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    Dell vostro 1400 forced 2 GB memory

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by stingystooge, Jul 30, 2007.

  1. stingystooge

    stingystooge Notebook Enthusiast

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    I want to buy a vostro 1400 with 1GB and upgrade it to 2GB myslef, but im forced to buy it with 2GB starting at 699$, whereas the vostro 1500 lets you start at 599 and 1GB of memory. what is up with that?

    also, does 2DIMM mean that it is 2 sticks? (aka, to upgrade, ill have 2 leftover 512mb memory?)
     
    stingystooge, Jul 30, 2007
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  2. odin243

    odin243 Notebook Prophet

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    Yes, 2 DIMM or 2 SODIMM means 2x1GB sticks. And you can choose the Vostro 1400 with as little as 512mb of system RAM.
     
    odin243, Jul 30, 2007
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  3. PhoenixFx

    PhoenixFx Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yes, 2DIMM means two modules.

    $100 for 1GB is not bad, especially if the 1500 you are comparing has 2DIMM 1GB. Because then, you’ll have to pay more than 100 to upgrade to 2GB.
     
    PhoenixFx, Jul 30, 2007
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  4. mcaj007

    mcaj007 Notebook Consultant

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    No, you cannot configure a Vostro 1400 with less than 2GB RAM (atleast not when you choose the smart value package)
     
    mcaj007, Jul 30, 2007
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  5. odin243

    odin243 Notebook Prophet

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    Okay...

    So you're saying that you cannot choose less than 2gb of ram, at least not when you choose the package that starts at 2gb??? Just choose the basic package if you want less than 2gb, otherwise, as was said above, you're not overpaying by very much at all for those 2gb RAM.
     
    odin243, Jul 30, 2007
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  6. mcaj007

    mcaj007 Notebook Consultant

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    That completely defeats the purpose of the smart value package. You end up paying far more, more than you saved by 'downgrading' to 512MB
     
    mcaj007, Jul 30, 2007
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  7. odin243

    odin243 Notebook Prophet

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    I absolutely agree. That's why it's called a "package," because it comes packaged with 2gb of RAM. I was merely stating that if you were in a situation, such as already having the RAM from another lappy or such, that you could get just 512mb on the 1400.
     
    odin243, Jul 30, 2007
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  8. stingystooge

    stingystooge Notebook Enthusiast

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    really? I thought it would be cheaper to just get 1GB and then buy 2 GB of notebook memory, arent they usually just like 30$ on sale at like fry's for a stick of 1GB?
     
    stingystooge, Jul 31, 2007
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  9. whistle

    whistle Notebook Consultant

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    I think you're right from what I can tell...
     
    whistle, Jul 31, 2007
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  10. odin243

    odin243 Notebook Prophet

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    You might be able to get them for $30 on a good sale, but a standard stick will be ~$40 minimum, ~$50 if you want a good Micron chip.
     
    odin243, Jul 31, 2007
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  11. PhoenixFx

    PhoenixFx Notebook Virtuoso

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    No, I think they are slightly more expensive than that. At newegg the cheapest 1GB stick is $39.99. If you buy 2DIMM 1GB from DELL, then you’ll have to buy 2x1GB or 1x2GB. Which will cost at least $80 (and slghtly over 100 for a good branded pair). Therefore spending $100 more on a 2GB upgrade from DELL is a pretty good deal.

    Besides, not many people go for aftermarket RAM upgrades, therefore considering the price, it is definitely a smart value package for most DELL customers.
     
    PhoenixFx, Jul 31, 2007
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  12. simonnyc

    simonnyc Notebook Enthusiast

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    I would order the laptop with the 2gb of ram and then call Dell customer service. Tell them that you are replacing a laptop and already have your own ram. They prob won't allow you to order the laptop with no ram so ask if you can downgrade the memory to 512mb. I tried downgrading my ram from 1gb to 512mb but the CSR told me I can do that with Vista Home Premium as it requires a minimum of 1gb of ram. If you are getting vista home, i think you should be able to downgrade to 512mb of ram without issue.
     
    simonnyc, Jul 31, 2007
    #12