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ATI video card and RAM incompatibility?
I bought a Dell last weekend from the site. It's going to ship on 4/03/09. I only use a computer for e-mail, web sufing, downloading songs and maybe one day movies. I bought the XPS 430. Dell offered a $350 savings. I've always heard that the more RAM the better. I increased the RAM from 6GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz- 4 DIMMS to 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz- 4 DIMMS.
I guess the video card is average, at best. It's the ATI Radeon HD3650 256MB. Given my uses for the computer I didn't think I needed a better card.The Dell site didn't indicate incompatibility. I went back to the site today and clicked on Studio XPS. It doesn't have a model # but it comes with an i7-920. It does not say Core 2 or 2 Quad-Core. The XPS 430 is a 2 Quad-Core.
The computer I tried to build for a friend today also comes with an ATI Radeon HD3650 256MB. This time the site offered 6GB Tri-channel DDR3 SDRAM, which I probably would have gotten last week, but it wasn't an available choice on the computer I customized. Last week while customizing my computer the DDR3 RAM was all dual channel.
This time when I choose 8 GB **DUAL** DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 4 DIMMs, the site warned that:
"The video card selected requires less than 8GB of memory. Please click on highlighted links to change selection". In other word, it won't let me select 8 GB Dual Channel RAM with that card, but last week there was no problem. Obviously, I don't know much about computers, but I don't understand the problem with 8 GB of RAM with this card and I don't understand why Dell didn't htink it was a problem last weekend.
If I select 6GB tri-channel DDR3, it's okay. Now I'm worried that the computer that's being built for me is going to have a compatibility problems with the 8GB Dual Ram RAM and the ATI Video card. Can someone let me know what's going on. Again, I'm guessing that 6GB tri-channel DDR3 is better than 8 GB dual channel, but that option wasn't available to me. If there's a problem, I need to know how to contact Dell before they ship the computer. Thanks for your time.
dobez
12 Posts
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March 27th, 2009 12:00
I bought the XPS 430. I know it doesn't have tri-channel operation. I increased the RAM from 6GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz- 4 DIMMS to 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz- 4 DIMMS.
The video card is a ATI Radeon HD3650 256MB. The Dell site didn't indicate incompatibility. I went back to the site today and clicked on Studio XPS. It doesn't have a model # but it comes with an i7-920. It does not say Core 2 or 2 Quad-Core. MY XPS 430 is a 2 Quad-Core.
The computer I tried to build for a friend today also comes with an ATI Radeon HD3650 256MB. This time the site offered 6GB Tri-channel DDR3 SDRAM.
However, this time when I choose 8 GB DUAL DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 4 DIMMs (the same as I ordered last week for my computer), the site warns that:
"The video card selected requires less than 8GB of memory. Please click on highlighted links to change selection". In other word, it won't let me select 8 GB Dual Channel RAM with the same card I have for my computer; however, last week there was no problem with that card and 8GB DDR3 dual channel RAM.
Is there a problem with 8 GB of dual channel DDR3 RAM with this card. If so, I don't understand why Dell didn't think it was a problem last weekend with the computer I ordered?
Now I'm worried that the computer that's being built for me is going to have a compatibility problems with 8GB DUAL DDR3 Ram and the ATI Video card.
If there's a problem, I need to know how to contact Dell before they ship the computer. Thanks.
jackshack
6.4K Posts
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March 27th, 2009 12:00
Are you sure you know which computer you are talking about? The XPS 430 doesn't have the right memory connector configuration to be capable of tri-channel operation; if you purchased an XPS 430, dual channel is correct. If, on the other hand, you are purchasing a Studio XPS 435T, the computer will handle tri-channel.
jackshack
6.4K Posts
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March 27th, 2009 13:00
Ok, let's back up. The XPS 430 is no longer marketed by Dell. What computer are we really talking about?
Video cards have not been a problem in the past where memory is concerned because the video memory takes priority. If you have a memory address conflict between system memory and video memory, video memory wins. If the computer is going to use the memory blanked out by the video card, the memory must be re-mapped to addresses higher than those used by the video card. You see this situation now with computers having a 32 bit OS; put in 4 GB and you see 3 GB or less because the video card memory takes precedence.
Can you give me a link to the page you are looking at?
jackshack
6.4K Posts
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March 27th, 2009 14:00
Guess you hit return before you meant to?
If we were talking about an XPS 430, I don't believe the memory would have a problem with the ATI video card. The XPS 430 is dual channel capable and the computer with a 64 bit operating system is capable of re-mapping the memory that would otherwise be hidden by the video card memory. Core 2 is Intel's designation of the line of processors; you do have a quad core processor.
With computers, faster is generally better, and more ram also improves things. Purchasing is always a compromise between affordable and best possible. Just remember that the newer processors are more efficient at what they do, so they can generally do more at a given clock speed than their predecessors. An i7-920 at 2.66 GHz will process data quite a bit faster than a Core 2 at the same speed.
With regard to the memory and video card conflict you noted in your first post, that is a new one on me. I will have to search a bit, or perhaps a more knowledgeable member will find this thread and educate us.
dobez
12 Posts
0
March 27th, 2009 14:00
Apparently, it didn't paste the second systems specs but to summarize:
dobez
12 Posts
0
March 27th, 2009 14:00
I'm looking at the View/Print Cart that I printed out last weekend. It says XPS 430. The summary is below. It's an XPS 430, according to the Dell site last weekend. I just got an e-mail from Dell saying the delivery is delayed until 4/10/09. It says I can cancel. Given my concerns and the fact that you say Dell no longer (since last weekend?) sells the 430 -- I think I will cancel. I thinking about replacing it with a Dell with the specifications that I copied below. The specs are below the one I bought last week. Again, I do some word processing, a lot of web-surfing and downloading of songs and perhaps -- in the future -- video.
The computer #2 below has a better video card, an i7-920 Core processor 8MB L2 cache (is that 2 core or 2 Quad-Core. It can't be single core, can it?); 6GB Tri-channnel DDR3 SDRAM. This is compliacated for someone who knows only a little about computers. Which of these 2 systems to you recommend? Thanks.
1. Order Number: 6866**** Estimated Delivery Date : 04/03/2009 Quantity Item Description 1 Intel® Core™2 Q8200 Quad-Core (4MB L2 cache,2.33GHz,1333FSB)
1 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 4 DIMMs
1 Dell USB Consumer Multimedia Keyboard 1 No Monitor
1 ATI Radeon HD3650 256MB 1 Dell 2130cn Printer Driver 1 750GB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache 1 Dell Media Card Reader included in Dell Bluetooth Package
1 Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-Bit
1 Dell Optical USB Mouse
1 No Modem Option 1 Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 9.0 Multi-Language
1 Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability 1 Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
1 No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)
1 Microsoft® Works Plus 2008 1 Norton Internet Security™ 2009, 15-Month, English
1 1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis 1 425 W Power Supply
1 No Tuner 1 Windows Vista™ Premium
1 Dell Remote Access, free basic service Save $350 on this XPS Desktop! - $0.00 Save $350 on this XPS Desktop! - $350.00 Order Subtotal: $1,003.00 Shipping and Handling Total: $35.00 Shipping Discount: -$35.00 Tax Total: $77.74 Total Amount: $1,080.74
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