What Ram do I need? - Computer Help & PC Help Forums

**Quacker** · 06-08-2008, 04:16 PM

Insanely jealous of my stepdaughter and her higher memory on her laptop, I have an older model Compaq Presario 2100 - what sort of ram can I use to upgrade this - assuming it is available? I have an older Compaq but that is probably too old (can't recall model no.)

**Seth** · 06-08-2008, 04:35 PM

Memory upgrades, flash media, and usb storage at Crucial.com

**Quacker** · 06-08-2008, 09:26 PM

Thanks Seth - point of interest. Might be nothing or something but on that site, I looked for the Satellite Pro L40 (Toshiba) the one I just purchased for the youngster. On that site when I input the details I says there are 2 slots and a maximum of 2gb ram ok, 2048gb to be precise.

The guy in the shop has sole me it as 2.5gb - or 2560gb to be accurate again. Now I'm just a punter, if it only has 2 slots - does that mean it cannot have all the ram included, or is there a separate place where the original 512gb is kept? - the sales receipt/guarantee stipulates 2.5gb that's all.

Have I paid for 2gb and got 1.5? even if it was an upgrade to 2gb, why say it was 2.5 as that makes no sense. Apologies if I make no sense

Steve

**Goku** · 06-09-2008, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quacker

Thanks Seth - point of interest. Might be nothing or something but on that site, I looked for the Satellite Pro L40 (Toshiba) the one I just purchased for the youngster. On that site when I input the details I says there are 2 slots and a maximum of 2gb ram ok, 2048gb to be precise.

The guy in the shop has sole me it as 2.5gb - or 2560gb to be accurate again. Now I'm just a punter, if it only has 2 slots - does that mean it cannot have all the ram included, or is there a separate place where the original 512gb is kept? - the sales receipt/guarantee stipulates 2.5gb that's all.

Have I paid for 2gb and got 1.5? even if it was an upgrade to 2gb, why say it was 2.5 as that makes no sense. Apologies if I make no sense

Steve

Steve, you need to be careful when regarding the terms. When you mean 2048 GB, 2560 GB or 512 GB, you mean MBs, right?

Well the crucial scan stated that you have two memory slots. That means that you can have 2.5 GBs of RAM by the following combination:

Slot 1: 2 GBs (2048 MBs)
Slot 2: 512 MBs

So it might be an upgrade after all. If you want to check the amount of memory you have, perform the following instructions:

1) Click on the Start button.
2) In the menu that opens, right click on My Computer.
3) In the subsequent short-cut menu, click on Properties.
4) Under the General tab, you will find how much RAM the computer has and information on the processor and version of Windows used.

Better yet simply press the Windows + Pause | Break combination.

Note: Here Windows key refers to the key with the Windows Logo printed on it.

And Steve, please be a bit more explanatory as I said earlier. Your previous post was a little confusing.

-- Goku

**RandyL** · 06-09-2008, 03:37 AM

I just looked your info on crucial.

Maximum Memory: 2048MB
Each memory slot can hold DDR2 PC2-6400,DDR2 PC2-5300 with a maximum of 1GB per slot.

What that means is that you can use a maximum of 1GB in each of the two slots for a total of 2GB.

What do you use your computer for? More memory may not give you any gain unless you're running high end programs.

**Quacker** · 06-10-2008, 09:27 AM

This is what I thought. I can't tell yet what is on board. The computer is "put away" awaiting her 16th birthday (June 20th) - So I am confused as to the terminology. It was half a gig of ram then upgraded. I'm now told and agreed and signed for two and a half gig of ram.

Sorry Goku - I got my Mb's and Gb's mixed up lol.

As Randy has confirmed what I was thinking the info clearly suggests 2 slots with a max of 1Gb meaning total Ram 2Gb - the guy in the shop and the guarantee/sales receipt clearly confirm 2.5Gb.

The laptop will be used for university with internet and general use (whatever 16 year old girls do).

My point is I am a little bemused I;ve been told it is something it can't be, i.e. 2.5 GB Ram when 2Gb is the maximum.

You see I believe the upgrade to 2Gb was £29 - no big deal, but he said they left the half gig already in there.

Unless of course it is possibly as Goku sugeested that the slots can hold more than 1Gb now? - I will find out June 20th when she opens it up and sets it up for the first time.

**Dalo Harkin** · 06-10-2008, 09:32 AM

The slots will hold sticks of 2GB - whether it will use all 2GB is the question - when you start the laptop I would not be surprised if it only sees 512MB.
I know I have joined this late on but - did they match the memory speed of the 2 DIMMS?

**Seth** · 06-10-2008, 09:34 AM

I've seen one laptop that had the stock 512 memory right on the main board. It was not accessible unless the laptop was taken apart.

It did have two accessible ram slots on the bottom though.

**Dalo Harkin** · 06-10-2008, 09:36 AM

I have also seen this SETH, but not on a TOSHIBA - they are normally on budget laptops to keep costs down

**Quacker** · 06-12-2008, 08:43 AM

Haha - I will let you all know in a short while. Probably when I'm on here looking for help setting it up or something. I just think it was the wording or maybe how I perceived it. I took the upgrade to 2Gb option but was told it is actually 2.5 in total. I'm sure I'm fussing over nothing.