One more PC question, mixing memory modules

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geepondy

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I used to be hip on this but forget my older memory type rules. I'm updating older Dell that takes PC2700 (DDR333) 184 pin DDR memory. PC has one gig limit with two slots of which one is occupied by a 256 meg module. Can I just install a second 512 meg stick to give 768 total, meaning is it ok to mix and match memory sizes or should I remove current 256 meg module and put two 512 meg modules in it's place so that both modules would be the same type and size?

Or can I just remove 256 stick and replace with a single one gig stick? It's a Dell Dimension 2400. I know it has a one gig memory limit but I don't know if that means it can be such with a single stick.

Thanks for any help.
 
StarHalo

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It's sometimes okay to mix differing module sizes and sometimes not - the best way to tell is to go to Crucial.com on that specific PC and load their System Scanner Tool. This will take into account all the variables on your particular motherboard/system and tell you what your upgrade options are.
 
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geepondy

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It seems the one memory configuration place I visited lied to me as I went to the Dell site and found the Dimension 2400 can take up to two gig so probably the best bet is to rip out the 256 meg and replace with a single one gig stick.
 
StarHalo

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Don't forget your speed options, if you do gaming or video/image editing, getting faster memory can make a notable difference. The Crucial test noted above will tell you what specific speeds your motherboard will support.
 
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IlluminatingBikr

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I think if you're going to buy a 1GB stick, you could most likely just add that to your existing 256MB - there's no point in taking it out.
 
StarHalo

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IlluminatingBikr said:
I think if you're going to buy a 1GB stick, you could most likely just add that to your existing 256MB - there's no point in taking it out.
Click to expand...

Some motherboards don't allow certain combinations of memory, plus if the 1Gb stick is a different speed than the 256Mb one, the slower stick will actually drag down the speed of the faster stick and/or there can be errors caused by the speed difference. The Crucial test can iron out what combos are possible with your PC.
 
snakebite

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as long as the ram speed is equal or greater then cpu fsb it will be fine.
if buying 1gb modules watch out for high density modules.
they are 128x4 rather than the standard 64x8.
ebay is full of these nonstandard modules real cheap but few chipsets can see them.
 
StarHalo

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The RAM speed can be slower than the FSB (Front Side Bus, generally speaking the speed at which data moves across the motherboard), and usually is with the exception of gaming/editing PCs. It's recommended that the speeds of each stick match, as when the speeds don't match, the motherboard will drag down the speed of the faster stick (basically negating the extra cost of the RAM module) to the speed of the slower one, and in some instances there can be parity errors, which cause your computer to hard crash (no way to recover data you were working on).

Crucial says your Dell 2400 can accept an upgrade to PC3200/DDR400 speed RAM, which is faster than what you have now (but can still accept the stock 2700, and even downgrade to 2100 or 1600). If you buy the faster/upgraded RAM, don't bother using the 256Mb stick you have now, it'll just hold back the larger and faster stick.
 
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geepondy

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That's exactly what I did. I ordered this one from Newegg. I'll ditch the 256 meg.

StarHalo said:
The RAM speed can be slower than the FSB (Front Side Bus, generally speaking the speed at which data moves across the motherboard), and usually is with the exception of gaming/editing PCs. It's recommended that the speeds of each stick match, as when the speeds don't match, the motherboard will drag down the speed of the faster stick (basically negating the extra cost of the RAM module) to the speed of the slower one, and in some instances there can be parity errors, which cause your computer to hard crash (no way to recover data you were working on).

Crucial says your Dell 2400 can accept an upgrade to PC3200/DDR400 speed RAM, which is faster than what you have now (but can still accept the stock 2700, and even downgrade to 2100 or 1600). If you buy the faster/upgraded RAM, don't bother using the 256Mb stick you have now, it'll just hold back the larger and faster stick.
Click to expand...
 
NA8

NA8

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Last edited:
The_LED_Museum

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In my experience, mixing memory sizes is a rather severe no-no, but I have not tried this with any significant frequency on a motherboard hosting a Pentium II or higher CPU.

So I am honestly not qualified to furnish you a "cut-and-dried" answer in this instance. :shakehead
 
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