Upgrading Memory

[Big_Dave]

KCgold,

The biggest performance improvement will come from the amount of memory increase going from 512mb to 2gb.  The difference in memory speed will not be perceptibly noticeable.

Download and use CPU-Z to determine the voltage and the CAS specifications of your existing memory.  Try and match those to the new memory dimms.  Many of the memory manufacturers have a memory tool that will make a dimm recommendation. If you are not sure about the tool recommendation then call or send an email to the manufacturer's technical support.

[KCgold]

Thanks for the quick response Big_Dave.

I just got done ordering my new memory chips from crucial. I used their replacement tool and took their recomendation. they recomended the same one I was thinking of, so hope all goes good when I install them.

Now for the hard part..... waiting for the parts to arrive.

[Woodwood]

This my first post, so if I have made any blunders, I'm sure someone will e straight 🙂

I, too, am considering a memory upgrade for my PC, an ancient Compaq Presario S5160UK,which I bought in 2001

While doing my disjointed research I have come across many things I don't understand, or seem contradictory.

The HP website tells me in one place that motherboard is an MS-6577 v2.1.  How can I verify this ?  What I want to confirm is the version number: MS-6577 ver1 gives (also from HP website, which I looked up in 2007) a total memory capacity of 1GB but the v2.1 has a memory capacity of 2GB. So it's pretty important I get that right before splashing out on 2GB of memory.

Now I'm certain that the PC needs 184-pin DIMM DDR memory modules, and assuming I've got the v2.1 motherboard I plan to buy 2 x 1GB, the maximum allowed, and replace the original 256MB module and a later upgrade I added of 512MB.

Now to the second point of confusion: the original 256MB module is and always has been in slot 1 (of 2) [the memory in this PC is arranged in 2 banks of 1, I beleive], and upon closer inspection it is clearly labelled 'PC2700U-25330' and '256MB DDR 333MHz CL2.5"  I have downloaded and run CPZ-Z as has frequently been recommended in this thead, and this tells me that I have 768MB od DDR memory, and that the "DRAM frquency" is 133.3MHz and that the "CAS Latency (CL)" is "2.0 clocks"; this is consistent with what it tells me on the SPD tab where the the max bandwith of the memory in slot 1 is PC2700 (166MHz) and in the timings table it gives under JEDEC#1 Freq=133MHz and CAS# Latency 2.0 (surely this should be 2.5 from the label on themodule ?).  It gives the same info for slot 2, except different size and serial/part numbers.  Now the ver  mobo specifies PC1600/PC2100 and the ver2.1 PC1600/PC2100/PC2700....so is the HP website info that I looked up a few days ago incorrect or what ?  Can my PC take only 1GB of total memory or the full 2GB ?

I am using Bios v3.25 (there is later release, 3.26, but it addresses some iPOD issue or something else that seems totally irrelevant: no mention of memory capacity).

My second questionis that while Cucial and Kingston recommend PC2700 modules for the S5160UK (I used the Crucial memory scanner, and I simply found my PC model on the Kingston website), the Corsair memory scanner allows PC3200 as well as PC2700, and Koybe recommend a PC3200 module.  Is it the case that PCs are able to function with 'higher speed' memory but still only perform at their top rated speed (which may be lower) ?  Can you always use memory overspecified in (only) this parameter ? [in this case PC3200 is also less expensive than PC2700].

How important is it in this case to use paired modules, or even modules of the same type (part number), given that the memory is arranged in 2 banks of 1 ?

I apologise for making this so long-winded but any explanations would be helpful.  Any further information will be freely given if I am able.

Woodwood

from the UK

19.May.2011

[nosnikliw]

crucial.com has a memory scanner.....if you install it and run it you will be told whayt memory you have and the  max memory possible on your mother board and the  memory type.

Crucial will recommend "their" chips of course but once you know the specs you can search for other makes.

Peter

[Woodwood]

Thanks for your comment, Peter

I've used Crucial's scanner, but only noted what memory they recommend, not every detail.  In fact, I don't remember them telling me anything other than which memory they recommended.  I'll try it again.

Woody

[TheCannulator]

I have a Leonite board in a m8080a. With four 1G  DDR2 PC2-5300, DDR2 (non-ECC).

Thinking some refreshing memory, I purchased 2 x 2G PC2 6400 DIMMS (Kingston).

I know what the leonite board guide mentions from the HP site, but can I use these  2 x 2 G (which a re cheaper than 4 x 1G) if I use say slots 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 for example. Do you need to fill every slot with a module on these boards?

Secondly, the Leonite guide mentions that 4G is the limit supported by HP on these boards. Does that mean that they support higher memory loads with say Win7 64 (which I run)?

[Trishmac]

Hi,

I  have a pavilion g3100 which currently has  1gb ram (2 x 512).  checked specification for the machine and it says the max is 2 gb and I bought 2 x pc5300 1 gb ram modules.  Tried to install both and the machine will not boot up.  Do I need to do anything else?

[Woodwood]

Computers sometimes don't boot if you haven't installed the memory properly, or it is not compatible.  Read around the forums to get some ideas, or wait for a post by someone more knowledgeable than ! !

An obvious point : ensure that the module is correctly inserted and properly seated.  Have you tried with just one module ?  with one of your old modules and a new one ?  (it sounds like your PC will tolerate this: some have to have pairs of identical modules)

In my limited experience (which mostly comprises reading various forum posts) even if the memory module is the recommended specification (PC5300) some manufacturers' modules do not work in certain models of PC.

What brand is the memory you bought ?  You could email th manufacturer or supplier and ask them if the memory will function in your model of PC.

Try the Crucial, Corsair or Kingston tools for identifying their components which they guarantee will work in your PC.

You may need to know the motherboard which is in your PC (HP datasheet will tell you this, if you can find it).  There are various varieties of Pavillion g3100, eg, CTO Notebook, the g3100.uk or g3100.de desktop

the g3100.uk model

(http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01187187 ) has dual channel memory which means the the memory must be insstalled in pairs of identical modules, so my suggestion above will likely not work (an old memory module and a new one) or at least you would not get the best performance.  If you have this model check that the memory you bought is unbuffered, non-ECC and not registered.  This page also tells you the MB for this variant.  search for "pavillion g3100" on www.hp.com and in the results lists look for "product specifcations.

Hope this helps

[Trishmac]

Thanks for the quick reply.  I bought integral memory DDR2 5300 (667 mhz) and according to the spec for the machine, these should work (although they will run at 533 mhz).  I will fiddle around with them some more and see if that helps.  If that fails, I'll reinstall the original memory modules and do as you suggest.

[Woodwood]

Go to the integral "memory configurator" - http://www.memorysearch.co.uk/jrconfig/

Enter the details of your PC, and it will tell you what Integral recommend for your machine (what their part number is and a description)

Tell us what model exactly is your G3100, even they come in various types !

and what part (number) did you buy from Integral ?

Then we can look for you if you like.