Upgrading

[KK]

Hello,

I'm planning to upgrade my desktop pc by adding more RAM (currently 512 MB)
hopefully to 2GB, and a new graphics card. I have a Compaq Presario S4200UK
about 3.5 years old.

How do I find out what sort of memory chips I need (the only info I have
says 'DDR'. ) Do I need to know what the motherboard type is ? in order for
the chips & card to fit?

After fitting them, do I need to edit the BIOS ?

Help please - thanks

K**2

 

[Malke]

Hello,

I'm planning to upgrade my desktop pc by adding more RAM (currently 512 MB)
hopefully to 2GB, and a new graphics card. I have a Compaq Presario S4200UK
about 3.5 years old.

How do I find out what sort of memory chips I need (the only info I have
says 'DDR'. ) Do I need to know what the motherboard type is ? in order for
the chips & card to fit?

After fitting them, do I need to edit the BIOS ?

The best place to start is with Crucial's memory finder. Go to
www.crucial.com and follow the prompts to see exactly what type of
memory your computer needs. And yes, you do need the correct type of
memory. You don't need to purchase the memory at Crucial but I find that
their prices are quite good. You should always buy quality memory.

You do not need to change anything in the BIOS after installing new RAM.
It should automatically be found.


Malke

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Hello,

I'm planning to upgrade my desktop pc by adding more RAM (currently
512 MB) hopefully to 2GB,

Why? 512MB is fine for most people. Despite what you hear from many people,
more RAM is not necessarily better. It depends on what apps you run. You get
good performance if the amount of RAM you have keeps you from using the page
file, and that depends on what apps you run. Most people running a typical
range of business applications find that somewhere around 256-384MB works
well, others need 512MB. Almost anyone will see poor performance with less
than 256MB. Some people, particularly those doing things like editing large
photographic images, can see a performance boost by adding even more than
512MB--sometimes much more.

If you are currently using the page file significantly, more memory will
decrease or eliminate that usage, and improve your performance. If you are
not using the page file significantly, more memory will do nothing for you.
Go to http://billsway.com/notes_public/winxp_tweaks/ and download
WinXP-2K_Pagefile.zip and monitor your pagefile usage. That should give you
a good idea of whether more memory can help, and if so, how much more.

and a new graphics card. I have a Compaq
Presario S4200UK about 3.5 years old.

How do I find out what sort of memory chips I need (the only info I
have says 'DDR'. ) Do I need to know what the motherboard type is ?
in order for the chips & card to fit?

Yes. Check with Compaq or on their web site.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hello,

I'm planning to upgrade my desktop pc by adding more RAM (currently 512 MB)
hopefully to 2GB, and a new graphics card. I have a Compaq Presario S4200UK
about 3.5 years old.

How do I find out what sort of memory chips I need (the only info I have
says 'DDR'. ) Do I need to know what the motherboard type is ? in order for
the chips & card to fit?

It is absolutely essential that any new RAM module(s) be fully
compatible with both the motherboard and/or any other RAM module(s)
already in the system. Additionally, there are sometimes jumper
switches on older motherboards that need to be reset for new RAM
configurations. Consult your motherboard's manual or the
manufacturer's web site for specific instructions and compatibility
requirements.

If you cannot lay your hands upon the computer's manual and the
manufacturer doesn't provide a support web site, you can use these
utilities to help determine the correct type of RAM needed:

SiSoft's Sandra
http://www.sisoftware.co.uk/index.php?dir=&location=sware_dl&lang=en

Belarc Advisor
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Unlimited Possibilities' AIDA32
http://forum.aumha.org/overflow/aida32.zip

Also, Crucial Memory's web site (www.crucial.com) has a database
to help to find the right RAM for your specific make and model
computer and/or motherboard.

As for the video adapter, you'll need to make sure that the motherboard
can support the interface, beit PCI, AGP, or PCI-Express.

After fitting them, do I need to edit the BIOS ?

Shouldn't think so, but ask Compaq if they've built any non-standard,
undocumented "features" into their all-too-proprietary system.

By the way, you'll probably also need to purchase a new license for
WinXP, as the OEM recovery disk that Compaq will have provided won't
work on any other motherboard.


--

Bruce Chambers

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[Noncompliant]

http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/
Your motherboard may be RAM bank sensitive. Not usually a RAM capacity
issue though.

The PC's bios finds, may set timing for, and counts RAM. If you're asking
the question as to whether you should adjust timing for RAM, no. Tweaking
RAM is not for newbies.

 

[KK]

Thanks for the help & advice, yes I have checked & my PC is paging a lot,
particularly when running graphics progs.

K**2

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks for the help & advice, yes I have checked & my PC is paging a
lot, particularly when running graphics progs.

You're welcome. Glad to help. Yes, if you run graphics editing programs, you
don't fall into the category I described, and adding RAM may be very helpful
to you.