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    Help me to upgrade RAM

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by tano, Mar 5, 2010.

  1. tano

    tano Notebook Guru

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    Hi all,

    I intend to upgrade memory from 2 GB to 4 GB for my Dell 6400 (1505)

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    From Dell web page, maximum memory is 2 GB Dell specification but it seems that chipset i945PM can upgrade to 4 GB RAM.

    I am using RAM with cas latency 4.
    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    I have 2 options:

    G.SKILL 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Cas latency 4

    G.SKILL 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Cas latency 5

    but I don't know if I should buy RAM with cas latency 4 or 5 because G.SKILL manufacturer said that cas latency 4 isn't compatible with Dell 6400 HERE

    Please help me to answer if I can upgrade RAM to 4 GB and which RAM I should choose.

    Thank you so much
     
  2. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Get the cheaper kit, performance difference will be 0 btw the two kits.
     
  3. H.A.L. 9000

    H.A.L. 9000 Occam's Chainsaw

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    i945 can hold 4 , but you'll only see like 3.2GB or something like that, because the 945's memory controller is 32bit. But you won't see a difference performance wise in either of those. I'd say just go with the one they said is compatable, just to skip some possible headaches.
     
  4. tano

    tano Notebook Guru

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    So, does it worth to upgrade from 2 GB to 4 GB?
     
  5. yejun

    yejun Notebook Deity

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    Most likely.
     
  6. wizeboy

    wizeboy Notebook Enthusiast

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    will i965 see 4gigs?
     
  7. naton

    naton Notebook Virtuoso

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    The i965 accepts 4gb
     
  8. wizeboy

    wizeboy Notebook Enthusiast

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    yep, already found out. it has 64bit memory controller. phew, thank god. :D
     
  9. tano

    tano Notebook Guru

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    I open multi-task (Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Corel, etc) and my RAM usage is about 1 GB.

    RAM usage.jpg

    In this case, should I need to upgrade from 2 GB to 4 GB?
    Thanks
     
  10. Judicator

    Judicator Judged and found wanting.

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    Did you just open the programs, or did you also open up files in the programs? Memory usage of those programs will rise as you actually work on things, since the files you're working on will also be loaded into memory and occupy space. At that point, it really depends on what size files you need to work on, and how much space those files will occupy as you work on them.
     
  11. Trottel

    Trottel Notebook Virtuoso

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    When you have 4GB and you go to that same screen under the same circumstances it will show 2GB being used due to what I've *heard* is the way the OS handles the RAM.