The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Inspiron 1720 - 3GB ram?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by richardgcook, Jul 23, 2009.

  1. richardgcook

    richardgcook Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Hello!

    I have searched around the forums here trying to find an answer, but couldn't find one, so here goes. I have had a Dell Inspiron 1720 notebook for around a year now and although it generally runs okay, I'm thinking of upgrading the ram a little. I hear that 4GB won't work that well on a 32-bit Vista, and is kind of pointless, so would the Inspiron take 1GB ram under the keyboard and 2GB ram underneath? I heard you're meant to keep them pretty balanced, but if that is the case then it would have to be 2X2GB, so will it work with 1GB and 2GB memory?

    Also, is there anything else with the Inspiron 1720 that would be worth upgrading? I'm past my warranty now, so I'm all ears.

    Thanks,

    R
     
  2. Mastershroom

    Mastershroom wat

    Reputations:
    3,833
    Messages:
    8,209
    Likes Received:
    16
    Trophy Points:
    206
    3GB in a 2+1 configuration will do just fine. It will run in asymmetric dual channel mode.

    If I were you I would just get a 64-bit Vista install disk and get the full 4GB of memory.
     
  3. richardgcook

    richardgcook Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Okay, cool. Asymmetric dual channel mode? Do I have to know what this means? Haha!

    Thanks.
     
  4. goofball

    goofball Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    358
    Messages:
    1,710
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    it means the first 2GB (1+1) will be in dual channel mode, and the last 1GB will not.
     
  5. richardgcook

    richardgcook Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Will this affect the performance? Is it worthwhile doing, then? And will I have to set up anything differently in the BIOS?
     
  6. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,389
    Messages:
    10,552
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    456
    No, you don't have to do anything. You will be fine.