XPS410/9200 Upgradable to 8Gb's RAM?

Hello coleygm, While I cannot answer your question with any certainty, Dell does show the XPS410 to support X64 operating systems.

The specifications show it has 4 memory slots, but as you mentioned, only supports 4 GBs of memory.

However, HERE  is a link to the Intel site that shows the Intel chipset used in the XPS410 system, supports 8 GBs of memory.

This may or may not be correct, since Dell writes their own BIOS and may limit the memory to 4 GBs.

On the otherhand, it very well may be able to use 4X2 GB modules and work with the x64 OS.

It would just be a tossup as to whether this would work, since you can't seem get Dell to agree on this.

Since memory is as cheap as it is now, you could purchase 4X2 GB modules certified to work in the Dell system, and see if the system would recogonize it without errors. The x86 OS SP1 would only recognize 4 GB.

If so, you could then invest in the x64 OS and see if you had any success.

This is all just a gamble and a risk that may or may not work.

Just some thoughts.

The max memory on a 410 is 4gigs. This is set by the hardware design of the motherboard and Dell bios.

While looking at intel Specs is nice, The Cardnial rule with Dell systems is Dell will modify the specs to meets its own design specs. So while the chipset may support at of things, Dell will in the end determine which of those specs they want to include in thier board design. This has been the norm for many years.

Only with the recently released XPS 630/ 730 series are the boards more fully chipset specs

The Inspiron 530 says the same thing but It DOES work with 8 gigs ram

EMT64 CPU and 64 Bit OS and Bios 1.0.15

Don't think Dell wants to address all the issues so they say 4 gigs max for many machines that support 8 gigs via 4 (2Gig) modules.

Yes the XPS 410 will accept and fully use all 8 GB of RAM when running a 64 bit O/S. I currently have 8GB in mine and it works great. The manual was written when the XPS 410 was first made and there was no support for running any 64 bit verision of windows at that time. If they would have put in the manual that it supports 8GB then many people would have been upgrading the memory and then complaining that they still only see 3.5GB of Ram. Could you just imagine the confussion that they would have created?

Hello dcgtls, Thank You Very Much for the confirmation and explanation.

This will help others that want to upgrade their XPS410 systems.

This also confirms that you cannot always rely on some of the other Members suggestions.

"Quote: The max memory on a 410 is 4gigs. This is set by the hardware design of the motherboard and Dell bios. End Quote"

The Inspiron 530 says the same thing but It DOES work with 8 gigs ram. EMT64 CPU and 64 Bit OS and Bios 1.0.15 Don't think Dell wants to address all the issues so they say 4 gigs max for many machines that support 8 gigs via 4 (2Gig) modules.

Do a Google search and you will find pages of people that are using the XPS410 with 8 GBs of memory and an X64 OS.

Dell is well known for errors and mis-statements in their manuals.

Of course, there are some that except Dell as gospel.

Yes the XPS 410 will accept and fully use all 8 GB of RAM when running a 64 bit O/S. I currently have 8GB in mine and it works great.

The manual was written when the XPS 410 was first made and there was no support for running any 64 bit verision of windows at that time. If they would have put in the manual that it supports 8GB then many people would have been upgrading the memory and then complaining that they still only see 3.5GB of Ram.

Could you just imagine the confussion that they would have created?

[quote user="dcgtls"]Yes the XPS 410 will accept and fully use all 8 GB of RAM when running a 64 bit O/S. I currently have 8GB in mine and it works great. The manual was written when the XPS 410 was first made and there was no support for running any 64 bit verision of windows at that time. If they would have put in the manual that it supports 8GB then many people would have been upgrading the memory and then complaining that they still only see 3.5GB of Ram. Could you just imagine the confussion that they would have created?

Hello dcgtls, Thank You Very Much for the confirmation and explanation.

This will help others that want to upgrade their XPS410 systems.

This also confirms that you cannot always rely on some of the other Members suggestions.

"Quote: The max memory on a 410 is 4gigs. This is set by the hardware design of the motherboard and Dell bios. End Quote"

And who might this be directed against?

Ok...i guess yall have convinced me to try.  I appreciate all the input and i'll definitly write again once I've had a chance to get it all done.

thanks again

ONe more question...as far as the RAM upgrade then...i'm considering Corsiar or Crucial.  any thoughts either way?  All DDR2 240pin PC2-6400 Non-ECC

Additionaly, does it matter that they are both 2.0v chips?  I know some of the Dell RAM is 1.8v chips, but wasn't sure it it mattered?

thanks

ONe more question...as far as the RAM upgrade then...i'm considering Corsiar or Crucial.  any thoughts either way?  All DDR2 240pin PC2-6400 Non-ECC. Additionaly, does it matter that they are both 2.0v chips?  I know some of the Dell RAM is 1.8v chips, but wasn't sure it it mattered? thanks

I am not sure about the XPS 410, but my XPS 420 running with 4X2 GBs of Kingston memory uses 1.8 volt modules.

The XPS 420 will not support anything higher, so I suspect the XPS 410 would not either.

I am using modules that were recommended by another person and not the modules suggested by Kingston.

Kingston lables their Dell memory with a KTDXXXX label, and charge more for the label.

The memory I purchased has better timeings than the Kingston Dell labled modules and cost about 25% less.

Hope this helps.

I ended up going with the 2.0v Crucial...hope it all works.

Installed the 8GB's of Crucial RAM last night, and it worked great.  Turned on the system and the BIOS and OS recognize the full 8GB's i installed.  Granted, it says in the performance tab that only 3GB's are being utilized, but once i move to 64-bit, I'm sure that issue will be resolved.

So...it looks like you can go to 8GB's of RAM in the XPS410 system.  I wonder why Dell says the system can only take 4GBs?  ...and even many of the memory re-sellers websites list the XPS410 as having a 4GB limit as well.

Thanks everyone

I wonder why Dell says the system can only take 4GBs?  ...and even many of the memory re-sellers websites list the XPS410 as having a 4GB limit as well. Thanks everyone

Hello coleygm, This update sounds great. This will help others that may want to upgrade to 8GBs of memory on this system.

To answer your other question, Dell states this system will not support 8GBs of memory as a marketing ploy to get customers to upgrade to a system that Dell verifies will support 8GBs of memory.

Many of the memory vendors get their information from the Dell web site for systems that are compatible with their memory.

Since Dell officially list this system to support only 4GBs of memory, and the memory vendors get their information from Dell, they advise the same information as Dell, even if it is incorrect.

Just some thoughts.

More likely to do with the selling of a system with a 32 bit os where anything over 4 is totally usless.