Memory mismatch: does it matter?

guys this is something I cannot recall: I have a presario notebook running Celeron M 430 with i940-something chipset. supposedly memory should be 266/333 or 533/667 doubled. I happen to have one of each, a 1gb 667 and 512mb 533 - system will boot and run with both installed.
what I'm wondering is:
- does the mismatch necessarily slow things down?
- is one of these speeds preferable over the other, as I'm going to 2gb, matched.

also if anyone just happens to know this platform, the ostensible max memory is 2gb, but is there a way to get it to accept 4gb?
thx
z

 

Yes it slows things down,the mismatch will cause the faster 667 to run at the slower 533mhz.

Saying that I'd rather have 1.5gb of slightly slower memory than 512mb of really fast memory.

No, maximum memory is hardware dependant.

Are you sure the maximum amount of memory is 2gb? I've done a quick scan of your chipset and it 'appears' they will support 2gb modules,you could be mistaken and the max installable size memory modules is 2gb X 2,meaning a max of 4gb.

I'm guessing really without the model number of your presario so post it

 

not sure at all.
the service manual has the max at 2gb, and crucial.com has it at that also.
there are a lot of variants of this basic platform so I'm wondering if there's a bios out there somewhere that will accomodate.
RAM is so far in the 'cheap' ditch right now its ridiculous. I can buy 1gb sodimm for 8 bucks or so. :cool

 

If you're not sure what type and capacity of memory your board can handle, a good place to look it up is www.crucial.com.

I've found Crucial's website to be the most accurate of all memory mfr. sites in listing a PC's max. memory capacity. That, and the results should give you an idea of cost (I've actually found online retailers attempting to sell Crucial memory above the factory direct price!).

Also, my experience is that Crucial is one of the better brands on the market - fewer compatibility issues.

Hope this helps.

 

crucial says its limited to 1gb modules.
i've seen desktops here and there that 'just work' with higher capacity modules than what the spec says, so just wondering. i'll dry some diff search terms. i know this platform is overclocked by the gogo guys so maybe one of them has tried :-D

 

I've had mixed results with putting in larger capacity RAM than Crucial or the system mfr's web site states.

If you are going to try this, it's best to be sure your BIOS is the newest version available (check the PC or motherboard mfr's driver download page against the BIOS version that displays at boot up). I've seen a few cases where (even though it's not listed in the BIOS update notes), the update also helps the board recognize larger capacity RAM.

If you try 2GB sticks, at worst, either the PC won't boot (error beeps) or the BIOS and/or Windows won't recognize anything over 1GB per slot. Given this, I'd buy the memory from a source with a decent return policy and little or no restocking fee - just in case.

 

yep that's about what I expected. for better or worse, the MB is one of compaq's own, and the bios was only updated once so its 4-5 yrs old.
if Cpq's model numbering/naming scheme were not so BLASTED complex and indiscernible, I could probably scrounge for a 'loan' from a similar rig - it may have been sheer marketeering that limited one model to 2gb, whereas the same design with a different model-suffix and higher price tag is the "4GB model". know what I mean?

 

System mfrs. (esp. HP/Compaq) are notoriously bad about having sketchy information about upgrades. Their hope is that - if they make it hard to find a solution - you'll give up, rush out to Best Buy, buy a newer PC and repeat every 2-3 years. rolleyes