PC100 RAM

I've noticed that some computer shops sell PC-100 RAM more expensive than PC-133 (for the same amount of Mb). Can someone please explain why?

-Thanks

Supply-demand and rarity.

Rob
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The price is based on buyers ignorance-if your ignorant to the fact that PC133 will run at 100, than you deserve to pay more. I have some PC133 that was REMARKED as PC 100 so I could sell it for more (but it did not cost ME more!). I hear people walk into the shop and say "But I need PC100!", and if you argue with them they assume that your a bad teck and take their business elswhere. So it's an arsehole fee, the bigger the arse you make of yourself, the more you pay!

Cast not thine pearls before the swine

Usually it works, but it really depends on your chipset-if you have a VX chipset, it takes special memory with more chips of a smaller size. Some other chipset only accepted one-sided DIMMS, diregarding the back side of double sided memory (making it half the size). And some chipsets only accepted DIMMs with 64MB or 128MB max size. Some motherboards even used EDO dimms-Compaq and Dell made several systems like that, which would NOT accept SDRAM.

So I'll make it simple for you-

If you DO have SDRAM, you can use SDRAM. Otherwise, check with the manufacter. Some motherboards supported EDO DIMMS ONLY. some supported SDRAM ONLY, some BOTH.

If you DO NOT have an Intel VX chipset, but do have SDRAM, you can at least use modern memory (PC 133) of SOME size (at least 128MB in your case).

If you DO have a double sided module working at full size, that means you can use double sided memory. Otherwise, check with the manufacturer.

Or just give us the manufacturer and model number of your board and someone will check for you.

What I am trying to say is that without checking anything else, if you know your using SDRAM (PC-66), you can for sure use PC 133 of at least 128MB (maybe more), at least single sided (maybe double sided), as long as you do not have an Intel VX chipset motherboard.

So if your in a hurry to order, and know that your using PC-66, (but not on a VX), you can play it safe and get a single sided 128MB PC133 DIMM and it will work. I would use it in the second slot, so that your motherboard detects the speed of the slower stick (the old one) first.

My favorite source of single-sided PC 133 is Crucial.com They make high quality memory, and have a great warrantee, and resonable prices.

If you think you may want to use this memory on your next system, order Cas2. It's about the same price as Cas3, and will run at that slower speed if necessary on your older system, but then you can bring it up to speed on your next system.

Cast not thine pearls before the swine

Even though the specs sheet only list support for up to 64MB modules, I have had good success using Single Sided 128MB PC-133 on this chipset (the Intel TX). But I have only tried it with one 128MB module, so I can't garentee it will work with two. I would suggest you try it.
As for that odd slot, if it looks kind of like a brown PCI slot, it's probably a COAST module slot. COAST stands for Cashe on a Stick, and is a way to increase your onboard Cache for increased performance.

Cast not thine pearls before the swine

I don't know that your motherboard has upgradble Cache. That would be L2 cache BTW. If it has 512KB or more it should be a good performer. You have to remember that motherboard cache is much slower than on-die cache, so they use more of it to help make up the performance difference.

Cast not thine pearls before the swine