Emachine RAM

[BDWeller]

I've got an emachine T3418 that, according to the My Computer properties, had 384 MB of RAM installed. After research, I determined that it could take up to 2 GB. I ordered 1GB and installed in in DIMM slot 1. I moved the 384 MB chip to slot 2. There was no appreciable performance in computing and My Computer properties registered 894 MB of RAM (the number 894 is from my memory as I'm at someone else's house and not in front of my computer. It's definitely 890-something). I'm confused. I removed the 384 MB chip from slot 2 and left the 1 GB chip in slot 1. Still no change in speed and the properties still read 894 MB.

Any suggestions? I just upgraded one of my kid's computers from 256 MB to 512 MB and its an amazing change in speed. I assumed that going from 384 MB to 1 GB + 384 MB would produce similar (if not incredibly better) results.

Thanks, BDWeller

 

[captaincranky]

The other 128MB is being used by the onboard video and doesn't appear in the available RAM.

Incidentally there is no such thing as a "384MB" DIMM, What you pulled was a 512MB chip. 384 + 128 = 512

 

[BDWeller]

RAM question

Thanks for your insight. That's the only computer I've seen that "hides" RAM in the properties for onboard video.

Any thoughts on why there is no difference in speed? I had such a great response going from 256 to 512 MB on my kid's computer that I was surprised that there was no difference adding 1 GB to this one.

Also, when I had the 1 GB and the old 512 MB chip both installed, it still showed that I had less than 1 GB in properties. The number didn't change with the old 512in slot 2 or when it was removed. My understanding is that this machine can take up to 2 GB.

Thanks for your help, BDWeller

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Captaincranky is correct. You do not have a 384MB RAM module in that system and according to the eMachines product page for your PC it shares up to 128MB of RAM.

Your new module is 1024MB and 1024MB - 128MB = 896MB. Your old module isn't being detected for one reason or another. Try booting with only the old module in the second DIMM slot, and if that doesn't register, try with the new module in the second DIMM slot. If neither will work, you've likely got a bum DIMM slot. Otherwise there is some form of incompatibility or you don't have the module seated all the way.

 

[raybay]

The T-3418 came with 512 MB of DDR PC2100 or DDR PC2700 in some cases.
Your board will take two modules of 1 GB PC3200 CL-3... but will do funny things with a mismatch of older slower memory.
The machine came with PCI Express x16 Video graphics.
You really need both modules to be DDR PC3200, and not value ram, for best results... Kingston, Crucial, Buffalo, Infineon, OCZ... any of a number of good brands. Try to get a second module identical to the first.
That is not a great motherboard, so you have to do exactly what it wants.
Because of the video graphics, you need both modules.
You will not see much improvement in speed, but you should see substantial improvement in graphics and in document handling. Your speed issues are because of the slow, low front side bus.
Because of the high early-failure rate of the T-3418, you will perhaps be better off taking this opportunity to move up to a better machine with a better power supply and a more reliable motherboard.

 

[captaincranky]

Thanks for your insight. That's the only computer I've seen that "hides" RAM in the properties for onboard video.

Any thoughts on why there is no difference in speed? I had such a great response going from 256 to 512 MB on my kid's computer that I was surprised that there was no difference adding 1 GB to this one.

Thanks for your help, BDWeller

The jump in performance is not as dramatic from 512MB to 1GB as it is from 256 to 512. However, you should notice the jump when using a DVD burning app, which is memory intensive. Basically, until you saturate the available RAM, and the OS needs to write temp files to the HDD, the speed of the machine will appear similar.