The PC uses MSI MS-6577 Rev 2.1 Motherboard.
It has 2 memory sockets and supports either PC2100 or PC1600 DDR RAM.
It can accomodate up to 1Gb memory modules in each 'slot'.
If you have only one module and want to populate the second slot, make sure
that the new module is of the same PC rating as the original, given that
either PC2100 or PC1600 could have been installed by HP.
Registered memory is a type of buffered memory. When you have registered
memory the memory board will have a chip called a register. The register
clocks in and clocks out the data by the system clock. Registered modules are
slightly slower than non-registered modules, because the registering process
takes one clock cycle. Having registered memory improves data transfer by
"re-driving" the control signals in the memory chips. A old rumor said if you
use more then 512MB of memory you must use registered memory. This statement
isn't fully true. If your motherboard doesn't support registered memory then
you can't benefit by installing it.
If your motherboard does support registered memory such as the Intel L440GX+
motherboard then if you want to use more then 1024MB of memory you must use
registered memory. This is all dependent of your motherboard. If you look at
the Intel T440BX for example you can use regular modules up too 384MB of
memory and 768MB of registered memory modules.
To get a detailled analysis of the existing memory module you may wish to
download and run this handy utility that will help provide you with the
correct memory specifications. It's called Aida32 and you can follow the
link to downlaod from:
http://www.legendmemory.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2269
Make sure you enter the complete URL
As for prices, check out any PC supplier or 'corner shop'. The price for
Viking, Kingston or Golden Ram memory is usually more than twice what you
need to pay.
