MODOK Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 Hello all,I have a question regarding memory. I have a PC I would like to add memory to. It has three DDR slots, one of which has a 512 mb chip.I have an old pc with an extra 256 mb chip. The only labels I see on the motherboard are DIMM.I assumed these were different types, but after doing some googling I keep seeing reference to "DDR DIMM" together. Are these different?Also, how do I know the maximum amount of RAM that a slot will take?Does anyone have a good suggestion for an online reference. I did some googling but everything I found were sites selling memory but I could not find answers...Thanks in advance! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sethook Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 Check out Crucial.com for help. Use the Memory Advisor Tool or the Scan My System wizard. They should help you out with your system spec. Also has a good FAQ section for other memory questions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MODOK Posted December 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 Check out Crucial.com for help. Use the Memory Advisor Tool or the Scan My System wizard. They should help you out with your system spec. Also has a good FAQ section for other memory questions.Thanks for the tip. I went through the wizard and it raised another question:Many DDR and all DDR2 desktops and motherboards have a built-in feature called dual channel that allows you to utilize the bandwidth of two modules at the same time. For these systems, you need to install modules in pairs for maximum performance, so if you�re going to be adding 512MB of memory, you are better off buying two 256MB modules, as opposed to one 512MB one.When it says that you should add in pairs, is that disregarding the original chip? Since there are three total slots that is kind of confusing to me...Thanks again! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CurlingSteve Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 (edited) Crucial usually includes Dual Channel as part of their recommendations.With only 3 slots available, I doubt that is available to you.And your system will usually automatically detect whether it can take advantage of Dual Channel mode "invisibly".It's a low level choice one does not get an option to enable or disable.In any event, it is often recommended that all memory modules be the same.They tend to "cooperate" better when paired with identical siblings. Edited December 23, 2005 by CurlingSteve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sethook Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 What make and model PC or motherboard do you have? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MODOK Posted December 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 What make and model PC or motherboard do you have?I have a Sony VAIO PCV-RX860. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sethook Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 The adding in pairs refers to utilizing the dual channel feature on motherboards that support it. In your case, you should be able to add a single stick as long as it meets the requirements of your PC. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aluvus Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module) is a form factor for memory sticks. DDR (Dual Data Rate) is a class of memory. All DDR memory is in DIMM or SO-DIMM (which is smaller) format, but memory in DIMM format may not be DDR.A motherboard just labeled with "DIMM" may be using older memory. What is the older motherboard? If you don't know the make/model, look for the FCC ID that should be printed somewhere on it in white. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MODOK Posted December 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module) is a form factor for memory sticks. DDR (Dual Data Rate) is a class of memory. All DDR memory is in DIMM or SO-DIMM (which is smaller) format, but memory in DIMM format may not be DDR.A motherboard just labeled with "DIMM" may be using older memory. What is the older motherboard? If you don't know the make/model, look for the FCC ID that should be printed somewhere on it in white.Thanks for the info.It is definitely an older PC. It is an IBM Aptiva I bought back in 1999 and I think I added the memory in 2001. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sethook Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 Just as an FYI.... In the future, when you post questions about hardware, it will be helpful if you mention the PC make and model or other identifiers in the initial post. This will allow those who can help a better understanding of what they are working with.Thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MODOK Posted December 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 Just as an FYI.... In the future, when you post questions about hardware, it will be helpful if you mention the PC make and model or other identifiers in the initial post. This will allow those who can help a better understanding of what they are working with.ThanksI will be sure and do that next time...thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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