RAM for older notebook

I'm thinking of upgrading the RAM in my 5-year-old Dell Inspiron 3800 so I can install XP Pro. The manual calls for memory that clocks at 100MHz. Can I install PC133 Ram in it without any adverse effects?



....WW (5.0)

Yes, PC133 is PC100 that has a higher max speed. There is no minimum speed, and RAM runs at whatever bus the motherboard chooses (the frequency is fixed by the board, not the RAM). There might be other requirements, but I'd try whatever's cheapest first and return it if that doesn't work.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

The largest concern here is with a system that old, you could have a density limit that prevents a new module from being addressed properly. Of course there's no harm in trying a new module, either it works or it doesn't.

I've experienced the same thing on desktops. Crucial has some "low density" PC133 that will work in desktops all the way back to the Pentium 1 TX chipset (which "requires" PC66). But most newer modules won't work right because they're too dense.

And once again, it doesn't hurt anything to try it.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

Well...it didn't work. The computer wouldn't even POST...just a few blinks from some LED indicators on the keyboard and that was it. Very curious...

....WW (5.0)