Ram Upgrade For Cf-29

My Cf-29 shows 512 ram. It is DDR. On the card it shows 256. Am I correct in assuming that there is an additional 256 hard wired into the MB?

If that is the case; is there anything larger than a 512 card that I could put in place of the existing 256 removable card? If not, would I get a noticeable jump in performance by replacing the 256 with a 512?

Thanks

 

What clock speed is the RAM showing on the stick? You might be able to get a 1GB chip for it...

 

Numbers off of the stick: Please identify clock speed for me.
MTBVDDT3264HDG-265C3
PC2100S-2533-1-A1
MY M013K8Z 200333
256MB,DDR,266,CL2.5
590-502195

Thanks

 

It's PC2100 (or DDR 266). However you can use "faster" RAM (PC2700 / DDR 333, or PC3200 / DDR 400).

They make 1GB sticks, however I can't verify compatibility so I won't recommend anything in particular. (Some computers are picky about RAM, so I don't want to tell you something that won't work)

However, you can find some at Newegg.com, and see what looks best to you.

 

Thanks Modly, I'll take a look on newegg.

Anybody out there with a cf29 made a similiar switch with success?

 

I have 512MB welded on board and 512MB DDR400 added. Soon I will add 1GB and l am planning to remove welded 512MB chip and replace it with 1GB chip.

 

Does the welded on chip have to match the removeable one, or can I replace the existing removable 256 and replace it with a 1GB DDR 400?

 

If I were you I would go to my local PC store and ask them to sell me 1GB memory module if they agree to test it first or buy back later. You can also ask their technician to install it. Your memory module do not have to be identical to the welded one, I would avoid buying modules which are promoted CF-29 specific cause they might be way too expensive. Just be sure to run memtest diagnostic program (at least 2 passes) and if no error occurs and pc boots ok, you will be fine.

 

I don't believe the 29 requires them to be matched, unlike my desktop (And let me tell you, FB-DDR2 isn't cheap, and requires pairs!).

The problem with local shops is they charge more than you can get it from at NewEgg, sometimes twice as much.

I've never had to send anything back to them, but email them up and ask if a module isn't compatable if they'd switch it out for another... And I'd start with a PQI brand chip (Highly rated, yet cheap).

Chances are that it will work fine, but some machines are picky about specific timings, density level, etc.

Oh, and just to clarify, electronics are soldered... Welding equipment should stay many feet away from a laptop, because of the nature of how welding works!

 

Thank you for correcting, my bad - English is not my native language

 

Your English is 100% better than my command of your native language. Your experience with the RAM question helped me a lot.

 

The Panasonic Support site has a model specific FAQ which I accessed today.

Under the CF-29 E/F models they quote the following: "CF-29E/F -- PC2700 DDR SDRAM".

If anyone has used a 1gig card with any of the clock speeds mentioned in Modly's quote; I'd really like to hear from your experience.

 

Sadly there are few CF-29 users here yet (Still too pricey), but you can always try getting a stick from NewEgg and trying it out. If it doesn't work, you can always sell it on craigslist, or see if NewEgg will exchange it for a 512MB chip.

 

Thanks Modly, I appreciate your sage advice.

 

Well... I am in the same boat now. I just got in my CF-29 and it looks brand new! It is a 1.3Ghz that I upgraded to a 100GB, 7200 HD (of course). It came with the Sprint CDMA and a bump-out on top... The same that the GPS uses so you know what I'll be putting here... Yup... GPS. As soon as I can get around to taking it apart.

So... Mine shows 256 on board with a 256 stick. I see the 1MB sticks on ebay for the CF-73 but am unsure if they would work. At only $25 they would be a steal! But I don't want to buy it and then not have it work. So we need to hear from more CF-29 users out there... I know we have them here!

Pappy... I'll let you know whatever I end up doing and if it works. I KNOW they don't have to be matched pairs as I see them advertised all the time with 1.2MB of RAM. So they must be sticking in a 1GB stick along with the 256. Anyway... That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

TB, I'm glad that you finally got your CF-29. What's your model number? If you can, post a picture of the "bump out on top" so we'll know what that looks like. I'm jealous of the built in CDMA. I lust after that, internal GPS, and the 7200 rpm, 100gb HD.

The Panasonic support site lists a max RAM for my 29 (an ETK) of 1200+ with the 256 built in chip and 1500+ with the 512 built in. Either way; they list the RAM as 333, PC2700, DDR. I ordered a 1 gig from newegg today. I'll let you know how it turns out. The Panasonic site lists the part # for the 1 gig chip for my ETK as CF-WMBA401024.

I'll be watching for how you hot rod this baby.

 

Pappy... Sounds like you got the sameone. Mine is a CF-29ETKGDKM. Like I said... It looks brand new except for a little wear on the screen protector.

I was looking at ordering this RAM... Please let me know if it is the same thing you ordered.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16820145048

This looked like the fastest they had in the category.

 

TB,
I'm a real DA when it comes to this stuff; but my understanding is that the DDR2 won't work in a system with DDR RAM. The only thing that I "know" is that the Panasonic site lists the 1 gig DDR, 333, PC2700 for my ETKGZKM. I think the fastest DDR chip is the 400 that is listed by newegg.

You need advice from somebody a whole lot more knowledable than me.

 

Which one are you getting? Do you have a link? I'll get one too!

 

Thttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145068&Tpk=N82E16820145068B,

 

Thanks... I think I'll wait to see if it works for you first... $20 is one thing... $59 is another... Just on a WAG.

By the way. (Going OT) how does your scroll function work on your touchpad? I noticed that I need to hold my finger a certain way in order to get it to scroll. How about you?

I'm also looking into an illuminated keyboard. The only one I have that works is a rubber one and I don't want the rubber one... Too hard to type!

 

Is the rubber one waterproof? I use mine for navigation on a sail boat and it gets wet out there.

Don't forget to post a photo of the bummped out case. Thx

I don't know anything about the scroll function on my touch pad. How's it supposed to work?

 

Here's a shot of the bumpout... The bump-out itself has many uses... (See configurator for options.) The difference is the cap that goes on top. I think, if I can get the CF-29 to work with my GPS, that I could slide the antenna down the bump with the plastic cover on the antenna removed and just fab up a plastic cover that screws in place of the little antenna. I'll have to play around with it.



As for your touchpad... You are supposed to be able to scroll down with your fingertip just by "stroking" <cough> the touchpad. I have to kind of push my finger in diagonally into the corner of it to make it work. I could swear I heard of someone else having this issue but I searched and didn't find anything. I thought there was a sensitivity setting in there for finger pressure but I don't see one.

By the way... I have my secondary battery in the CF-29 now and have been surfing for well over an hour so far. I'm still showing almost 6 hours remaining! I will continue using it tonight to see if the battery will handshake over to the other one... Something the CF-28 won't do. I'll let you know.

 

I told you that I am a DA. I scroll all of the time with my touchpad and didn't realize that is what it's called. Do we have a part number for that bump out? Is that antenna currently used by anything in your computer?

You do have a clean looking 29.

 

I'm jealous man! Some day I'll upgrade... Some day.

Still hard to get one for a steal though.

 

I'll look for a part number but I didn't see one in the CF-29 manual. Do you need one? PM me your email address and I'll send it to you. But I ned your complete model number in the PM.

Modly... Yes... I lucked out. BUT... They still have them on ebay for the same price! (Including DVD Rom) Since I do this for a living now it was easy to tell my wife that I needed one for "Research"... Which really is true. My goal is to learn all about this one and then pimpit out, sell it and get a CF-30.

I'll have to play around with it a little bit before I give any worthwhile comments about it. I am surprised at the wifi card that came with it. It pulls in a strong signal. The 600mw card pulls in more but the ones I can pull in with this one are rock stead with no dropped Internet. (So far!)

 

OT again...

Damn I love this 29! I have been on the battery (media and stock) for the past 4.5 hours and the icon still shows 52% left, supposedly good for another 3 hours and 51 minutes. I'm going to use the battery recalibration tool on them tonight and see if I can't squeeze some more out of them!

 

TB - DDR2 is not physically or electrically compatible with DDR - they have a different form factor, and DDR2 not only addresses data on both sides of the clock tick like DDR, it also addresses front & back sides of the SODIMM separately; it's like having Dual Channel in one slot. I have 2GB of DDR2/667 I bought by accident for my HP ZE2000; I'm not gonna worry, since I got the pair for $35 shipped 8 mo ago. I'm sure it will find a home, even if it's just in a brick CPU or a Mac Mini for grins & giggles.

mnem
I was gonna write something pithy here, but instead I just drew this lame arrow... <~~~~<<<

 

Good catch! (You'll get rep for that).

Make sure you get DDR unless your 29 can take DDR2. Some of them do, which makes it more confusing.

 

Does the CF-29 have the 50 pin connector inside that we're using on our 28's by chance?

I can only hope...

 

I haven't had the balls (or time) to take mine apart.... yet... I'm hoping too!

 

Cf-29 has 40 pin and on the shematic it clearly specify the gps pin out, usb etc.

 

Nuts. I suppose if the screw pattern was the same though, we could work something out.

 

But with the CDMA I should have the board and the ribbon cable already installed. I know they aren't making the RIM board anymore for the CF-28 but they may still make the one for the CF-29! When I take it apart I will scribble down all the part numbers.

 

TYVM!

mnem
WHEEEE! I just got my shipment from DigiKey!!!

 

Would this be the correct ram for 29? Mine has the 256 on board.

http://cgi.ebay.com/PNY-1GB-PC2700-...ryZ80202QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

SN,
What is the model number of your 29? It should be on the back of the computer. Mine is CF-29ETKGZKM, and the memory chip you have listed would be the correct one for mine.

You can also go to the Toughbook support site, put in your model # and go to FAQs; it should tell you which memory (and how much) your machine uses.

 

CF-29ETKGDKM is my serial number. Thanks for the link. I'm still learning about this machine and I like it so far...

 

https://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/w...mQsCpXzc6f9i7CdwSDXSDhFc555pR5w=&ddkey=Logoff

Try this link if you haven't already tried it. You can register your machine and access downloads for manuals, FAQs, bios, and drivers.

 

Get into your bios at start up to find out your serial number if you don't already know it

 

I think I will order mine the next time I need to order some stuff from Newegg. No reason to pay seperate shipping for the RAM itself. According to the FAQ... I can take PC2700, 200pin, DDR for a total of 1.2GB.

Speed turns me on!

 

I received my 1gig, DDR, 333, PC2700 memory stick from newegg this afternoon. I just installed it and it seems to work fine. In fact, it perked the machine up so much that I wish that I could get a similiar device for my------well you older gents get my drift. You youngsters don't have a clue.

 

Thanks for the tip on registering at Panasonic Toughbook. That had ton's of great info on it.

 

<snickering uncontrollably>

Good job Pappy! Did you post a link to the one you bought? I could swear you did but I didn't see it. But then I've been staring at monitors all day and my eyes are bleeding...

 

TB,
This is the one I got;
Thttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145068&Tpk=N82E16820145068B

 

I couldn't wait... I went ahead and ordered mine. I even paid for rush delivery!

 

If you got the same one that I did; I don't thnk that you will be dissapointed.

 

Yup... The exact same one... I followed your link!

 

TB - One thing to note - once you have that huge chunk of RAM in your machine, you prolly won't need the uberfast HD - The main reason us lowly CF-28 users NEED a fast HD is cuz we're limited to 384MB or 768MB RAM; our machines really hash the swapfile pretty hard to make up for small amounts of RAM, which is why a fast HD makes such a difference. Once you get up above a half a Gig XP Pro doesn't need to hit the swapfile much at all; in fact, XP Pro doesn't even USE anything above 1 GB by itself. It will manage up to 2 GB (or 4GB on the Enterprise Edition I THINK), but only certain really memory-hungry apps (CADD/CAM, Some games, realtime video rendering, etc) will ever use more than that first GB; and with the processor power we're working with, those kinds of apps are pretty much unreasonable.

So I guess my point is; if you're gonna spend the money on big RAM anyways, you don't REALLY NEED to spend MORE on a fast HD if you already have one that'll work. Of course if you DON'T have one I'd ALWAYS recommend the fastest you can get for quicker boot times, but otherwise I'd save my money for that PU 238 Explosive Space Modulator...

mnem
There was supposed to be an EARTH-SHATTERING KABOOM! Delays, delays...

 

So the faster the HD spins, the faster the boot time. Is that the only advantage to higher RPM HD's? I'm a pilgrim here; so I really don't know.