Looking for RAM for laptop

[J1mmy]

When looking for RAM upgrades, do I just need to make sure i have the right model (PC-6400. DDR2) and ensure that is within the maximum capacity supported by the laptop?

My laptop supports PC2-6400 and PC2-5300 non-ECC

[stroyal]

You can match everything to the letter, and it still can be incompatible.

It is not the problem it use to be, but it still happens, and Laptops, are the main offender.

The only way to know for sure, is a compatible list from the board manufacturer, or the memory manufacture.

New egg reviews, are another compatibility source.

If you have a common laptop. chances are, a review on new egg, is about the same one.

Don't do what I did, and except the first review.
Had I read the next 4or 5, I would have found very angry people, that got burned also, by the morons review, saying it was compatible, with my Dell.

The Kingston reviewed, didn't work in anybodies Dell.

They had all reordered Corsair, and that worked, but you can't return wrong RAM.


So if you want to be sure it will work, do your homework.

I sent the stuff to another member, and it won't work in his laptop either, so I have completely given up, on Kingston.

Sad, as along with PNY, Kingston was one of first, memory manufacturers.
How come an upstart, like Corsair, always works, in my limited experience.

[ShyguyXPC]

Thats alright Stroyal, that stick of 512MB DDR 333 Corsair I bought, that matches the 2x 256MB DDR 333 sticks in settings and what not, won't boot up the lappy as well...

It will boot up, if one of the old sticks is in with it, but then the laptop doesn't recognize the 512MB stick either, just the 256MB.

I resorted to doing a full Windows XP installation on the laptop last night (and yeah, the OEM Serial key on the bottom won't run with the XP Upgrade disc I used, even though both versions are XP Home 32-bit), just to be able to do a Bios Update on the Laptop, that went with out a hitch last night, and XP does run noticeably more responsive and what not, just a tad laggy sometimes, but am about to try the laptop in a while here, to see if the Bios Update fixed any compatibility issues with the newer stick of RAM.


And even try the 2x 512MB Kingstons you sent.


though, not holding any hope that it will work, as this thing has given me more trouble than its worth to fix up for my brothers friend.

Even if the RAM does work, I'll still have to mess with the new Wireless card, and eventually get a new hard drive, and reinstall all of it again.

[stroyal]

I'll cross my fingers, if that will help.

Now you are in my world, working on antiques.

[RicheemxX]

J1mmy you do realize that we have forums beyond the general tech discussion that your threads and questions fit much better into

Dang that sucks It has been awhile since I've ran into that kind of compatibility issues with RAM but I know it does happen. I remember back in the SDRAM days when we you'd run into the same issue trying to mix and match double and single sided ram.

[ShyguyXPC]

no, working on antiques would be working on my Dell Inspiron Laptop with its whopping 233MHz Pentium II, dinky hard drive, and No Optical Drive just a Floppy drive.

Add in the bad drive controller that shreds EVERY hard drive installed on it... and yeah.

if I could find a compatible CD ROM with caddy/tray, I could load an old Bootable Linux Distro on it... but sadly, the new Smart Phone I'm looking at getting, one of 2, is at least 4 to 5 times more powerful and faster, LOL. Only thing I'm losing is the 11 inch LCD display, but I get a 3.2 or 4.1 inch LCD Touch Screen display with the phone, and actually practical and usable.

[ShyguyXPC]

I'll cross my fingers, if that will help.

Now you are in my world, working on antiques.

was a no go, still doesn't boot with the corsair, even after the Bios Update.

[J1mmy]

I think Im just going to for the crucial RAM they recommended me using their software. There aren't many options available for this model anyway, probably not worth taking the risk.