Ultimagecko's Computer Needs You

UltimaGecko

<div class="IPBDescription">...well, sort of, anyway.</div> Okay, see my Birthday's all soon and stuff - so I figured "Why not ask for something that will help my computer a bit?" So RAM is going to be the way to go. Only 256 in this machine, and it's pretty slow with the games - so I figured I'd beef it up.

Being as I don't want to waste people's money, I want to figure out the fastest type of RAM that will work in this computer (YES, it's another 'computer help thread' fear the invasion!).

Using the astounding AIDA program I've come up with the following possibilties:

I have 2 slots for RAM (which I kmow, since I've seen them <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->)
I have 1 256mb stick in there now (so dxdiag, My Computer and various games have informed me)
The speed of the Ram is either 133mhz or 266 (...267, whichever)mhz.
And it's probably PC2100...whatever that means.

Based on the information gathered in the attached picture...so hopefully you could tell me exactly what I should be looking for.

I think it means I can get up to a 266mhz clocked stick, but right now Compaq stuck me with a 133mhz stick. I'm not to sure what the PC2100 is all about either.

So I'm thinking a 256 mb 266mhz DDR SDRAM DIMM...so, that's right enough right? I heard the computer will lower the clock speed to match the slowest RAM on the computer too, which is also hopefully correct.


I was also wondering if someone could point me in the direction of a way to network my WinXP home and Win98 computers together (I thought there was a networking wizard somewhere in WinXP (and maybe in Win98) buy I can't find it at the moment.

[or just, like that one other thread, inform me of something that would be more useful than RAM for my computer]

Woot, thanks for any assistance <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> .

Swiftspear

If I'm not an idiot, the Mgrz speed of RAM is inconsequential to the price, so you shouldn't have any reason to not pop a 512 400Hrz chip in there. That way you can pull out the chip you used to upgrade and pop it into a new computer if you ever get one, without worrying about slowdown. The difference in clock speed will do nothing but preserve the lifetime of the faster chip.

[edit] BTW, list the specs of your comp, it is all entirely possible that there are cheaper upgrades you can do besides RAM that will give you much more sufficant results.

Epidemic

I'd use another 512 stick so in total you'll have 738 MB.

Swiftspear

<!--QuoteBegin-Epidemic+Jul 25 2004, 08:09 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Epidemic @ Jul 25 2004, 08:09 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I'd use another 512 stick so in total you'll have 738 MB. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
A little late out of the gate don't you think? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

TychoCelchuuu

Depending on the games though, RAM isn't going to have much of an impact on anything but loading times.

Swiftspear

<!--QuoteBegin-TychoCelchuuu+Jul 25 2004, 08:35 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TychoCelchuuu @ Jul 25 2004, 08:35 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Depending on the games though, RAM isn't going to have much of an impact on anything but loading times. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Exactly, I would recomend getting us your full system specs to see if there isn't something else we can't reccomend for upgrade.

UltimaGecko

RAM is almost definately going to be the most cost effectice way to go, but if you insist (I don't think there's anything really in the same range as $60-90 ram to improve my playability much).

Hardware-
OS: Windows XP Home Edition
Processor: AMD Athalon 2400+ ~2.0Ghz
Motherboard: FIC AM35 (not sure what other info would be relevant)
RAM: 1 256mb DIMM (and according to this thread, I must have been right, so it's currently a PC2100 256mb 133mhz stick).
GPU: ATi Radeon 9200 128mb (which, thanks to the Doom 3 thread, I've discovered is pretty much a lot worse than a 8500 and is basically a cheap card - but I didn't really expect much from Compaq...pretty sure it'll get me through HL2 though <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> ).
Audio: Realtek AC97 Audio (don't know where it is, don't know anything about it - but it seems to be sufficient to my needs)
1 Hitachi DVD-ROM drive at 16x DVD/48x CD (but manages to sound like it's about to shatter any disc I put in there on the spot...aside from being a bit slow, works okay though).
1 Seagate Technology 80GB 7200rpm Hard Drive.
1 disconnected 20GB Hard Drive (it's like Maltrox or something...it's old and sortof annoying, so it's disconnected).
1 Zip disk drive...not really much special about it.

Peripherals-
Compaq 7500 monitor with maximum resolution of 1280x1024 (at...65hz)
JBL Platinum Series speakers (were acting up a bit recently, but seem fine now)
2 button w/ scroll wheel optical mouse (mice seem to not work exceptionally well on this computer - I think it's the desk, really)
Compaq PS2 keyboard


...not sure what else there is to know. I think a lack of ram is the major bottle neck (maybe the current one's slow speed). It's basically gotta be something under $100 (but I'm not really concerned with a DVD writer or anything at the moment).

Need more information about my computer and I'll try to throw it out there.

[still wouldn't mind a point towards the networking wizard - thought it was in my computer, but that's just the map network drive stuff]

Woot, thanks for assistance.

Swiftspear

The only thing seriously hurting you there is the fact that your mobo is crap, so your right, ram is your only cost effective solution. I would still recommend getting the 512 400 Mgz ram chip. If you ever upgrade your mobo (which you will do ASAP if you want to save money not buying a new computer in the next couple years) you will be seriously glad you have a quality ram chip and don't have to replace both chips (as the 256 133 Mgz chip would acctually slow system preformance with a better mobo)