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Upgrading my Dell Inspiron 6400? - Page 2

post #21 of 37
2/28/10 at 8:06pm
Save your $20 The specs look the same to me.

cheers ...
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post #22 of 37
2/28/10 at 8:07pm
Thread Starter 
What the heck is the "free fall sensor" anyway? I guess a way to make an extra $20 bucks! LOL
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post #23 of 37
2/28/10 at 8:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by machere69 View Post
What the heck is the "free fall sensor" anyway? I guess a way to make an extra $20 bucks! LOL
Kinda "hey, I am sensing that you just dropped your notebook" ...

cheers ...
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post #24 of 37
2/28/10 at 8:16pm
It senses if notebook is falling and parks and locks the heads to avoid damage. I have done fine without it. But not the worst thing to have.
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post #25 of 37
2/28/10 at 8:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by powerpack View Post
It senses if notebook is falling and parks and locks the heads to avoid damage. I have done fine without it. But not the worst thing to have.
Got it! Okay, so it's then RAM upgrade... I've heard that anything over 2GB is overkill. Currently I have 1GB, so how high would be good and any recommendations?

Cheers!
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post #26 of 37
2/28/10 at 8:23pm
If you have XP I would get 2GB. Your chipset can support about 3GB. But I do not know if there are any say BIOS limitations that keep it below 3GB on your model. I would go 2x1GB.
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post #27 of 37
2/28/10 at 9:09pm
Dido to above comment.
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post #28 of 37
2/28/10 at 10:03pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by powerpack View Post
If you have XP I would get 2GB. Your chipset can support about 3GB. But I do not know if there are any say BIOS limitations that keep it below 3GB on your model. I would go 2x1GB.
Great! That's what I thought... I'll do a bit of research on the RAM I've got now and see what type I need to upgrade.

Thanks a million!
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post #29 of 37
2/28/10 at 10:49pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, so I've found this information online:

Dell Inspiron 6400 memory upgrade and 1x 1GB 311-5686 PC2-5300 200-PIN DDR2 667MHz SO-DIMM RAM module specifications:

  • Dell Inspiron 6400 MAX RAM: 2GB
  • This Inspiron has memory slots/sockets: 2
  • Upgrade Size: 1GB
  • Memory Kit: 1x 1GB
  • Module PIN count: 200-PIN
  • Memory Generation: DDR2
  • Module Speed: PC2-5300, DDR2-667
  • MHz of Module: 667MHz
  • Latency of Module: CL5
  • Your Dell Inspiron DIMM Type: SODIMM, SO-DIMM, Small Outline DIMM
And while it appears that the max for my inspiron 6400 is 2GB and it takes the "200-PIN DDR2 667MHz SO-DIMM RAM module", I'm wondering who manufactures the better 200-PIN DDR2's or if it matters?
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post #30 of 37
2/28/10 at 11:32pm
For notebooks it does not really matter. It does not because I do not think you will be operating above specs. And any RAM sold will/should operate at specs fine. What you want is a lifetime warranty and a company/vendor with good return reputation.

Yes there are brands I prefer but too many to list and do not want you to think any not listed are not good. All the DRAM made in the world for your notebook is made by 1 of 5 companies. That's it.

You have your RAM type correct. But if you see say only DDR2 So-DIMM? That is 200pin even if it does not say so. DDR2 SO-DIMM is what you are likely to see. All DDR2 is compatible and SO-DIMM tells you it is for a notebook.

Find some and ask if the brand is any good. I do not now what is available in New Zealand. I would get the cheapest with the lowest CL. CL5 is standard for PC-5300 (PC-5300 means 667Mhz) CL4 if price is good would be nice but not going to have a major impact so I would not over concern about CL4/CL5 but if lower costs about the same sure.
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post #31 of 37
3/1/10 at 12:10am
You can for a fact put 2 x 2 GB DIMMs in your laptop for a total of 4 GB

have it in mine and works fine.


b
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post #32 of 37
3/1/10 at 12:29am
4GB's will not be used by that chipset ever it has 4GB of memory addresses since some are used by GPU and other components 4GB RAM never. To OP it looks like you can install more than 2GB even 4GB (all will not be recognized) but for XP I say 2GB is the sweet spot.
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post #33 of 37
3/1/10 at 3:46am
Chipset more than likely supports 4gb being 32 bit, but the bios might not. especially being an older laptop.
Dell has an awkward habit of REALLY locking their bioses out from anything except what they design the system for, lest there's a recent bios update, since given how they design bioses the newer it is is pretty much the limit of what you can put in it at that date.

Make sure it's the right speed too. Don't want to risk it not supporting a certain timing table other than the default 5-5-5-15
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post #34 of 37
3/1/10 at 3:56am
I know about this chipset and many DeLL owners are very mad. It does not support 4GB. Yes you can install and yes it will work. and yes XP SP3 will show 4GB but the OS will not make use of. It can't as the chipset is 32bit limited which means 4GB 2^32=4GB. So if GPU and others must take from the 4GB memory addresses I mentioned how could the RAM then make use of the same memory addresses? It can't and that is the limitation that cannot be overcome. Unless this is not the 945 chipset/Napa platform this is a closed issue.

Memory addresses are used by more than just RAM. As such the sum cannot exceed the 4GB max. So RAM cannot be 4GB. It is the same limitation a 32bit OS faces but in the chipset.

OS/BIOS nothing can overcome the limitation. No not even PAE for anyone asking.
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post #35 of 37
3/1/10 at 5:13pm
PAE can up it but thats a processing trick really...
I was more concerned about the it will turn on part and be in ddr mode part. yeah it will only have 3.25 useable for anything.
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post #36 of 37
3/1/10 at 11:07pm
PAE deserves it's own thread. It does not do what most/or anyone thinks. Bottom line you cannot get more than 32bit on either a 32bit OS or 32bit chipset. That said PAE uses both hardware and software/applications to exceed this. There are very specialized applications for example data bases and others where this might have an impact. These do not improve performance. They were coded to deal with a real limit that had to be addressed. It is a bad solution for most. In addition if the application is not coded for it it will not work? It helps no one who ever asks or brings up. Hence why I preface "if you have to ask" You do not know or it will not help you.

Just spend the hours I have reading on this before it becomes some magic bullet before anyone thinks it is golden. It is not. 32bit is 2^32 that is it. If some clever soul figures how to do better it is at a performance cost? Until you know what you are trading why would you do? Yea please do not.

Night guys?
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post #37 of 37
3/2/10 at 1:12am
I think you should just maybe even look into getting a new lappy, some of the new netbooks are fairly kickass.
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