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RAM question on my Presario

post #1 of 9
12/3/08 at 7:53pm
Thread Starter 
Hi guys
I have an older model notebook, around 2005/2006, Compaq Presario M2000. I have a question about upgrading the RAM. Everything on my notebook is factory specs. I have 2 slots. Each slot has 256MB of RAM for a total of 512MB of RAM. Here are my questions:

1. When inspecting the RAM itself, I found these specs about my RAM :

ProMOS DDR 333MHz PC2700U

Now, when searching online to upgrade the RAM, I seen many models. I want to either get 2 x 512MB of RAM or 2 x 1GB of RAM. However, Im a bit confused with the many types for sale. For example, do these specs matter when selecting to upgrade the RAM, or do you just simply worry about the size of the memory itself?

For example, must I worry about these specs as well:

DDR vs. DDR2 , 333MHz vs. 533MHz, 667MHz...., PC2700U vs. PC24200, PC2-5300.......

Are these important factors? Or do I just simply worry about the RAM size itself??

2. Is there a program I can download that tells me the "HIGHEST POSSIBLE" RAM that I can upgrade too??

Thanks so much!
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post #2 of 9
12/5/08 at 2:15am
your comp calls for max 1gigo ram, PC2700, DDR SDRAM. You can use any online memory reseller stores tools to tell you what your max ram is and what type

cheers ...
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post #3 of 9
12/7/08 at 11:07pm
Yep, like qhn says, 2 - 512mb DDR PC2700 SODIM (notebook) modules are what you want...very easy to find, around $20 t0o $40 per stick...as low as $14.99 at New Egg, for example, always more at a "Brick and Mortar" store.
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post #4 of 9
12/11/08 at 4:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ympark7 View Post
2. Is there a program I can download that tells me the "HIGHEST POSSIBLE" RAM that I can upgrade too??
Use Crucial System Scanner tool to find out the right RAM
http://crucial.com/
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post #5 of 9
12/11/08 at 6:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by beut View Post
Use Crucial System Scanner tool to find out the right RAM
http://crucial.com/
I would not recommend that, it is not always correct. there is a difference between maximum "possible" ram, versus manufacturer's max recommended ram.

A good example: My DV6625US is recommended max 2gb ram. It WILL take up to 4gb, and the Crucial site will tell me that as well...HOWEVER, I have come to learn that it does not always operate correctly with 4gb! At 4gb, with KNOWN "good ram", although my notebook runs, certain functions will cause errors and lock ups, to include playing videos, and other heavier graphics functions, which NEVER happen with 2gb ram!

I suspect that this is related to motherboard/bios settings, and indeed this is equally true with desktop motherboards...not all motherboards run well at absolute maximum installed ram.

I am not knocking "trying" a higher level of ram than recommended, however, as qhn already correctly stated, the max recommended ram for this notebook is 1gb. At any rate, as this is a Windows XP machine, there is no discernable benefit by upgrading past 1gb anyway...BUT, I will almost bet that the Crucial "scan" will recommend up to 2gb!
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post #6 of 9
12/11/08 at 8:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteC2 View Post
I would not recommend that, it is not always correct. there is a difference between maximum "possible" ram, versus manufacturer's max recommended ram.
I didn't say to use this scan to find the maximum ram. Use this scan when an user doesn't know or not sure which ram to buy. Of course, install 8GB ram when windows only recognizes the maximum of 4G of ram is a waste of money or even crashes if motherboard doesn't support it.
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post #7 of 9
12/11/08 at 8:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by beut View Post
I didn't say to use this scan to find the maximum ram. Use this scan when an user doesn't know or not sure which ram to buy. Of course, install 8GB ram when windows only recognizes the maximum of 4G of ram is a waste of money or even crashes if motherboard doesn't support it.
It can come in handy, noi argument there. In this case though, it was all too simple to check the support site, as I did, and check the maximum recommended ram...took me less than a minute, and I suspect that qhn did the exact same thing, which is why he knew the proper "max" amount.

I did not mean that your answer was "bad", hope it didn't come across that way, but I do maintain that using Crucial's scan is not as accurate as to just look up your model's specs...unless of course for some reason they are unavailable...
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post #8 of 9
12/13/08 at 7:55pm
When I am wrong...I am wrong! I was mistaken about the 4gb of ram in my notebook being causative of my video playback issues...although they were much, much more pronounced when running 4gb ram.

It turns out that my Nvidia graphics drivers were inadvertantly updated with a MS "update" that I should NOT have installed! (Must have been late at night, and I wasn't paying attention, because I KNEW that the video drivers should be from the manufacturer for my laptop!)

So, although my notebook is rated by HP to max out at 2gb, it does run 4gb OK, though based on what happened, I still would say it runs a bit closer to the "edge" with the 4gb. At any rate however, it was not the extra ram causing my video/graphics snafu!
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post #9 of 9
12/14/08 at 9:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteC2 View Post
When I am wrong...I am wrong! I was mistaken about the 4gb of ram in my notebook being causative of my video playback issues...although they were much, much more pronounced when running 4gb ram.
Simple math (the way I've been taught):
. (-) x (-) = +

You were not wrong

Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteC2 View Post
It turns out that my Nvidia graphics drivers were inadvertantly updated with a MS "update" that I should NOT have installed! (Must have been late at night, and I wasn't paying attention, because I KNEW that the video drivers should be from the manufacturer for my laptop!)

So, although my notebook is rated by HP to max out at 2gb, it does run 4gb OK, though based on what happened, I still would say it runs a bit closer to the "edge" with the 4gb. At any rate however, it was not the extra ram causing my video/graphics snafu!
This is a cool input

cheers ...
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