Ram Q....

T

tAkz

How can u tell what kind of ram you have by just looking at it ??

I have a RAM lying around but i have no idea what kind of ram it is...

If I insert it and its not the right kind of ram will it not work or ruin my comp or bl0w up????

picture of ram

rs.JPG
 
I did a google search with the compaq part #323013-001 and it looks like it is a 128MB stick of pc100 SDRAM
 
You can tell by the way the pins are notched that is SDRAM.

However, there ARE EDO modules with the same pin setup, but you can spot those out by looking at the solder joints between the memory chips onthe RAM PCB (The black rectangles). SDRAM has much smaller and more frequent pins, much like seen in this picture.

As for size, I don't know of a good way to figure that out other than trying it out or looking up the part number (sometimes). But if you have done this thing a lot, you can make a pretty accurate judgement based on the weight of the module. Higher MB modules feel heavier / denser.

The number of memory chips on the PCB can also hint at the size, but can be misleading. But, since this module has so many memory chips on it, you can safely guess that it is not 32MB and is probably between 64-256MB.
 
Originally posted by tAkz
If I insert it and its not the right kind of ram will it not work or ruin my comp or bl0w up????
Click to expand...

No, your PC wouldnt blow up :( (<-- too bad eh?) :D It just wouldnt boot.
 
Hate to spoil the party on that one guys, but the wrong RAM can screw things up!!!

OK, it's a rare and perplexing occurance, but when I was using an ELITE Mainboard with support for a maximum PC2100 RAM, I made a mistake buying it, and instead installed PC2700, running a 1.3 Duron.

When I rebooted, All my bios settings disappeared. I set it all up again, pressed F10 and exited, and when it rebooted, there was no graphics, no post, nothing but a flashing cursor in the top left of the screen. I took my tower to a shop to have it all checked out. Turns out the mainboard blew. I hadn't touched the mainboard itself other than the DIMMs. I was touching the computer cae all the while, and the power lead was unplugged from the back. Go figure!?!?!?!? I've never seen anything more odd than that, but it goes to show, it can happen.
 
Your problem was likely caused by something else and it was just a concidence that it was while you were putting in RAM. They run the same voltages (2100 and 2700) and are essentially the same aside from speed. So the RAM switch isn't likely to be the cause of your problem.
 
I've never seen that problem, and I've run faster RAM on many boards because it was all that was available to me at the time. If I were to wager a guess, I'd say it was either a bad RAM module or ESD that caused your problem.

I also noticed you mention having the cord unplugged, you realise that removed your earth ground right :p

Back on topic, www.crucial.com can help you easily find the right RAM for brand name PCs.
 
Yes I realise the ground was removed, but being in contact with the case constanly with one hand means that the PD between myself and the computer was equalised, eliminating the possibility of ESD. Besides which on an ATX board there is a permanent 3.3v line for soft power purposes, I suppose I could have turned off the mains switch, but removing the cable was easier.

The idea of a faulty RAM module sounds reasonable though. Whatever it was, it was rare and it was strange!
 

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