Ram upgrade help!!

[Sicknerd]

Hi, I want to upgrade my RAM but i'm not quite sure if i should upgrade to 3GB or 4GB and which type of RAM should i use? as in the DIMM, all i know is i'm using DDR2 ram. U know sometimes they hv information like " KINGSTON SODIMM RAM PC6400 DDR2 800 2GB NOTEBOOK LAPTOP"

what's "PC6400" and "800" stands for?

about the 3GB and 4GB, i'm using vista 32bit, is it true max i can use is 3GB and if i upgrade tp 4GB what will happen? and will it benefit me in any ways?

 

[kword88]

a 32bit operating system can address 4gigs of ram.

use the "memory configurator" at crucial.com to find the memory you need.

 

[Sicknerd]

thanks but there's no details that i needed came up from the crucial scanner, all i got from it is just my total memory installed from one of my slots and the manufacture details of my laptop..

 

[brummyfan]

I got this from crucial,see whether it helps.

 

[stoneys-nutz]

Hello Sicknerd,
You have a 32bit system so it will only ever use 3Gig of ram and will only show 3Gig of ram being installed, i have to say, i dont think the gain you would get from upgrading your memory is woth the cost, unless you are using 2 or 3 high intensity apps at the same time i dont think you would see that much of an improvement, just my two bob's worth.

 

[alienware]

Hi Sicknerd,

The only advice I could give you is try getting a 64-bit OS. It will allow you to upgrade your RAM past 4GB. It will also process the 4GB and you will see a big speed increase! Hope this helps!

Regards,
alienware
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[archie123]

EDIT ignore this post i used the wrong system specs sorry ,, brb

you can upgrade to 4 gig by putting 2gb of pc 6400 in each slot , however your 32 bit os can only use 3.12gig of this (its a long story)

heres a link to the memory from crucial

http://www.crucial.com/uk/search/searchresults.aspx?keywords=Presario CQ40

they have a US site too i dont know where your from , i wouldnt normally recommend crucial i find them a little exensive but i have no knowlage of laptop memory

pc6400 is the speed of your ram the 800 bit is that actual speed 800mhz

 

[Sicknerd]

hey, thanks guys. it helps me alot.. but the thing is, if i upgrade to 64bit, will my Processor accept it? and will my graphic card accept it?

 

[alienware]

Hello sicknerd,

Just list your motherboard, processor, and graphics card models and I will be happy to inform you if they support Vista x64.

Regards,
alienware
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[Sicknerd]

thanks, it's all list down in" my system spec"
but since u r very kind. let me describe it again.

System Manufacturer/Model Number Hewlett-Packard/Com Presario CQ40 Notebook PC
OS Vista Home Premium 32bit
CPU AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core QL-64 ~ 2.1 GHz
Memory 2GB DDR2
Graphics Card 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450

 

[alienware]

Hello sicknerd,

Your system specs are great for Windows Vista 64-bit! May I reccomend you upgrading to Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit. It has all the versions combined into one! Very useful! The only thing I would reccomend is to upgrade your RAM to 6GB. I reccomend getting the ELPIDA DDR2 PC2-6400 U-DIMM 800MHz memory module. It is relatively cheap. I'd reccomend buying it from Alienware. They are very reliable! I am glad I could help you!

My Very Best Regards,
alienware
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[whs]

As a first step I would scan my system with this Crucial website ( RAM Memory Upgrade: Dell, Mac, Apple, HP, Compaq. USB drives, flash cards, SSD at Crucial.com )
That will tell you the exact model Dimms you can use and the price (but you should still shop around). Crucial usually has good prices and they are a serious outfit.
Regarding size, I recommend 3GBs with Vista 32bit (there is not much to be gained with 4GBs). But with 64bit Vista, the sky is the limit (theoretically).

 

[Sicknerd]

hey, thanks guys for the info.. i'll probably get Vista Ultimate 64bit (once i get my paycheck), its pretty expensive here. around 150 - 200 AUD. Hmmm.

 

[alienware]

Glad I could help!

 

[archie123]

just remember to download the 64 bit versions of your drivers when you upgrade

tbh id get home premium , you get a few extra's with ultimate like the backup option but its not worth the cost extra , you can use third party apps to do the same thing for free

heres a comparrison of the versions

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/compare-editions/default.aspx

 

[Sicknerd]

64bit version of my drivers? as in all drivers or just some particular ones?

 

[archie123]

most of your drivers will be loaded by vista as you install , for you motherboard soundcard gpu etc just generic drivers so no need to worry about that initially , but once your up and running its best to download and install the correct drivers from the manufacturers especially for your soundcard graphics card and chipset (motherboard)

just remember to choose the 64 bit versions of each as they are differant , its not a problem as the 32 bit ones wont install anyway so you cant do any harm

if you see no 64 bit alterative especially with your mobo dont worry they most likely include both in the package

 

[archie123]

oh and a little bit of advice , on VERY rare occations the install of 64bit can go a bit screwy with 4gb of ram installed , this is VERY VERY rare and unheard of on newer hardware but just to be on the safe side upgrade yuor OS before you add more ram

as i said this is extremely rare but has been known to cause issues (install hanging forever at a certain point)

 

[stoneys-nutz]

oh and a little bit of advice , on VERY rare occations the install of 64bit can go a bit screwy with 4gb of ram installed , this is VERY VERY rare and unheard of on newer hardware but just to be on the safe side upgrade yuor OS before you add more ram

as i said this is extremely rare but has been known to cause issues (install hanging forever at a certain point)

Asus boards suffered with this an awful lot, i had two of them.

 

[Sicknerd]

when u said graphic cards right. i went to the official download website for ATI, there's no driver update for ATI mobility Radeon HD 3450 for 64bit OS window vista. so where else can i find it?