy?

~~whodat~~ · 12-08-2005, 03:38 AM

ok then
if you would mention what type of system you have, motherboard-processor-exisiting ram..i would be happy to.
please download this program to aquire some needed info about your system
http://majorgeeks.com/Belarc_Advisor_d1385.html

Milquetoast · 12-08-2005, 01:04 PM

Same thing again. After downloading this, an encoded txt file opened up. I was wondering if this was because I have txt files set to automatically open in notepad. Should I use something like Word Perfect instead?

Here's the information I get from PC Wizard on the system summary section:

Mainboard : Dell Computer Corp. (0G1548)
Chipset : Intel i845G
Processor : Intel Celeron @ 2400 MHz
Physical Memory : 128 MB (1 x 128 DDR-SDRAM )
Video Card : Intel Corporation 82845G/GL/GV/GE/PE Integrated Graphics Device
Hard Disk : ST340014A (40 GB)
DVD-Rom Drive : HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4481B
Monitor Type : Dell Computer DELL E773c - 16 inchs
Network Card : Broadcom Corp BCM440x 10/100 Integrated Ethernet Controller
Operating System : Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 5.01.2600 Service Pack 2
DirectX : Version 9.0c

I figured I'd just copy it all incase it was relevent somehow.

Also here's more information from the Mainboard section.

Manufacturer : Dell Computer Corporation
Mainboard : Dell Computer Corp.
Bios : Dell Computer Corporation
Chipset : Intel i845G
Physical Memory : 128 MB DDR-SDRAM
LPC bus : Yes
PCI Bus : Yes
AGP Bus : Yes
USB Bus : Yes
SMBus/i2c Bus : Yes
Bus HyperTransport : No
Bus CardBus : No
Bus FireWire : No

Off-Topic: Also while browsing around reading some of my system information, ( a lot of which looked like a foreign language to me ) I noticed that under Processor, it said that my my Processor Fan was working at 0 rpm. I was wondering if that means I need a new one.

~~whodat~~ · 12-08-2005, 04:51 PM

The boards based on chipsets supporting 533MHz FSB, namely on i845G and SiS650, were tested in the following system:

Intel Pentium4 2.4GHz CPU with 533MHz FSB;
2 x 256MB PC2700 CL2.5 DDR SDRAM by Crucial;
Fujitsu MPF3153AH HDD.

and here
http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc?id=46899

Milquetoast · 12-08-2005, 05:42 PM

I'm sorry, could you try to be a little more clear? I have the site you linked to open in another tab as we speak, and I really have no idea what I'm looking at, sorry.

I've never bought RAM before, so I really don't understand what most of this stuff means. I see it says DDR-SDRAM, and I also see where it has the size listed, ( 768 MB ) but I'm still a little confused. And I don't know how much of the stuff listed is relevent or not.

And again sorry, I hate to make this more difficult than it already is.

~~whodat~~ · 12-09-2005, 03:41 AM

order ...2 x 256MB PC2700 CL2.5 DDR SDRAM by Crucial, but honestly, i think you should have someone install it for you.
good luck

Milquetoast · 12-10-2005, 08:49 PM

No, I think I'll be fine installing it on my own.

And also, can't I go any higher than 256MB? Or is that as far I'm currently able to go with my system?

~~whodat~~ · 12-11-2005, 05:37 AM

slots can probably populate 512 sticks
but as the 2 systems on that board showed, they both had pc2700, i would stick to the crucial.
good luck

Milquetoast · 12-16-2005, 10:10 AM

Oh yeah, I completely forgot, I'm also gonna need to get a new hard drive.

I currently have a 34.2 GB hard drive by the way.

Volt-Schwibe · 12-16-2005, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milquetoast

No, I think I'll be fine installing it on my own.

And also, can't I go any higher than 256MB? Or is that as far I'm currently able to go with my system?

if you order the 2x 256 sticks he is referring to, that is two sticks of 256 each, for a total of 512 megs ram.

this should be enough for most things, unless you are into heavy gaming, or video editing, or things like that.

if you are into things like that, then you would be better off with two 512 sticks, for a total of 1024. (if your board supports the 512's)

Volt-Schwibe · 12-16-2005, 11:14 AM

is this the board you have, a dimension 2400? http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...m_en/specs.htm

if it is, then you can use 512's.

thing is, nowhere on that page does it list the motherboard by name, but it has the same chipset.

also, you don't mention the model number of your dell, or if it's a dimension.

let us know if that's what you have.

Milquetoast · 12-16-2005, 12:17 PM

Yeah, that's it, a Dimension 2400. But I think I'll just try the 256's for now.

Oh, and what about the hard drive? The model number is ST340014A by the way, I dunno if that helps or not.

Volt-Schwibe · 12-16-2005, 12:22 PM

then yes, if that's what you have, it says you can run 128's, 256's, or 512's.

as far as the hard disk,

IDE hard disks are standard for the most part.

basically, your board is new enough you should be able to go get just about any IDE hard disk and put it in there.

also, with most hard disks you get a disk cloning tool, so you can migrate the current drive's data over to the new one, and not have to reinstall.

Milquetoast · 12-16-2005, 04:46 PM

Well, I guess that just about covers it. Thanks for the help.

Milquetoast · 12-17-2005, 09:35 AM

Sorry, but if it's not too much trouble I'd like some help picking out a hard drive. I know you said pretty much anything should suffice, but seeing as I know very little about this thing, it kinda just feels like I'm randomly pulling a name out of a hat.

Anyway, I'd like something fairly cheap with about 100 GB of storage space.

12-05-2005, 10:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
Milquetoast Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 16 OS: WinXP	Installing RAM I'm thinking of getting some RAM for my computer, but I was wondering, would I be able to install this? I mean, considering that I've never did anything like that before, and know absolutely nothing about the inner workings of a computer.

12-06-2005, 08:03 AM	#3 (permalink)
crazijoe Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Omaha, The Center of the Universe Posts: 7,632 OS: WinXP, Win2K3 My System	Piece of cake. I would not worry about it. If you need help, we are always here to guide you. __________________ Microsoft MCSA + Messaging, MVP, A+, Network+ http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3...other/Help.jpg Do you want a real Republican? HDD diagnostic tools / HDD data recovery software

12-07-2005, 07:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
Milquetoast Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 16 OS: WinXP	All right, I downloaded PC Wizard, and I'm assuming Mainboard is just another term for Motherboard, right? Because I don't Motherboard anywhere. And I checked the site where I was supposed to get a recommendation on what type of memory to buy, and I downloaded the Crucial System Scanner. And after double-clicking the file now on my Desktop, it opened a txt file, which was unreadable. If I just copy and paste the information I got from PC Wizard here, would anyone mind telling me what kind of memory I should buy? Last edited by Milquetoast; 12-07-2005 at 07:49 PM.

12-08-2005, 04:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
~~whodat~~ Register user Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 5,931 OS: XP	The boards based on chipsets supporting 533MHz FSB, namely on i845G and SiS650, were tested in the following system: Intel Pentium4 2.4GHz CPU with 533MHz FSB; 2 x 256MB PC2700 CL2.5 DDR SDRAM by Crucial; Fujitsu MPF3153AH HDD. and here http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc?id=46899 Last edited by whodat; 12-08-2005 at 04:54 PM.

12-16-2005, 10:10 AM	#14 (permalink)
Milquetoast Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 16 OS: WinXP	Oh yeah, I completely forgot, I'm also gonna need to get a new hard drive. I currently have a 34.2 GB hard drive by the way. Last edited by Milquetoast; 12-16-2005 at 10:11 AM.

12-06-2005, 06:10 AM	#2 (permalink)
Inactive Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,704 OS: ~	you will need to know your motherboard model and number. you can use pcwizard (1 of many) and download it here. http://www.lavalys.com/ then you can go here and see what kind of memory they recommend. http://www.crucial.com/index.asp

12-06-2005, 08:14 AM	#4 (permalink)
Inactive Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,704 OS: ~	sorry i pasted the wrong link for PCwizard. it should be http://www.cpuid.com/ the other link directs you to everest - but they have removed the home(free) version. although the others are 30 trial versions.

12-07-2005, 10:57 AM	#5 (permalink)
~~whodat~~ Register user Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 5,931 OS: XP	check this http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardw...utorials/50/1/ good luck

12-08-2005, 03:38 AM	#7 (permalink)
~~whodat~~ Register user Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 5,931 OS: XP	ok then if you would mention what type of system you have, motherboard-processor-exisiting ram..i would be happy to. please download this program to aquire some needed info about your system http://majorgeeks.com/Belarc_Advisor_d1385.html

12-08-2005, 01:04 PM	#8 (permalink)
Milquetoast Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 16 OS: WinXP	Same thing again. After downloading this, an encoded txt file opened up. I was wondering if this was because I have txt files set to automatically open in notepad. Should I use something like Word Perfect instead? Here's the information I get from PC Wizard on the system summary section: Mainboard : Dell Computer Corp. (0G1548) Chipset : Intel i845G Processor : Intel Celeron @ 2400 MHz Physical Memory : 128 MB (1 x 128 DDR-SDRAM ) Video Card : Intel Corporation 82845G/GL/GV/GE/PE Integrated Graphics Device Hard Disk : ST340014A (40 GB) DVD-Rom Drive : HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4481B Monitor Type : Dell Computer DELL E773c - 16 inchs Network Card : Broadcom Corp BCM440x 10/100 Integrated Ethernet Controller Operating System : Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 5.01.2600 Service Pack 2 DirectX : Version 9.0c I figured I'd just copy it all incase it was relevent somehow. Also here's more information from the Mainboard section. Manufacturer : Dell Computer Corporation Mainboard : Dell Computer Corp. Bios : Dell Computer Corporation Chipset : Intel i845G Physical Memory : 128 MB DDR-SDRAM LPC bus : Yes PCI Bus : Yes AGP Bus : Yes USB Bus : Yes SMBus/i2c Bus : Yes Bus HyperTransport : No Bus CardBus : No Bus FireWire : No Off-Topic: Also while browsing around reading some of my system information, ( a lot of which looked like a foreign language to me ) I noticed that under Processor, it said that my my Processor Fan was working at 0 rpm. I was wondering if that means I need a new one.

12-08-2005, 05:42 PM	#10 (permalink)
Milquetoast Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 16 OS: WinXP	I'm sorry, could you try to be a little more clear? I have the site you linked to open in another tab as we speak, and I really have no idea what I'm looking at, sorry. I've never bought RAM before, so I really don't understand what most of this stuff means. I see it says DDR-SDRAM, and I also see where it has the size listed, ( 768 MB ) but I'm still a little confused. And I don't know how much of the stuff listed is relevent or not. And again sorry, I hate to make this more difficult than it already is.

12-09-2005, 03:41 AM	#11 (permalink)
~~whodat~~ Register user Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 5,931 OS: XP	order ...2 x 256MB PC2700 CL2.5 DDR SDRAM by Crucial, but honestly, i think you should have someone install it for you. good luck

12-10-2005, 08:49 PM	#12 (permalink)
Milquetoast Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 16 OS: WinXP	No, I think I'll be fine installing it on my own. And also, can't I go any higher than 256MB? Or is that as far I'm currently able to go with my system?

12-11-2005, 05:37 AM	#13 (permalink)
~~whodat~~ Register user Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 5,931 OS: XP	slots can probably populate 512 sticks but as the 2 systems on that board showed, they both had pc2700, i would stick to the crucial. good luck

12-16-2005, 11:14 AM	#16 (permalink)
Volt-Schwibe Asst. Manager, Automotive Forums; HJT Trainee Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Behind you, watching you as you type. Posts: 7,372 OS: Click "My System" to view details My System	is this the board you have, a dimension 2400? http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...m_en/specs.htm if it is, then you can use 512's. thing is, nowhere on that page does it list the motherboard by name, but it has the same chipset. also, you don't mention the model number of your dell, or if it's a dimension. let us know if that's what you have. __________________ <signature> TSF is funded by our Admin's pocket, care to help? Power Tip: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. New Members: Creating a single new thread in the correct section is the best way to assure your thread will receive a reply. </signature> Last edited by Volt-Schwibe; 12-16-2005 at 11:17 AM.

12-16-2005, 12:17 PM	#17 (permalink)
Milquetoast Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 16 OS: WinXP	Yeah, that's it, a Dimension 2400. But I think I'll just try the 256's for now. Oh, and what about the hard drive? The model number is ST340014A by the way, I dunno if that helps or not.

12-16-2005, 12:22 PM	#18 (permalink)
Volt-Schwibe Asst. Manager, Automotive Forums; HJT Trainee Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Behind you, watching you as you type. Posts: 7,372 OS: Click "My System" to view details My System	then yes, if that's what you have, it says you can run 128's, 256's, or 512's. as far as the hard disk, IDE hard disks are standard for the most part. basically, your board is new enough you should be able to go get just about any IDE hard disk and put it in there. also, with most hard disks you get a disk cloning tool, so you can migrate the current drive's data over to the new one, and not have to reinstall. __________________ <signature> TSF is funded by our Admin's pocket, care to help? Power Tip: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. New Members: Creating a single new thread in the correct section is the best way to assure your thread will receive a reply. </signature> Last edited by Volt-Schwibe; 12-16-2005 at 12:23 PM.

12-16-2005, 04:46 PM	#19 (permalink)
Milquetoast Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 16 OS: WinXP	Well, I guess that just about covers it. Thanks for the help.

12-17-2005, 09:35 AM	#20 (permalink)
Milquetoast Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 16 OS: WinXP	Sorry, but if it's not too much trouble I'd like some help picking out a hard drive. I know you said pretty much anything should suffice, but seeing as I know very little about this thing, it kinda just feels like I'm randomly pulling a name out of a hat. Anyway, I'd like something fairly cheap with about 100 GB of storage space.