Buy low memory and add in afterwards

[walterblackberry]

I'm buying an IBM R ThinkPad laptop. For some reason, their default models skimp on the memory. I need a minimum of 512MB, and maybe more.

IBM's prices are quite high - about double Crucial's. Is there any reason (other than inconvience) I shouldn't just buy the standard 256MB IBM and add in Crucial? Will I get the same performance, reliability, and power conservation? Thanks

 

[BrentUnitedMem]

Upgrades are always more expensive, because most people just don't know what to buy!

For Dell, you should be ok buying memory on your own. Just make sure you know what you are buying. You'll need to know the following:

1. How many available memory slots
sometimes the DELL might come with onle 2 slots filled with 128MB each. If you upgrade to 512MB then you'll loose 128MB and have to run two unidentical memory modules, which can cause unwanted complications.

2. MEMORY PROGRAM
Yes, memory needs to be programmed correctly. For standard DDR programming you'll need one of the following:
a) PC-3200 CL3
b) PC-2700 CL2.5
c) PC-2100 CL2.5

3. BRAND
Samung, Micron, Infineon, Hynix chips are recommended for desktop machines. (Crucial uses Micron)
Use <A HREF="http://www.cpuid.com/download/cpu-z-128.zip" target="_new">CPU-Z</A> to try to identify the memory.

____________________________________________________
"Memory with lifetime warranty? So, whose lifetime is that?"
<A HREF="http://www.brentcrowley.com/" target="_new">homepage</A>
AIM BrentUnitedMem

 

[walterblackberry]

So, for IBM, would you say to just get a 256MBH and buy the Crucial upgrade? (Crucial has a matching database which I assume is accurate).

 

[BrentUnitedMem]

What is the current memory setup in your machine?

Two sticks of 128MB?
My guess is two sticks 128MB SO-DIMM Samsung PC-2100.

____________________________________________________
"Memory with lifetime warranty? So, whose lifetime is that?"
<A HREF="http://www.brentcrowley.com/" target="_new">homepage</A>
AIM BrentUnitedMem