Dell desktop RAM upgrade?

For a Dell Dimension 4700 desktop,
now with 1 x 256 MB DDR2 @ 333MHz,
can I add a 512 MD DDR2 @ 533MHZ,
and still use the existing 256 MB DIMM?

http://snipurl.com/Dell4700Dell4500ram

The Dell 4700 has four RAM slots.

 

Heres the best thing i have found,
http://www.crucial.com/

 

Thanks for the link, but what I need to know is
about mixing the different size and speed DIMMs.

 

The hard and fast answer to mixing ram in respect of using different manufacturers, different modules sizes and different speeds is that it may not work. Some boards can be / are very picky of the ram used.

It may work you will just have to try it. However, if it does, your memory (all of it) will operate only at the speed of your slowest module, in this case 333.

XP works best with 512Mb of ram but it is also not so straight forward. If you customise your installation by way of shutting off all 'services' that XP does not use, then you will have a very efficient use of ram.

My opinion is that you use the faster ram on the basis that it can sync itself to the cpu and not use the 256 module.

Apologies for not being able to provide a yes or no answer to your question but I am sure that other users will likely agree with what I have said.

Good Luck

Cheers

 

your 4700 desktop mobo supports 'dual-channel' DDR2 ram.
For this reason, i would personally choose to buy an identical 256mb module, exactly the same as the one you have, and run this in dual configuration on the other DIMM bank.....
With dual channel enabled, 2x256mb will be faster than 1x512mb.

Its unlikely the 512 will work alongside your 256 (maybe in single chan. but not in dual), but as risk reversal says, even if they do work together, your only as good as your slowest module when it comes to your RAM's clock speed.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1779130,00.asp

Regards.....

 

Thanks for the replies. http://www.upgradenation.com/ is also good.

I'll need to test both configs: 2x256, matched and 3x256, mixed; and report back. Just bought 2x256MB @ 533 MHz for under $30, used, with NO-DOA warranty, on Ebay.

I'll need to try it with the 2x256 @533MHz in one bank, and the old 1x256 @333MHz in another bank (3x256=768 MB)...

I've read that it's best to have a matched pair in each bank... What's not clear from the Dell Dimension 4700 specs... since there are two banks of two slots each... I am still wondering about inserting a matched pair in bank 1, and another type in bank 2...

Such as: 2x256 DDR2 PC2-4200 (533 MHz) in bank 1 and 1x256 DDR2 PC2-2700 (333 MHz) in bank 2... Would you suggest running 3x256=768 MB (mixed 333 MHz and 533 MHz) or just 2x256 (matched pair, 533 MHz)=512 MB? I guess they all would run at 333 MHz.

Would you run 768MB unmatched, or just use 512MB matched?

Is there any (free) utility that will measure actual memory speed, and also show you what is inserted in each bank? (OS=Windows XP Home, on Dell 4700)

 

You bet! Check out CPU-Z. It'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know about your computer, and includes the speed/size/type of memory and it lets you know if it's running in dual channel. Should be just what ya need. Good luck!

 

Thanks, askantik, CPU-Z is just what I was looking for!

http://www.cpuid.com/download/cpu-z-137.zip