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.

    RAM Upgrade Question: Slot #0?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by ghost_rider, Jul 11, 2008.

  1. ghost_rider

    ghost_rider Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    31
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I just bought my wife a Sony VAIO CR550.

    It can with a single 2GB RAM installed on the upper slot. I always thought that slot #0 was by default the lower slot, but maybe its not?

    If you only have one RAM stick, does it have to go in slot #0?

    At any rate, I had an extra 1GB RAM stick that was compatible and I placed it in the lower slot, booted and worked showing 3GB of RAM, but my question is simply:

    Is there a definitive way to figure out which slot is #0? And does it make a difference if the bigger RAM goes in that slot?

    Thanks
     
    ghost_rider, Jul 11, 2008
    #1
  2. tumnasgt

    tumnasgt Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    80
    Messages:
    635
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    It doesn't matter which slot you put the RAM in, unless you are using dual channel, which even then only applies for more than 2 slots.
     
    tumnasgt, Jul 11, 2008
    #2
  3. ghost_rider

    ghost_rider Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    31
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    i always thought that the bigger RAM should go in slot 0???
     
    ghost_rider, Jul 11, 2008
    #3
  4. powerpack

    powerpack Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    7,101
    Messages:
    5,757
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    It doesn't matter anymore (notebook) but yea if it concerns you reverse. Download CPU-Z (free) it will tell you which is which.



    NBR Disclaimer- NBR and it's parent company TechTarget are not responsible for the views and recommendations contained in powerpack's posts. The views expressed are solely powerpack's and therefor his and only his responsibility. If said advice should lead to damages we at NBR/TechTarget encourage you to sue powerpack. Hopefully to the point he loses his notebook or at a minimum his Internet connection.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 8, 2015
    powerpack, Jul 11, 2008
    #4
  5. K-TRON

    K-TRON Hi, I'm Jimmy Diesel ^_^

    Reputations:
    4,412
    Messages:
    8,077
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    205
    It is only better to put more memory in slot 0, if the larger capacity card has higher density memory.
    Basically if you have a 1gb card with 4 memory chips, each memory chip is 256mb. If you replace that 1gb card with a memory card with 8 memory cells, each memory chip is 256mb, so their is no memory density difference.

    However if your 1gb card has 4 cells and your new 2gb card also has 4 memory chips, than your 2gb card has 2 x the memory data desnity, and shoul give higher memory bandwidth, as long as you are using less than 2gb of memory.

    I hope this helps,

    K-TRON
     
    K-TRON, Jul 11, 2008
    #5