How Do I Tell What RAM I Have?

**william8mitchell** · September 8th, 2005, 07:42 AM

Hi there all,
I'm thinking of upgrading my RAM from my current 512mb, but how do i tell what RAM i have in at the moment so i know what RAM to buy so it will be compatible?

Thanks.

Will

**Martoch** · September 8th, 2005, 07:45 AM

Everest Home Edition

**andy1984** · September 8th, 2005, 07:58 AM

Use the link martoch had to find out what speed your current ram is:

In so far as compatability. pc133 has a different slot design than anything higher, so if you have pc133 memory, you MUST buy pc133 memory.

DDR266, DDR 333 and DDR400 both use the same slot, however if you place DDR400 memory with DDR333 memory in a pair, the 400 will underclock itself to the same speed as the 333. You may aswell buy 400 though as the price difference is negligable.

I'm not an intel user so I don't know if ddr2 memory works the same insofar as underclocking itself when 2 different speeds are used, but I would assume so.

**william8mitchell** · September 8th, 2005, 08:03 AM

Great thanks Martoch, just downloading that now.

**william8mitchell** · September 8th, 2005, 08:07 AM

Memory Bus Properties:
Bus Type DDR SDRAM
Bus Width 64-bit
Real Clock 167 MHz (DDR)
Effective Clock 333 MHz
Bandwidth 2666 MB/s

So thats DDR SDRAM333MHz then just to clarify?

**SoloCamo** · September 8th, 2005, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by william8mitchell

Memory Bus Properties:
Bus Type DDR SDRAM
Bus Width 64-bit
Real Clock 167 MHz (DDR)
Effective Clock 333 MHz
Bandwidth 2666 MB/s

So thats DDR SDRAM333MHz then just to clarify?

yup you have ddr333 or another term for it is pc2700

**william8mitchell** · September 8th, 2005, 08:16 AM

Ok great, off i go to buy another 512 stick then.

Thanks all.

**Ultima** · September 8th, 2005, 08:46 AM

In so far as compatability. DDR266 has a different slot design than anything higher, so if you have DDR266 memory, you MUST buy DDR266 memory.

Dude, I dunno where you get that kinda info, but that is NOT correct.

The only DDR ram sticks that differ in layout and design are DDR1 and DDR2.

All DDR1 sticks have the same pin-out, layout and definetely the same slot design.

**andy1984** · September 8th, 2005, 09:00 AM

**Martoch** · September 8th, 2005, 09:13 AM

NOT rubbish!

Originally Posted by andy1984

I can tell you now the 266 uses a different kind of slot. The ram has 2 cut outs in it rather than the 1 cut out in the 333 and 400.

What???

Every stick of DDR memory (184 pin) I have ever heard of and has 1 slot and every SDRAM (168 pin) stick has 2 slots.

That 266 stick you're referring to has to be PC-133, not PC2100...both 266MHz, but SD vs DDR.

Would you agree, Ultima?

DDR1 & DDR2 both have one slot, but not in the exact same location...a very slight difference, mind you, but not interchangeable.

**cpembo** · September 8th, 2005, 09:14 AM

Well i was running ddr266 in my last setup and i bought some of my current ddr 400 before my major upgrade and i ran it alongside my ddr 266 for about 3 months. it was definatly the same slot and they ran happily together -obviously they ran at the slower speed but the connection was identical. you sure your not getting mixed up with pc133 (sdram) which is a completly different slot. (my old ECS k7s5a M/b supported 2 sticks of sdram OR 2 sticks of DDR ahh memories served me well!

)

**andy1984** · September 8th, 2005, 10:02 AM

Martoch, Cpmembo you are correct, I just checked it and its sdram.

I apologise ultima

**paul9** · September 8th, 2005, 10:10 AM

www.crucial.com has a good utility on their website for finding out what type of ram to buy.

**Martoch** · September 8th, 2005, 10:15 AM

Agreed, paul9...sometimes I get some off the wall computers to work on and rather than trying to Google the info, I hit up crucial's memory finder to determine what I need for each particular system. Their database is huge...I have yet to work on a computer that wasn't listed on crucial.

**william8mitchell** · September 9th, 2005, 06:44 AM

Hi again guys, when i use Crucial and find my computer make with their memory tool, they recommend me PC2100 RAM, should i only take that or is it possible to take PC2700?

**andy1984** · September 9th, 2005, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by william8mitchell

Hi again guys, when i use Crucial and find my computer make with their memory tool, they recommend me PC2100 RAM, should i only take that or is it possible to take PC2700?

As stated already, if you buy 2700 it will underclock itself to match the speed of the current 2100

**sr71000** · September 9th, 2005, 07:44 AM

you should get atleast pc2700 however, for the price, just get pc3200 and if you ever want to use it in another ddr system that's newer..it'll be able to keep up

(pc3200 is the faster standard ddr memory)

andy..he's running ddr 333 that is ddr 2700....if he gets pc 2100 he'll be forcing his current ram to underclock, right? or am i losing it today?

**Martoch** · September 9th, 2005, 08:36 AM

You're correct, sr71000...although you still might be losing it today.

I would also go with PC3200...the price difference is minimal and the possibility of utilizing it in another system is greater.

Okay, I just checked newegg...some of the PC3200 sticks are actually a little cheaper and most are the same price.

**william8mitchell** · September 9th, 2005, 09:12 AM

Oh well, i went and bought this whilst waiting for a reply - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1
So with all that put it i will have 1536MB RAM. (I hope)

**Martoch** · September 9th, 2005, 09:15 AM

Oh well, what's done is done.
What motherboard do you have? Are you 100% sure you have 2 free slots that can hold 512mb each?

Uh oh, I just noticed something about that RAM.

This is registered Ram so please make sure it is compatible with your computer

Now you really need to make sure your motherboard takes ECC Registered RAM.

Hmm, his auction is misleading, so if your motherboard doesn't accept ECC Registered RAM, I bet you could get out of buying it if you e-mail him and explain that you didn't understand what Registered meant...and be really nice about it.

Hit title reads:
"Hewlett Packard" 1 Gig PC2100 DDR 266 Mhz 184pin Ram

Which turns to this in the description:
Hewlett Packard 1 Gig REG PC2100 DDR 266 Mhz 184pin

You have to read auctions carefully as it is mentioned in the description.
So what board do you have?