How is memory typically mapped to the different chips on a DIMM, and what are the typical timing characteristics, broadly speaking? For example, are bytes/words whose address is i mod 8 typically on chip i? In the case of reads, are results returned first from chip 0 (after the RAS and CAS latencies), then promptly on subsequent cycles from each of the next 7 (or 15) chips? How about from other DIMMs on the same motherboard?
posted by espertus on Nov 15, 2009 - 3 answers

Memory upgrade for Intel Xeon Mac Pro? [more inside]
posted by austinlee on Oct 22, 2009 - 7 answers

Is there a general formula for determining the relative value of RAM speed versus RAM quantity? More specifically, am I better off with 2GB at DDR400 in dual-channel mode, or 2.5GB at DDR333 in single-channel mode? [more inside]
posted by Partial Law on Aug 17, 2009 - 9 answers

I've upgraded my video card. Games run great (for the most part), but windows itself runs slower. What do I do? Add more RAM? As always, more inside. [more inside]
posted by Oktober on Jun 2, 2009 - 5 answers

Which is better, one 4GB stick, or two 2GB sticks of DDR2 RAM in my Laptop? [more inside]
posted by brenton on Apr 20, 2009 - 8 answers

Memory replacement on my laptop is driving me crazy. [more inside]
posted by HauteMama on Jan 6, 2009 - 18 answers

Oh little RAM, where are you? 512MB module doesn't want to play along new 2GB module. [more inside]
posted by Iosephus on Oct 23, 2008 - 11 answers

Why is there no such thing as too much memory? [more inside]
posted by abcde on Oct 19, 2008 - 18 answers

I bought a new motherboard and a new video card, and now my computer beeps and won't boot to Windows. Which one is to blame? [more inside]
posted by Who_Am_I on Jun 6, 2008 - 14 answers

Where can I find RAM for an old Sony Vaio PCV-7762 desktop? [more inside]
posted by Mr_Chips on May 18, 2008 - 4 answers

Is PCIe 1.x x16 a viable technology for a gaming PC intended to last for the next 3+ years? What about DDR2? [more inside]
posted by cyrusdogstar on Dec 27, 2007 - 10 answers

I recently added 2 gigs of RAM to my PC but Windows Task Manager/System properties do not recognize it, while BIOS and Crucial.com do. What could be causing this issue? [more inside]
posted by bostonhill on Dec 20, 2007 - 11 answers

How much memory can my computer hold? My computer specs: Dell XPS 600 OS: WinXP Professional 5.1 SP2 (Build #2600) CPU: Intel Pentium D , 2.99 GHz, 1024KB Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX (1920x1200x32bpp 60Hz) I went on crucial.com and their scanner said my computer can have up to 8 gigs of memory but a friend of mine told me that XP can actually only hold 3 gigs of ram. How true is this? I currently have 2 gigs of ram and I was looking to go as high as 5 mainly because I work with After Effects a lot and rendering is a pain in the ass. Thanks in advance everyone.
posted by cheero on Nov 25, 2007 - 14 answers

Best bang for $300 total: Motherboard, CPU and Memory. [more inside]
posted by |n$eCur3 on Nov 4, 2007 - 17 answers

How do I fix it if Vista is causing my new off-brand laptop to choke while playing DVDs? [more inside]
posted by letahl on Aug 22, 2007 - 4 answers

Does such RAM exist in a single 2GB DIMM: 200-Pin DDR SO-DIMM DDR 333 (PC 2700) Notebook Memory? [more inside]
posted by drinkspiller on Aug 2, 2007 - 6 answers

I'm running Firefox 2.0.0.5 and Roboform extension v6.9.4. When I visit Gmail, I get a ridiculously high memory spike, usually about 200mb. Why is this? [more inside]
posted by Rabulah on Jul 28, 2007 - 2 answers

Upgrading memory - is the price difference between DDR PC3200 and DDR PC4000 worth it? [more inside]
posted by jbickers on May 31, 2007 - 10 answers

Looking for a reputable source for old RAM (Dell XPS, T600). [more inside]
posted by ObscureReferenceMan on May 30, 2007 - 9 answers

How is physical memory recognized by a 32-bit OS running on 64-bit hardware? [more inside]
posted by Caviar on May 14, 2007 - 8 answers

Can I run Adobe CS 3 Design Premium with only 512MB of RAM? [more inside]
posted by stleric on Apr 19, 2007 - 14 answers

Why can't I find the second RAM slot in my laptop? [more inside]
posted by zembla3 on Jan 24, 2007 - 9 answers

I want to upgrade my pc's memory, but I noticed 6400 is the same price as 4200, and I can use the ram to in a faster system later. Does faster ram (400mhz) 6400 underlock to (233mhz) 4200? Gskill has 2 gigs for 187 on newegg, 5-5-5-15, why my system ram is ddr2-4200 4-4-4-12.
posted by IronWolve on Oct 15, 2006 - 9 answers

I'm trying to work my way through the activation process for my new RoadRunner service. The flash wizard that analyzes my computer tells me that I have only 127 MB of RAM, 1 short of the necessary 128 to continue setup. My computer disagrees with the wizard. Is it even possible that this is the case? If so, how do I get back my essential 1 MB?
posted by yamel on Jul 31, 2006 - 7 answers

What are the advantages/disadvantages of using 2Rank DIMMS as opposed to standard DIMMs? [more inside]
posted by pmbuko on May 1, 2006 - 2 answers

I'd like to upgrade my 4 year old Dell Dimension 8200 computer, while hopefully getting components that I could use later, should I decide to build a whole new system in a few months. Sadly, I know nearly nothing about computer hardware. [more inside]
posted by Elpoca on Jan 5, 2006 - 23 answers

Is it possible to add more VRAM to a Mac Mini?
posted by Tlogmer on Nov 2, 2005 - 11 answers

Which is a better memory configuration on a Power Mac G5: 4x1GB or 8x512? What's the advantage/disadvantage of either configuration (besides the price)? [more inside]
posted by squink on Sep 22, 2005 - 4 answers

I'm thinking about buying a new iMac G5, and I'd like to bump the RAM up to 1GB from the standard 512MB. The Apple customization menu gives you the option of getting 1GB in two DIMMs or one; the latter is $50 more expensive. Is there any performance benefit in having all the RAM in one place, or is it just a question of keeping a slot open?
posted by logovisual on Jul 13, 2005 - 14 answers

Having recently splashed out on a nice black PowerMac 5500/275, I want to upgrade the RAM. I'm aware that it takes 168pin, 5v EDO DRAM (up to two 64mb DIMMS), but finding these in the UK is tough. I won two 64mb chips on eBay at 1p, but they're the wrong voltage. Anyone know a (cheap) supplier of the stuff here in England?
posted by armoured-ant on Jun 7, 2005 - 3 answers

Macs and RAM. I just bought 1 Gig of RAM for my (single 1.6GHz processor) G5, and after installing the two DIMMs and rebooting, the system profiler is now reporting that I have TWO Gigs of RAM. What gives? [more inside]
posted by Robot Johnny on Feb 21, 2005 - 20 answers

A long-time PC user, I am planning to switch to Apple, replacing my centrino laptop by a 12" ibook G4 (I want a small computer).

Most of the standard Apple configurations come with 256MB of RAM: is this because OSX needs less memory than XP (since most laptop configs today come with 512MB), or do I need to go for 512 (768?) megs?

I mainly use my computer to browse the web, send & receive e-mails, do some word processing, and manage my MP3, which I only store on my iPod.

Other question:
If I buy the computer at the local Apple Store (I'm in NYC), I'll only be able to get a memory upgrade, and not a hard disk upgrade. The laptop comes with a 30GB drive. For a Windows PC, I'd go for 60GB: should I do the same here? This would make me have to order it online, which is a bit of a problem (I'm not often at home...).
posted by rubin421 on Dec 6, 2004 - 33 answers

This is an extremely subjective question...In an earlier thread I mentioned that I couldn't find memory below $150, but several members here found it for much less. However, much of the cheaper RAM is generic. Does it matter? Is generic vs. brand name a big deal when dealing with RAM?
posted by BlueTrain on May 12, 2004 - 15 answers

Looking to get some RAM for an older machine; the motherboard specs say it wants 168-pin 3.3 volt SDRAM; I'm wondering if this is still made (is this the same as some early PCxxx RAM?), or if I'm going to have to do some digging... If it's out of production, where could I find a 128-meg stick or two?
posted by kaibutsu on Apr 30, 2004 - 7 answers

RAM question. PC100 ram comes in two flavors, low density where each chip on the stick is 16mb, and high density where each chip is 32mb. Someone told me that name brand laptops never use high density. This meshes with my experience, but what I want to know is: why? The high density stuff tends to cost half as much. [more inside]
posted by Grod on Mar 20, 2004 - 7 answers