Configuring memory on an old Dimension 4700

Question

Hello,

After one of the original four 256Mb DDR2 PC2-3200 400MHz memory sticks went bad, I'm adding two x 1GB sticks as recommended by Crucial.com described as:

1GBx2 DDR2 PC2-5300 • CL=5 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR2-667 • 1.8V • 128Meg x 64

This computer has the Pentium-4 processor 520 with HT, 2.80GHz, 800FSB. My unsophisticated understanding is that "speed" of accessing memory is reduced to that of the "slowest" memory stick and is also limited by the processor FSB. So which configuration would you recommend?

1. Remove the slower original 256Mb sticks and use only the two new faster 1GB sticks (total of 2GB RAM).

2. Use two of the original 256 Mb sticks together with the two new 1GB sticks (increasing to 2.5GB total RAM, but maybe losing some "speed" with two old sticks remaining?).

System runs Win XP Home SP3 and is not used for anything intensive, but for writing, video/music, pictures, surfing (and has served my daughter well!).

thanks for any advice/comment,

Bob

osprey4 · Accepted Answer

Bob, There's not much difference between 2.5GB and 2GB in XP, so I would vote for the faster speed.

osprey4 · Answer

Hi Bob,

What I would do is (1) check the speed of your current modules (probably 400 MHz), (2) install just the two new modules and check the speed. I believe they'll run the same speed as the old ones anyway, in which case you might as well use all four modules.

bswan · Answer

thanks Osprey. This certainly makes sense to do when UPS delivers the new memory sticks tomorrow or Monday.

But I'm not sure how best to check RAM speed. With two of the old 256Mb sticks installed, MemTest86 now says:

Chipset: ... FSB : 199MHz Type DDR2

Settings: RAM : 199MHz (DDR399) CAS: 3-3-3-8 / Dual channel,

with both slots 1 and 2 containing: Samsung 256 Mb DDR2-200

while the label on the memory stick itself says "PC2-3200U - 333 - 10 - A1"

Not sure which of these numbers I should be looking at. (These numbers seem different from the original invoice description of DDR2 SDRAM @ 400MHz). Maybe I'm missing some (obvious) way to check this with Win XP (DXDiag, System info and Task Manager performance don't seem to provide RAM speed).

Bob

osprey4 · Answer

This utility is easy to use.

bswan · Answer

thanks again.

Installed two new 1GB memory sticks which were immediately recognized (pressed "continue" and did not enter BIOS setup). Then ran CPU-Z both with and without two old 256MB sticks. CPU-Z readings which I think have to do with speed follow:

#1. 2GB total RAM (2 x 1GB sticks) -- DRAM frequency=266MHZ; FSB:DRAM=3:4; CAS=4.0-4-4-12; recognized new sticks as PC2-5300 (333MHz)

#2. 2.5GB total (2 x 1GB + 2 x 256 sticks) -- DRAM frequency=199MHZ; FSB:DRAM=1:1; CAS=3.0-3-3-9; recognized two as PC2-5300 (333MHz) and the old two as PC2-3200 (200MHz)

Since "DRAM frequency" reduced from 266 to 199MHZ when I added back the two old sticks, this suggests "slowing" of memory access, But RAM capacity increased from 2 to 2.5GB with this configuration. So, which is better; increase in "speed" (configuration#1) or increase in RAM capacity (configuration #2)?

(I trust I do not need to manually change anything in BIOS. Also, I saved the CPU-Z text files if desired.)

Bob

DELL-Roshan L · Answer

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DELL-Roshan L · Answer

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Locked Topics – Desktops General

Configuring memory on an old Dimension 4700

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