Dell D400 - 333MHz RAM, PCI video card

I have a Dell Latitude D400 with a Dothan 755 (2.0 GHz) processor - 400 MHz FSB

Does anyone know whether I can upgrade to 333MHz RAM rather than the 266MHz RAM that it comes with ??

Regarding the RAM upgrade, what I'd really like to know is whether the 333 MHz RAM will function properly as 333MHz RAM or at all in the D400 .... also, how does one test what speed the RAM is working at ?

When I purchased my computer, they told me that I can use a minimum of 266 MHz RAM.

A friend told me that since my front side bus is 400MHz, I should be able to use up to 400 MHz RAM - is this also true ?

Also, does anyone know what the difference is between using higher and lower speed RAM ?

How does one tell what chipset a notebook is working with and is this similar to FSB ??

Is the chipset the final determinant of how fast RAM one can use ?

 

Yes, the chipset is the final determinant. All Pentium M systems use the same chipset (Intel i855). There are two publically released revisions of this chipset. The maximum memory bus speed of the older revision is 266MHz, and the newer one has a maximum of 333MHz. Some DDR400 memory works in some Pentium M systems, but it seems to be more based on luck than anything else.

There are many different programs you can download that will tell you your memory specs. SiSoft Sandra is a good one, it comes with a lot of benchmark tools that can give you a lot of info.

You should look at my other post in this forum for more information about memory speeds.

http://www.notebookreview.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4392


old: Sony PCG-GR300P 1.13GHz PIII-M, 512MB
new: Asus M6Ne 2.00GHz P-M, 2GB

 

How do I tell which chipset do I have ?

Sisoft Sandra shows it as 855 GM/GME ??

According to the Intel site,
855 GME is the one that supports the 90 nm processors and 333 MHz RAM
whist 855 GM supports 266 MHZ RAM

 

Use the Sandra PCI, AGP, etc. information module and look at the list of adapters. The GME has an AGP bus, the GM does not.


old: Sony PCG-GR300P 1.13GHz PIII-M, 512MB
new: Asus M6Ne 2.00GHz P-M, 2GB

 

I went out with the intent to purchase 266 MHz RAM but the salesman at the shop insisted that 333 MHZ RAM would work equally well - it would just run at 266 MHz - so I let him have a go at it but my notebook wouldn't boot..... so we tried 266 MHz RAm - 1 512 MB piece - it worked fine...

Then, I used SiSoftware Sandra and got this information under Mainboard Information :

System Memory Controller
Location : Mainboard
Error Correction Capability : None
Number of Memory Slots : 2
Maximum Installable Memory : 2GB
Bank 1 - DIMM_A : DIMM Synchronous DDR-SDRAM 512MB/64 @ 266Mt/s
Bank 2 - DIMM_B : DIMM Synchronous DDR-SDRAM 256MB/64 @ 266Mt/s

Chipset 1
Model : Dell Computer Corp 82852GM/GME/GMV/PM, 855GM/GME Montara Host-Hub Interface Bridge (A2-step)
Bus(es) : ISA X-Bus PCI PCMCIA CardBus USB FireWire/1394 i2c/SMBus
Front Side Bus Speed : 4x 100MHz (400MHz data rate)
Width : 64-bit
IO Queue Depth : 12 request(s)

Memory Module(s)
Memory Module 1 : Kingston 793839B6 512MB 16x(32Mx8) DDR-SDRAM PC2100U-2533-750 (CL2.5 up to 133MHz) (CL2 up to 100MHz)
Memory Module 2 : EBD26UC6AMSA-6B 8B665C46 256MB 8x(16Mx16) DDR-SDRAM PC2700U-2533-700 (CL2.5 up to 167MHz) (CL2 up to 133MHz)

Performance Tips
Notice 224 : SMBIOS/DMI information may be inaccurate.
Warning 2507 : Mainboard has too few memory slots. Upgrading the memory may be difficult or expensive.
Warning 2508 : All memory slots are full. Upgrading the memory may be difficult or expensive.
Tip 2546 : Large memory modules should be ECC/Parity.
Warning 2544 : System/Video shared memory greatly reduces performance. Use external video card.
Tip 2 : Double-click tip or press Enter while a tip is selected for more information about the tip.


My questions now are :

1. I was told that the D400 came with 266 MHz RAM but what gives with
Memory Module 2 : EBD26UC6AMSA-6B 8B665C46 256MB 8x(16Mx16) DDR-SDRAM PC2700U-2533-700 (CL2.5 up to 167MHz) (CL2 up to 133MHz)
which is clearly 333 MHz RAM ??

2. Any idea why the notebook wouldn't boot with the 512 MB 333 MHz RAM - Kingston.

3. Does anyone know anything about adding external video cards to a notebook ?

4. Are video cards which can be inserted into the PCI slot available ?

 

1) I guess you lucked out and they used faster memory in your system. You should remove the new memory module and then rerun the Mainboard Information, and see if the system is running at 333MHz. If so, that will also prove whether you have the GM or GME.

2) Like I said before, memory compatibility is sometimes pure luck. Also, I've had problems with some modules that went away when I cleaned the DIMM contacts and reseated them. Even though most modules use gold plated contacts these days, it seems they can still get oxidized and make bad connections. (Sounds counter-intuitive, but so it goes.)

3) I've never done it. To my mind, there are no external interface buses that are fast enough.

4) You can probably find mini-PCI video cards, but how are you going to route the video connector to the outside of the notebook?

old: Sony PCG-GR300P 1.13GHz PIII-M, 512MB
new: Asus M6Ne 2.00GHz P-M, 2GB

 

I believe that when I tested it before putting in the 2nd piece of RAM, it was working at 266 MHz - will give it a try later.

How do I use mini-PCI video cards - are they plug and play or do they require special drivers and configuration...

Can I just slot them into my PCMCIA slot in the notebook ?

What are the types that are available ? Do they significantly improve graphics ? How much do they cost and where can I source them from ?