Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Nwbie on October 13, 2009, 02:17:58 PM
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Want to upgrade my memory
currently have:Gateway Media Center
Intel® Pentium® 4 processor
•Operates at 2.8 GHz, 800 MHz FSB
•2 × 1 MB L2 cache
Intel® 945G
•Installed: 1024 MB 533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 memory (two 512 MB modules)
•Expandable to: 4 GB
looking at the web sites they all have different PC numbers as above - do I need to find the same PC4200 DDR2 memory- or does it even matter? Also, I have XP pro - is it advantageous to upgrade to 4GB or is it just a waste of money?
Thanks
NwBie
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You should be able to get something like this:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4517034&CatId=1872 (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4517034&CatId=1872)
Even 2Gig would be better than the 1 you have now. I couldn't find any info on the MB to verify that it would be able to read at 800Mhz, but it should.
edit - what model # is the comp?
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You should be able to get something like this:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4517034&CatId=1872 (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4517034&CatId=1872)
Even 2Gig would be better than the 1 you have now. I couldn't find any info on the MB to verify that it would be able to read at 800Mhz, but it should.
edit - what model # is the comp?
5394Gateway GT5012 Media Center Computer
Model: GT5012
This is what shows in the sytem info report
Thanks
NwBie
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•Four 240-pin DDR2 SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets
•DDR2 667, DDR2 533, or DDR2 400 MHz DIMMs
•Expandable up to 4 GB total memory
My choice:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227078 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227078)
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•Four 240-pin DDR2 SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets
•DDR2 667, DDR2 533, or DDR2 400 MHz DIMMs
•Expandable up to 4 GB total memory
My choice:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227078 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227078)
thanks dragon
is it worth it to get 4gb or is it just a waste of money to add that much ?
NwBie
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thanks dragon
is it worth it to get 4gb or is it just a waste of money to add that much ?
NwBie
If you have 2x512 now buy 2x1Gb more to go with it in the same speed (PC4200). You'de get maybe another .5 Gb out of that last 1 Gb you bought if you got 4 but then you also wouldn't get to keep using what you already have.
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thanks dragon
is it worth it to get 4gb or is it just a waste of money to add that much ?
NwBie
It's 36 bucks. I'd spend it. Get all 4 Gb for 72 bucks
Or, as Bald suggested, just spend the 36 bucks on 2 GB of PC4200 and keep what you have for a total of 3GB.
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It's 36 bucks. I'd spend it. Get all 4 Gb for 72 bucks
Or, as Bald suggested, just spend the 36 bucks on 2 GB of PC4200 and keep what you have for a total of 3GB.
thanks guys
any suggestions for a vid card for that system? don't want to deal with swapping out power supply, its the wife's puter and I will probably be getting a new system in early 2010, it has a 300w ps now. suggestions appreciated
NwBie
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# Add-In Card Slots
One PCI-E ×1
Two PCI Conventional
One PCI-Express ×16
This is what is available on that board, I'm not really all that good on VC's. Maybe someone else can answer your question.
edit - forgot link in last post for the 4200 RAM :furious
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134187 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134187)
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About the fastest modern NVidia card you could get is a 9400GT which needs 300W. Even the 9500 needs 350W. The 9400 isn't that great a card.
I'm not sure how AMD stacks up but I think you might do better there. You might even do better looking for an older used NVidia card like the 7950. I don't really know much about that particular era of NVidia cards so hopefully someone with more knowledge of them or current AMD offerings will chime in.
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In case it helps, link to full MB info page.
http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/R/GTModels/5394/5394sp3.shtml (http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/R/GTModels/5394/5394sp3.shtml)
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Dont mix RAM if you buy different speed or different size RAM replace it all.
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Dont mix RAM if you buy different speed or different size RAM replace it all.
Why? As long as it's in matched pairs and installed in the right slots running 2x1Gb + 2x512Mb won't hurt anything. The one thing it will do is default to the highest latencies but they are probably already very close if not the same given the same speed RAM.
Even buying different speed RAM will simply default it to the lowest speed chip in use but you still won't lose DDR.
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Mixing RAM types causes instability BSODs and application crashes.
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About the fastest modern NVidia card you could get is a 9400GT which needs 300W. Even the 9500 needs 350W. The 9400 isn't that great a card.
I'm not sure how AMD stacks up but I think you might do better there. You might even do better looking for an older used NVidia card like the 7950. I don't really know much about that particular era of NVidia cards so hopefully someone with more knowledge of them or current AMD offerings will chime in.
thanks for the suggestions, i realize i am limited to vid cards - just was looking if can play ah with details set to minimum - so it is at least playable for now - don't really care about the eye candy, as long as i can play with at least 30 fr i think i will be ok with it, never had a system in all the years including air warrior that could be set at maximum.. so i am kinda used to dealing with low end systems
thnx again guys
NwBie
:salute
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You do have a 64 bit OS of XP Pro right?
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OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name YOUR-4CFD40D048
System Manufacturer GATEWA
System Model GT5012
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 4 GenuineIntel ~2799 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date Intel Corp. NT94510J.15A.0045.2005.0802.2 004, 8/2/2005
SMBIOS Version 2.3
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"
User Name YOUR-4CFD40D048\Owner
Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Total Physical Memory 1,024.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 433.60 MB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
Page File Space 2.39 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys
This is what shows up in the system info tab - I am clueless as to how to tell if it is 64 bit OS
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Mixing RAM types causes instability BSODs and application crashes.
Not necessarily. It can do that but it's not for granted.
Most motherboards can handle different ram speeds, the manual usually recommends to put the slower ram to the first slot and all the ram will be run at the speed of the slower sticks.
When adding ram, first try only with the new sticks installed. If everything works, re-plug the old sticks and retry. If problems arise ditch the old ones.
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You can take it for granted that you will avoid the problem if you dont mix RAM types.
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You can take it for granted that you will avoid the problem if you dont mix RAM types.
Yep and you can take it for granted that you will have two 512mb memory combs wasted too. If the user is on a tight budget it's worth the shot. If not, get a matched pair of 4Gb sticks and forget else.