Memory Upgrade for Dell Inspiron 1520

I currently own a Dell Inspiron 1520 that I bought in July 2007. When I bought it, I ordered it with 2GB of dual-channel, DDR2 PC2-5300 memory.

Fast forward to today. I've discovered that 2GB doesn't seem to be enough at times for Vista Premium and Windows 7, so I decided that it was time add more memory.

Earlier today, I bought two sticks of 2GB PC2-6400 memory from Crucial.com for $54. Now, I just discovered that Kingston has this memory called "HyperX." It promises lower latency than Crucial, plus, it's $10 cheaper.

So, should I go with Kingston HyperX instead of Crucial?

Thanks!

 

1. yes
2. yes
3. you might notice faster loading times and boot up times. if i were you id consider upgrading to 64-bit to allocate all 4gb ;D

 

If it's got lower latency and it's cheaper, there's seriously no reason not to get it. You will, of course, not feel any difference between the two, but details, details

 

Thanks!

The Kingston HyperX memory that I was looking at has a 4-4-4-12 latency. According to CPU-Z, my current memory has a 5-5-5-15 latency.

Also, should I purchase the PC2-5300 or the PC2-6400? I have a Intel GM965 chipset. Doesn't my chipset only support PC2-5300?

http://www.intel.com/products/...965/GM965-overview.htm

 

The 965-Series chipsets will take 800MHz memory, but it'll run at 667MHz. Again, though, if there's no significant price difference between PC5300 and PC6400, there's no reason not to get the faster memory. Higher resale value, whatever.

 

Gotcha.

So, the Crucial memory that I had previously ordered runs a CL6 at 800MHZ. Therefore, at 667MHZ, it will operate with a CL5.

That is equal to my current memory. The Kingston HyperX on the other hand, operates at a CL4 at 667MHZ. Plus, it's a bit cheaper than the Crucial.

So, I'm looking at a CL5 vs. CL4, which isn't a significant difference, right?

However, how's the reliability and compatibility of the Kingston HyperX compared to the Crucial?

Thanks.

 

Correct.

There shouldn't be any problems with compatibility or reliability. I mean, yes there are rare times where a machine just doesn't like a particular brand, but it really doesn't happen often anymore. Just make sure whatever brand you get has a lifetime warranty.

 

Just installed the ram, the Kingston HyperX that is. Vista "feels" a bit faster, but it could just be the placebo effect.

In order to install the memory, I had to remove the keyboard to access one of the slots. Gotta love that design.