Want more memory.........help!

I want to get more memory for my son's puter. I don't know anything about this so I would appreciate any help. He's got 256mb ram now, want to upgrade to 512mb. What kind do I get?Windows XP Home edition
Dell dimension 8200 series computer(if that makes a difference)Pentium 4 at 1.8 GHz
256MB PC800 RDRAM
Raedon 9600 Pro graphics card (did have an 64MB NIVIDIA GeForce2 MX)
40GB hard drive
Thanks for any info!

 

You answered your own question!

256MB PC800 RDRAM

Look at www.crucial.com

or

Dell http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?s=dhs&k=memory&cat=all&eh=4&c=us&l=en

Mike

 

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean. Do I have to have a Dell memory upgrade, or can I go with a different brand name? Thanks

 

Chynna,

You already know, as a mflynn pointed out, the type of memory required; in your case it's 256MB PC800 RDRAM.

What brand to use is something that can have much discussion.

If you were to ask Dell more than likely they will tell you that you are best to use a Dell memory upgrade. Of course, neither Dell, nor Gateway, nor Compaq make their own parts. When one goes this route most of the time they end up paying more for the part than what it would cost by not going through Dell.

Mflynn's link to crucial is sound advice. Many pc makers buy their memory from crucial - so you get the same memory that Dell sells you for a lower price.

All else being the same it's a matter of personal choice; whether you are comfortable ordering through Crucial or prefer to get the memory straight from Dell.

Cheers,

ICE

 

Are you saying to just get another 256mb card and add it to the computer? (Sorry I am so computer illiterate!!!!)

 

What he is saying, is get another appropriate memory card. If you go to the link "Crucial" (click the blue crucial, it will take you to Crucial's web site) in Mike's post, enter your computer model etc, they will tell you which is it appropriate memory for your machine and offer to sell it to you at their price, which Iceolator is telling you will be less than Dell's price for the same memory

 

Unfortunately Crucial does not sell Rambus memory

 

There are lots of places that sell memory and the selection can be quite confusing. Chynna, I'm not sure how familiar you are with computers so it may be prudent for you to just order the memory from Dell.


Dell, also has video links here if you aren't familiar with installing memory.

Cheers,

ICE

 

Thanks all for your replys and links. I think I better just take the puter to the local pc shop and have them put in the memory.
Thanks again

 

The 8200 series came with both a 400 Mhz Front side bus and a 533 Mhz Front side bus.
That speed will have to be dertimined before you can proceed foward for the apropiate RAM (Memory)

You probably will need to visit the Dell site and get the specs on your exact machine. Either by serial number or by some type of suffex after the 8200.
Once that FSB speed is dertimined you can purchase the correct RDRAM (RAM BUS) .

 

I have 400MHZ FSB. Ok, now what I need to know is do I have to buy 2 - 256mb cards exactly the same? or can I keep the one I have and just buy one more card? Would it have to be from Dell?

 

Rambus RAM has to be installed in pairs. You are going to have to buy a pair of modules to upgrade. You'll have to open the computer to see what RAM slots are available.

You may have no RAM slots available and may have to purchase two 256 MB modules. But most likely, there are two slots that have copper placeholders in them. If so, you'll have to purchsae two-128 MB modules.

Actually, if you use the slower RAMBUS RAM, you might be able to do it for not too much. But do some shopping. You can get stung! Check with Dell as to the speed of the RAM!

 

Chynna,

I have a Dell 8200 with 768mb ram and I upgraded from 256mb, what I did is to buy 2 256 sticks from Dell. If I understand you correctly you want to upgrade another 256mb, so you will need to but 2 128mb sticks of ram from Dell. What you have now is 2 128 sticks of memory so in the end you will have 4 128mb sticks of ram for a total of 512.



DELL 8200 Intel Pent 4 2.4 Ghz 768MB 40GB Maxtor WindowsXP nVIDIA GEForce4 MX420 Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card 15 flat panel monitor
Samsung CD-R/RW Liteon DVD-ROM Cable Broadband

 

Ok. I get it now(finally........ ) Thanks all!!!!

 

If you do take your box to a local computer shop, try and find out something about it's reputation first. My brother took one of the PCs I built him to Best Buy when it wasn't working right. They wanted to copy his data to another hard drive so he brought in the other rig I built. The Best Buy people did not realize that the second rig was using a RAID-0 array.

After the dust settled, both rigs were literally destroyed by Best Buy - and I don't mean just data or software - I mean destroyed. He escaped with one working motherboard.

Unfortunately, my story is typical of many local computer shops, not just Best Buy.