Memory RAM Upgrade

[Paul]

the pc is a dell dimension 8400 series (p4 3ghz). i suppose it has its own
motherboard, it has four memory slots and recommends using 2 sticks (in solts
1/3 or 2/4) same spec. i had a problem when a blue screen appreared and on
contacting dell support they said the hdd had packed up (and made me buy a
new hdd); but the problems continued and by trial and error i found (no help
from dell) one of the 256mb ram stick had packed in. so, the question to
replace with ???mb ram stick/s.

memory recommended is: SDRAM DDR2 400/533mhz unbuffered. 128/256/512/1gb
non-ECC, install 2 same spec. in pairs.

examining the m/b its very basic with meagre extras and has much of its own
proprietary stuff; no heavy gaming graphics etc.

i use the pc mainly for voip calls on the internet and ms office xp for
letters, excel spreadsheets etc.

thanks for your help.

At the prices seen here, you can easily afford 2x1GB.

http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Dimension 8400 Series

Dell lists DDR2-400 and DDR2-533 as the speeds supported. If you
bought some DDR2-800 RAM, it could be operated at DDR2-533 speeds
without a problem. The chipset Dell lists is the 925X. And since
Dell says "non-ECC", it means that ECC isn't wired up on the
motherboard. Crucial doesn't list any of the ECC RAM in the above
list. (ECC is a form of checksum, a way of detecting memory errors,
so you get more feedback from the memory subsystem when there is
trouble. It is considered essential on server computers.)

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8400/SM/specs.htm

The 925X might be one of the last chipsets that Intel offered a
memory guide for. Based on Table 3 here, some DDR2-533 CAS4 should work
in either 925X or 925XE. If you wanted to go more aggressive than
that, use CPUZ to see what the Northbridge type is for sure. Note
that when Intel makes these tables, frequently, on retail motherboards,
the motherboard manufacturers provide ways of bypassing the requirement.
So CAS3 might work in any case.

http://download.intel.com/design/chipsets/applnots/30234403.pdf

(For getting basic hardware details.)
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

So this kit, at $38, should do fine as an upgrade. You can
stow that 256MB stick in the drawer If I thought your motherboard
had lots of overclocking potential, then I might suggest something
else, but I expect the Dell is designed for "plug and play", and
for that, this is good enough. This won't break the bank.

http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=0033919CA5CA7304

If you want something like that but a bit cheaper, this one is on Newegg.

Kingston ValueRAM 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 533 (PC2 4200) CAS4
Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail $30

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134031

HTH,
Paul