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    Is this RAM compatible with my VAIO?

    Discussion in 'VAIO / Sony' started by a-dogg, Sep 19, 2006.

  1. a-dogg

    a-dogg Notebook Guru

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    I have a sony vaio vgn-fs742w laptop with one stick of 512mb ram and am looking to add another. I was looking at the kingston valueram 512MB SODIMM 200-pin DDR2 (model # KVR400D2S3/512) on amazon.com. It looks like it meets the specs perfectly. But when I went to the Kingston website and searched by my laptop, the site didn't didn't show that model. The only 512MB stick it showed was the one with the data rate of 533 (model #M6464E40). It appears that the only difference between the two is the data rate (400 vs. 533).

    Could anyone confirm that the 400 data rate stick will work in my laptop?
     
    a-dogg, Sep 19, 2006
    #1
  2. Shnoob

    Shnoob Notebook Enthusiast

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    Will work with any ddr2 sodimm ram. If the the current stick is running at 400 and u buy 533 the system will run both at 400.
     
    Shnoob, Sep 19, 2006
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  3. a-dogg

    a-dogg Notebook Guru

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    Thanks! No idea how fast the other stick is running... Is there any easy way to tell? I searched but couldn't find anything.
     
    a-dogg, Sep 19, 2006
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  4. a-dogg

    a-dogg Notebook Guru

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    no worries--I found it. apparently the factory-installed RAm is 400MHz. Does anyone know if the FS742w can handle 533 or would the fact that the factory-installed is 400 be a clue that 400 is max?

    obviously no point to spend the extra $$ on 533 if 400 is all the system can handle...
     
    a-dogg, Sep 19, 2006
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  5. mAjEsTiC

    mAjEsTiC Notebook Guru

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    afaik you should be able to use the 533MHz RAM in your machine (unless the cpu you've got is restricted to a 400MHz FSB)...but like Schnoob said, both the memory modules need to run @ the same speed...otherwise the faster of the 2 will downclock to match the slower module...so in effect you'll be wasting your money unless you are going to upgrade the stock RAM to 533MHz as well...
     
    mAjEsTiC, Sep 20, 2006
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  6. a-dogg

    a-dogg Notebook Guru

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    Gotcha. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the only Kingston 1GB I see on ebay is 533 (~$60-$70 pre-shipping). I don't really see it getting any cheaper than that, anyway.
     
    a-dogg, Sep 20, 2006
    #6