Memory questions on my Travelmate 4102WLMi

I've recently purchased an Acer Travelmate 4102WLMi.
There is a sticker below the keyboard that states the specification of the notebook. It stated that it has 512MB DDR2 (support dual-channel).

I installed hwinfo32 and dr hardware and both shows that it is using Hitachi PC3200. I got the model number and checked on the internet and it's PC3200.
I believe that is not DDR2, am I right?
I called up Acer today, and I remembered the customer service person confirmed with me that it is using DDR.

Does it mean that my notebook's motherboard can actually support DDR2 PC2-4300 or PC2-4200 but currently PC3200 is installed to it?
How come there is PC4300 and PC4200?

What should I do? Call up Acer and demand for a DDR2? Grrr....
I plan to upgrade my notebook to 1GB of RAM, should I buy 1 piece of 1GB or 2 x 512 RAM to utilise the (dual-channel)?

 

If you are going to upgrade anyway, then its not worth the hassle of Acer holding your laptop for a few weeks.

2 x 512mb is good if you need the memory bandwidth, as dual-channel effectively doubles the memory bandwidth, but i'd seriously advise considering getting 2 x 1gig as not only have you maximised the ram, but you've taken advantage of the dual-channel ability.

If you really can't afford it AT THE MOMENT, go with 1 x 1 gig.

 

My notebook's motherboard chipset shows Intel 915PM + ICH6-M.
That means it supports DDR2-533Mhz as well?
How come some memory website shows PC4300 and some PC4200?
Any difference?

 

The 915PM chipset supports both DDR or DDR2, it just depends on what Acer decided to put into the 4102WLMi.

PC3200 = 400MHz memory which is what I have in my notebook, but mine is DDR2. I know this because HP indicated it on their website and also because I tried (just to see what the difference was) to plug in a DDR chip and it was keyed differently (wouldn't fit).

The difference between PC4200 & PC4300 may be the latency/timing of the chips (guessing).

-Vb-

 

I just got my 4102 today and ran everest test on it and the 512mb on it is indeed 3200 hynix ram. I upgraded it to 2g 4200 cosair value select ram. They advestised the ram in 4102 as DDR 2 ram!

 

Did you upgrade the RAM yourself or did it in Acer?

Will DIY void the warranty as there are warranty stickers stuck on the screws.

 

I upgraded it myself. Acer charges about 7 times more for a stick of 1g ddr2 4200 ram than if i were to get it myself from elsewhere. Not sure if the ram quality are better though since i bought Cosair Value select ram.

Not totally sure if warranty will be void, but i don't think it will since its designed to be upgradable that way. Even the manual has instructions on how to open the lid. Mine doesn't have warranty stickers.

 

My manual doesn't show how to open the lid.
Is there an online manual that teaches how to do that?
Or can you teach me how?
I heard people saying that 1 slot is just underneath where I can just unscrew and upgrade the RAM.
However, the other one is harder to locate and it's somewhere under the keyboard??

 

You don't need any instructions on how to open the lids, just look under your laptop and you will know what to do. There are only 2 lids which can be unscrewed, one for the harddisk and one for the ram + wireless card. Both ram modules are upgradable through the lid so theres no need for messing around with removing the keyboard.

 

BTW do you have mpeg/avi/video playback which becomes distorted in blue/green/yellow colour when playing back in win media player?

Please see my other thread if you can help.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=21100