# computer memory



## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

I was thinking on getting Windows 7, because my system, no matter how much I try to resolve it, keeps getting bugged up....and is usually that's when I jump to the new Windows. I have 1GB of ram memory (2 x 256 and a 512) and was thinking on upping that. I have four slots, and have no clue what type of ram I have.

I have a 1.80 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4

My motherboard is

Board: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. 8IPE1000-G
Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
BIOS: Award Software International, Inc. F3 03/16/2004

Info taken from Belarc.

What options are open to me if I want to get ram upgrade higher then 1Gb? I know my ram is spread out, but I don't know if there are certain rules the ram has to follow, like it did in the past.

Thank you kindly once again. You guys are such great help.


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## Zenia (Aug 20, 2010)

http://home.pacbell.net/dbk4297/memory_what_kind.html -- Perhaps this page will help you determine what you have.

I have Windows7 (64bit) and 6Gb of RAM. It is nice.


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## Runefox (Aug 20, 2010)

Cursory search: I believe that motherboard uses DDR (that's DDR1, not DDR2 or DDR3).


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## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

Zenia said:


> http://home.pacbell.net/dbk4297/memory_what_kind.html -- Perhaps this page will help you determine what you have.
> 
> I have Windows7 (64bit) and 6Gb of RAM. It is nice.



6Gb? wow! how could you afford that much ram?  Also, when setting up Win 7, does it ask what you want? 32 or 64bit? and is there any specifications you need for the higher one?



Runefox said:


> Cursory search: I believe that motherboard uses DDR (that's DDR1, not DDR2 or DDR3).



Yeah, I found this site that does a neat scan that tells you what each ram component is...they are 256 DDR PC2300, 256 DDR PC3200 and a 512 DDR PC3200. I was really hoping they weren't DDRs..  Now I either buy a 1Gb DDR or upgrade the motherboard and CPU, and buy fresh ram. *sigh* I wanted to check the damage on BestBuy.ca since they sell CPU units, but the freak'n site is all buggered up and broken. nearly every link I click on...watch, purchase, description of said item, even some categories, to even the contact page to email them about the problem of their site...all give me this big error page.







Sorry it's so small..just got scaled down.

I'm just beside myself, because I got a disorder (ADHD) where I got to find out info on things, right then and there, and I can't collect all the data, because the site is all buggy, and it is all that is on my mind.  I know there is little I can do, but just would like to know damage this will all cost me. I know I have an old post about motherboards on what to get, but not sure if anything came out better and affordable or at a reasonable price since then. I'll have to look for it.

Thanks again Rune...you have always been very helpful...and very much appreciate it.


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## Zenia (Aug 20, 2010)

Sneakers said:


> 6Gb? wow! how could you afford that much ram?  Also, when setting up Win 7, does it ask what you want? 32 or 64bit? and is there any specifications you need for the higher one?


My computer just came pre-built like this.  I think I paid about $600 (Canadian) for it. It has 600Gb of storage too. hehe


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## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

Zenia said:


> My computer just came pre-built like this.  I think I paid about $600 (Canadian) for it. It has 600Gb of storage too. hehe


 
Wow...am so envious.


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## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

Well, I found the list RuneFox gave me last year, and is no surprize that most the items are out of stock....I wonder if I should just buy 1 Gb of DDR ram and Win 7...I got the HD and specs for it, and save up and get an updated list of recommended components. If it's no trouble to you Runefox...I'll just have to find a way to save some extra cash. So far Bestbuy seems to be the only place that sells DDR ram.

Also, how high of memory ram can I go with a P4 1.8Ghz computer?


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## ToeClaws (Aug 20, 2010)

Well, some of the first-gen Pentium IVs also took PC133 SDRAM - I have one sitting in storage at home like that.  As to how much RAM they can take... well, depends on the motherboard.  The one that I have can go up to 2g via 4x512M PC133 sticks.  The best way to know is to look up the specific motherboard make/model and look up the stats.

I would suggest forgetting about Windows 7 though in that the processor is too old to really gain anything from it.  Modern dual-core processors and especially 3+ core processors stand to gain a lot from the upgrade since XP's understanding of multi-core is very limited.  But on an old machine like that, all you'll be doing is replacing a small OS with a much larger one.  

What I would suggest instead is saving up to replace the core of your system with something newer.  And I _just_ had to do this too for my folks.  A backhoe took out powerlines by their house and the resulting surge (mercifully) fried their 8 year old first-gen P4.  I spec'd out a replacement motherboard, CPU (dual core), Power supply and 2g of RAM for $186 US, so it's actually well worth saving up the cash to replace the core rather than try to limp the old system into a new generation of OS.


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## net-cat (Aug 20, 2010)

Looking at your motherboard, I suggest this:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820178101

With that processor, though, there's no reason to go past 2GB.



ToeClaws said:


> Well, some of the first-gen Pentium IVs also took PC133 SDRAM - I have one sitting in storage at home like that.  As to how much RAM they can take... well, depends on the motherboard.  The one that I have can go up to 2g via 4x512M PC133 sticks.  The best way to know is to look up the specific motherboard make/model and look up the stats.


SDRAM is worse than DDR in terms of cost. Not as bad as Rambus, though. (And heaven help you if you lost your C-RIMMs.)

I actually saw a Socket 478 motherboard that took DDR2. Yay transitional boards.



ToeClaws said:


> I would suggest forgetting about Windows 7 though in that the processor is too old to really gain anything from it.  Modern dual-core processors and especially 3+ core processors stand to gain a lot from the upgrade since XP's understanding of multi-core is very limited.  But on an old machine like that, all you'll be doing is replacing a small OS with a much larger one.


Indeed. If you want Win7, this computer would handle it with minimal issue. (If you have a sufficient video card, you could even get Aero Glass out of it, probably.) But Win7 isn't a magical panacea that cures everything ever. If there are underlying hardware issues, it won't help.



ToeClaws said:


> What I would suggest instead is saving up to replace the core of your system with something newer.  And I _just_ had to do this too for my folks.  A backhoe took out powerlines by their house and the resulting surge (mercifully) fried their 8 year old first-gen P4.  I spec'd out a replacement motherboard, CPU (dual core), Power supply and 2g of RAM for $186 US, so it's actually well worth saving up the cash to replace the core rather than try to limp the old system into a new generation of OS.


This.

For comparison's sake, the same amount of memory in DDR2 will run you about half.


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## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

ToeClaws said:


> Well, some of the first-gen Pentium IVs also took PC133 SDRAM - I have one sitting in storage at home like that.  As to how much RAM they can take... well, depends on the motherboard.  The one that I have can go up to 2g via 4x512M PC133 sticks.  The best way to know is to look up the specific motherboard make/model and look up the stats.



According to the site that scanned and told me the type of ram I have, and sizes, it says it's made by Gigabyte Tech and is model number 8IPE1000-G...I just figured I had to take the CPU into account on what the highest it could read.



ToeClaws said:


> I would suggest forgetting about Windows 7 though in that the processor is too old to really gain anything from it.  Modern dual-core processors and especially 3+ core processors stand to gain a lot from the upgrade since XP's understanding of multi-core is very limited.  But on an old machine like that, all you'll be doing is replacing a small OS with a much larger one.
> 
> What I would suggest instead is saving up to replace the core of your system with something newer.  And I _just_ had to do this too for my folks.  A backhoe took out powerlines by their house and the resulting surge (mercifully) fried their 8 year old first-gen P4.  I spec'd out a replacement motherboard, CPU (dual core), Power supply and 2g of RAM for $186 US, so it's actually well worth saving up the cash to replace the core rather than try to limp the old system into a new generation of OS.


 
Yeah, you're right...perhaps I'll just save up that money, and ask what is available then. Because of my other condition, I get one thing/idea in my head, and I obsess over it, and is all I think about is trying to find everything I can about it and making it happen...if I can. just my system is wonkers...got a browser that when I'm googling, sends me to links that are not what the link is about(e.g. went to visit a Microsoft link, and ended up on some strange site) And is slow too...figured some extra gig of ram would help it run abit better.



net-cat said:


> Looking at your motherboard, I suggest this:
> 
> http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820178101
> 
> ...



Well, i don't know the issues, I just think it's software issue..I know Win 7 isn't going to be perfect, I still like XP...just would be nice to have a faster computer again. I know I need a motherboard, a multi-core CPU, ram to go with the motherboard...I want a fair bit of ram this time...more then 1Gb. and the power supply. I don't know how good my video card is...I got two listed when I ran Belarc. I know I had this TV tuner thing install inside it, but forgot the name of it, since it stopped working right. I'll have to make sure to get a decent card that isn't super expensive, but isn't on the verge of being obsolete. I will have to figure out the cost of the said items would be, since prices have chanced over the last year I last asked, and newer stuff are cheaper.


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## ToeClaws (Aug 20, 2010)

If you got a system doing questionable things, then the best thing to do is rebuild it - technically it's not the computer doing it, it's some software, malware or other such thing that's messed with the OS and it's applications.  And yes, definitely save your money - spending hard-earned cash on mega obsolete RAM to try and bolster an old rig is just a waste when you can actually upgrade the core for so little cash nowadays.

First Gen P4s (aka Willamette cores) were no superstars.  They were rushed to the market to try and compete with the Athlon, which at the time was beating the pants off Intel for performance.  They were higher speed than the Pentium IIIs, but accomplished less per cycle.  To illustrate the point, here's where your CPU sites on the CPU Benchmark list:

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=Intel+Pentium+4+1.80GHz

Here's the average NetBook CPU:

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=Intel+Atom+N450+@+1.66GHz

And here's the dual core CPU I spec'd out in that under $200 core replacement for my folks:

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=AMD+Athlon+II+X2+245

When you can up the base power of your machine THAT much for so little, also giving it the ability to run the current mass-produced (and thus cheap) RAM, there's just no reason to try working with the old PC anymore.

And just for the heck of it (if you were curious), the fastest CPU that could go on first-gen P4 boards was a 2.8GHz 400MHz/100 bus version of the CPU - there's not even a bench mark for that one, but it would be a little under this which is likely the 533, or 800MHz one:

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=Intel+Pentium+4+2.80GHz

The highest CPU that can go into that motherboard I spec'd for my folks as part of the upgraded core is this:

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Phenom+II+X6+1090T

All the more reason to change out the core - you'll have FAR more flexibility.  Also, for anyone that wants to say "But but... that's a cheap motherboard!"  Yes, yes it is.  For most average users, a super motherboard is not necessary, and it comes with a 3 year warranty so at that price, you're laughing.


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## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

This is what I scoped out and am aiming for right now...I just don't know how to tell what power supply to get,

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103706
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128425
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144386

What do you look for when buying a power supply? I'm going to look at video cards, to see what they have.

Wow...that Motherboard is cheap...but it only has 2 ram slots. If I get 2x2Gb, I'll have to get rid of those two to upgrade any higher.

My head is spinning trying to decide what to do...I thought if I went quad-core, it would be around longer. I wish I was real tech savvy. I just get lost in the numbers, terms and abbreviations.


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## Runefox (Aug 20, 2010)

That motherboard won't work with that processor - It's an Intel-based motherboard, while that CPU is AMD-based. Also, it does have four slots.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&Tpk=tx650 is what I'd recommend for a power supply, since it's pretty much more than you'll need, has a 5 year warranty, and is almost always on sale.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128435 is what I'd recommend for a motherboard. You can go a little lower than that, but it seems to be the AMD analogue to the one you picked out and should be pretty solid.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128445 is what I'd recommend if you wanted a motherboard somewhat cheaper. Uses a slightly less powerful chipset, has a little fewer USB/SATA ports, one fewer firewire port, and not a whole lot else is different.


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## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

Runefox said:


> That motherboard won't work with that processor - It's an Intel-based motherboard, while that CPU is AMD-based. Also, it does have four slots.
> 
> http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&Tpk=tx650 is what I'd recommend for a power supply, since it's pretty much more than you'll need, has a 5 year warranty, and is almost always on sale.
> 
> ...


 
Crap! I knew I'd flipp'n mess it up with the parts. So that power supply will work with either motherboard then? How do you know what works with what? I try reading it, but can't make sense of anything....makes me feel really dumb. 

What type of video card do I have to look out for with these boards? I may save for the $139 one. Also, I don't understand the CPU section. It says Phenom II / Athlon II / Sempron 100 Series, but I don't know what those are. If I can find the parts that work together, I can take them all to the computer store to have them installed...may end up with a new tower, but will expect that. I'll also, before that get Windows 7, and find a good price for it...the full boxed version.

Thanks again Rune...yer a lifesaver.


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## Leafblower29 (Aug 20, 2010)

I'd recommend at least 3GB but 2GB at minimum.


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## Runefox (Aug 20, 2010)

Well, the CPU you chose is an Athlon II, and is compatible with those motherboards, and power supplies are usually fairly universal (ATX standards). As for what video cards you should look at, the ATI Radeon series would probably do this system the most justice, but as long as it's a PCI-Express video card, it will work just fine. I can't really recommend anything specific without knowing exactly what you want to do with it, however, and how much you're willing to spend.


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## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

Leafblower29 said:


> I'd recommend at least 3GB but 2GB at minimum.



I'm going to try for 4Gb of ram...and over time, buy 4 more gigs of ram to fill in the slots. I'll even consider getting a 2x4Gb DDR3 ram kit instead of a 2x2Gb one.



Runefox said:


> Well, the CPU you chose is an Athlon II, and is compatible with those motherboards, and power supplies are usually fairly universal (ATX standards). As for what video cards you should look at, the ATI Radeon series would probably do this system the most justice, but as long as it's a PCI-Express video card, it will work just fine. I can't really recommend anything specific without knowing exactly what you want to do with it, however, and how much you're willing to spend.


 
Well, I want a reasonably powerful card, that isn't on the verge of obsolete...nor is super expensive...something that can support DirectX 10-11. I would like to play games on my system like Final Fantasy XIV, but mostly graphics and media and music. I always seem to get things close to obsolete, then end up having to upgrade again. I want these parts to last me some time...which is why I'm going with a board that can go high on ram, and a quadcore. I don't recognize alot of the names...other then ATI and Gigabyte, which I had in the past with no problems...but have been looking at ratings to see how they scored and the reviews. Basicly I want a nice powerful parts that are for a good price that is affordable to most people. You know what I mean?

*edit* BTW...late reply...I hit reply hours ago, but returned to the computer with a message saying that some token had expired, and my reply was never posted.


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## Ames (Aug 20, 2010)

Sneakers said:


> I have a 1.80 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4
> 
> Board: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. 8IPE1000-G
> Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
> BIOS: Award Software International, Inc. F3 03/16/2004


 
It's probably time to build a new rig. :V


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## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

Oh, how do you tell if a CPU is Phenom II, Athlon II or Sempron 100? I been looking over the various DDR3 ram kits and none of them mention any of those 3 types...not even the one you said was an Athlon II. I was debating on getting a 2x4Gb ram kit (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311) instead of the 2x2Gb ram kit I posted. I was looking over the ram they have, and not sure what companies are ok and what aren't...I have been trying to stick with those with a +5 rating, and going with the more affordable ones...I mean why pay alot, if a cheaper one is just as good and reliable as a more expensive one. I know nothing of all the tech specs. I was thinking on getting the 8Gb ram, filling in 2 slots, and down the road, buy 8 more Gb (2x4Gb) to take the last two spots, giving me the max 16Gb ram space. Is that too much to have? I hear about things overheating. and other stuff..

So far, I have, thanks to RuneFox
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128435 (motherboard)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005 (power supply)
I haven't looked up the video card yet, been working on budgeting the ram first.
Also will add Win 7...Newegg has the full Home version, retail for $205.99 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116766 (not bad price)

So, I got the motherboard, power supply, need the video card, the ram(still looking at prices and specs, trying to decyper them.) Win 7, and a new Tower case to house it all. I have that to look up too...or maybe get that at the local computer store.

*edit* I added
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116766 (Sapphire video card)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311 (2x2Gb DDR3 ram)


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## Runefox (Aug 20, 2010)

In that case, you might look at the Radeon HD 5670. It should be more than enough to handle FFXIV. That one has a lifetime warranty (you need to register it online to activate that), and it should last you if you're not going to be doing heavy gaming. It should be able to handle whatever you throw at it for now at least at medium settings, which is pretty great for a little over $100. You could drop down to a 5550 if cost was a factor, but it won't be as future-proof, and it may not handle FFXIV quite so well (though I hear it's very CPU-bound).

EDIT: Ooh, no, don't bother with the retail copy. Save yourself some money (as in, 50% off) and grab the OEM; Same thing, except you need to choose either 64-bit or 32-bit, not both (retail comes with both; You probably want 64-bit anyway).


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## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

Runefox said:


> In that case, you might look at the Radeon HD 5670. It should be more than enough to handle FFXIV. That one has a lifetime warranty (you need to register it online to activate that), and it should last you if you're not going to be doing heavy gaming. It should be able to handle whatever you throw at it for now at least at medium settings, which is pretty great for a little over $100. You could drop down to a 5550 if cost was a factor, but it won't be as future-proof, and it may not handle FFXIV quite so well (though I hear it's very CPU-bound).
> 
> EDIT: Ooh, no, don't bother with the retail copy. Save yourself some money (as in, 50% off) and grab the OEM; Same thing, except you need to choose either 64-bit or 32-bit, not both (retail comes with both; You probably want 64-bit anyway).


 
ok, I added
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150467 (the video card you recommended.)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820231311 (2x2Gb DDR3 ram) (You may missed me sneak edit it in my last post)

As for the retail Win 7...I picked that version, because when I read about what a OEM is, they say it doesn't have support, and is for people who know what they are doing...such as experts like yourself. I'm clueless, so I thought I heed their advise.


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## Runefox (Aug 20, 2010)

Mm-mm. The OEM versions are supported the same as retail. Only difference is that one comes with a box and a pamphlet (and in 7's case, both 32- and 64-bit discs versus one or the other with OEM), while the other just comes with a disc and a serial key. You may also have some issues transferring it to another PC (retail lets you do that indefinitely I believe), but usually all you need for that is a call to Microsoft to reactivate if that ever happened. The OEM version is exactly what would be pre-installed on a new brand-name PC (and for that matter, installs exactly the same way), and is what you're looking for.


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## Sneakers (Aug 20, 2010)

Runefox said:


> Mm-mm. The OEM versions are supported the same as retail. Only difference is that one comes with a box and a pamphlet (and in 7's case, both 32- and 64-bit discs versus one or the other with OEM), while the other just comes with a disc and a serial key. You may also have some issues transferring it to another PC (retail lets you do that indefinitely I believe), but usually all you need for that is a call to Microsoft to reactivate if that ever happened. The OEM version is exactly what would be pre-installed on a new brand-name PC (and for that matter, installs exactly the same way), and is what you're looking for.


 
I see...so what happens if something happens to the computer and I have to contact Microsoft to reactivate it? Well...now that I think about it...I have a OEM of XP..I don't have a box and manual, just a disc and the serial number I wrote on the paper. I re-installed it many times over.

As I have been putting parts together...I thought to myself...how do I know if my current Harddrives will work with the motherboard I picked? Is there a way to tell what kinda HDD works with what? I was looking at 1Tb drives, and there was two 5 mark choices...one was quite cheap....well, reasonably cheap. I'm trying to figure it out, but with two types of interfaces and two speeds each one...and not sure what my HDD are...only one is 6Gb, and the main one is 250Gb.


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## Runefox (Aug 21, 2010)

Yeah, there isn't going to be any problem with that, the only thing you might need to do is just call MSFT if something major changes, which isn't any different from how you handle Windows XP right now.

I wouldn't recommend keeping your current hard drives, but chances are good that you'd be able to keep them. That said, you're probably going to be looking at only one IDE channel, so if the drives are IDE (very likely), you'd have to make a choice between the two drives and your optical drive(s). Best to get new ones if possible, especially since drives that old probably won't be hanging around much longer. If you were looking at 1TB drives, you'd be well-suited to take a look at the WD1001FALS. It's fairly quick and comes with a five year warranty.


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