Adding 2GB memory to 3250?

Hi; I have an Averatec 3250 laptop, the H1 model, I think, that is still going strong outside of occasionally getting very hot along the left side (where the "1" number is) and then switching itself off. The fans seem to be working.

I thought adding more memory might help, or at least might help to optimize its performance. It still has the original 512 MB. I've seen elsewhere on the forums here that both 1 GB and 2 GB are possible. I've been able to find a 1GB memory stick that seems like it would work, but of course it would be ideal to find a 2GB stick that could be used instead.

Any advice on whether such a single 2GB stick compatible with the 3250 exists would be most appreciated! Thank you.

 

The 3250 uses PC2700 DDR 333MHZ ram. There is only a single slot. I've never seen a single stick of this type laptop memory with more than a 1 gig of RAM. I have this old laptop and it does work with a 1 gig stick. Quite frankly mine is gathering dust as XP is the latest OS that will work with it. I have a net book that leaves it in the dust speed wise. It's OK for word processing and light internet use but not much more.

 

Thanks so much for your help, nestone! I'll go with a 1GB stick then. It's great to know that this was do-able with your 3250.

 

I can't speak to the RAM issue, but if your fans are running, it sure sounds like your air path needs cleaning. Get yourself a fresh can of compressed air. Turn off the notebook and remove the AC power and battery. Insert a non-metal toothpick into the fan blades to keep them from spinning and generating a current (hang on to the end outside the notebook).

Now blow the air path from both the external vent and through the fan several times. A couple small dust balls caught in between the fins of the copper radiator can make a big difference in airflow and heat buildup. It often takes the back & forth air blasts from each direction to pop them out.

It also wouldn't hurt to open any user hatches (e.g. hard drive & RAM) and try to dust them out too.

Most assembly lines use too much thermal compound between chips and heat sinks, and it dries out losing effectiveness. Yeah you can go the extra step to redo this, but another, easier step is to always run the notebook on top of a fan driven cooling pad to force more air through the notebook.

 

Thank you for the suggestion and detailed advice. Cleaning the fans and other areas is definitely a good idea. I'll try to do this and see if it helps. It's easy to imagine that some dust has become trapped in there after all this time.

Thank you again - your help is much appreciated!

 

Where would you suggest for buying those 1Gb modules that will work with the 3250? Thanks.

 

Try here.
Newegg.com - PNY 1GB 200-Pin DDR SO-DIMM DDR 333 (PC 2700) Laptop Memory Model MN1024SD1-333-V2