6 gigs? On the 1330?

I don't know if you guys have seen this, but Dell is now offering up to 6 gigs of 800 Mhz RAM vs. the prior max of 4 gigs of 677 Mhz RAM.

Does that mean that the older 1330s are capable of six gigs or have they made some kind of update?

 

Yes the 1330 is capable of 6gb while the m1530 is capable of 8gb through BIOS updates.

 

Even with just the 32-bit OS system?

 

32bit can only address a maximum of 4gb (hardware mapping included).

So you will not be able to utilize more than 3.5gb RAM no matter how much you have installed.

 

Well it's a good thing they are offering the 64-bit OS's with the system.

 

So what would that look like? One 4gb and one 2gb stick.

 

I thought the m1330 was capable of 8gb with A13...

 

If you do not a 64bit OS, you will can only use 3.5gb out of the 6gb.

Yeah you might be right, though last time i checked a member here tried and could only use 6gb.

Dell is only offering up to 6gb so it sounds about right.

 

A13 BIOS for M1330 supports 8GB:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=4185390&postcount=47
and here even with screenshots:
http://www.pubforum.info/welcome/BLOG/tabid/78/EntryID/8/Default.aspx

A14 BIOS for M1330 doesn't support 8GB anymore (dunno why):
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=4192615&postcount=7

A01 - A12 BIOS doesn't support 8GB either.

 

Could be only one bank can recognize 4gb and the other only 2gb. It's nice on 64bit Vista but overkill on 32bit. Too bad can't use the excess RAM for Readyboost instead.

 

I'm pretty interested in the 800mhz part of the 6gb. doesn't sound like much but it would bring the full system bus to 800 since the cpu is already 800. I just like to know i have the fastest setup i can, I won't use the extra 2gb but I want that extra 133mhz in the system bus. I'm gonna try some pc6400 cas 4. I hear kingston is fixing to put out some good ultra low latency pc6400. Has anyone tried running 800mhz ram in your system? did it clock down? or stay at full speed?

 

800mhz RAM will definitely downclock to 667mhz. That is the most the Santa Rosa platform can support.

Its not worth paying extra for faster RAM or low latency RAM. Performance gains are very small.

 

Then I guess Dell must have pulled a ninja swap on the mobo because they are advertising it as 6gb @ 800mhz. I wouldn't care to bring the ram speed up normally but that extra 133 would make the ram match the cpu bus and that makes me happy inside . Also it would technically be a 20% gain as 133 is roughly 20% of 667. Certainly minimal considering the "observed performance / speed" ratio is logarithmic and your nearing the end of the curve, but the value is there for the pc6400. 40 bucks for 4Gb pc6400 cas 5. Now if your talking about buying an actual 4gb stick and a 2gb stick of pc 6400 cas 4 in order to reach 6gb of 800mhz cas 4, which you have to admit sounds awesome, then yes I would agree the value is questionable. I'm just curious, did they swap the mobo for a different chip set, maybe an updated heat sink or better designed nvidia chip, while they where at it. or did they pull a rabbit out of hat to get that speed.

 

it's typo on the dell website. the memory runs 667mhz

 

how are you sure it's a typo?

 

Because the Santa Rosa Centrino platform has a maximum memory FSB of 667mhz.

Though a 800mhz DDR2 module will still work but it will just downclock. Dell are just suckering people by putting 800mhz modules in their notebooks and marketing it at 800mhz even though the maximum is 667mhz