Need Urgent Help - DDR SODIMMs. Have I been sent wrong ones?

[WebbyWonder]

Hi Folks,

Please forgive me - I'm SODIMM about RAMs... Sorry, couldn't resist.

I have a feeling my first newbie question here is about a very basic thing I ought to know already, but I've searched for and failed to find the answer anywhere and I'm runnnnning out of time - I've bought some memory and need to know by 1159 GMT tonight if it's the wrong sort so that I can send the store an Email...

I have got a bod-standard old Dell Inspiron 1100 I'm trying to upgrade for my sister to use. (Haven't even flashed the BIOS since buying it new in, about May? 2003.)

It only has 256MB RAM - a pair of 128 slices filling the 2 slots - however, it can take up to 1Gig, so that's what I attempted to order...

I found a store (No, I hadn't heard of them, but they did have a decent score on PriceGrabber.) and I chose ... 2 x 'A-Data' branded 512MB 200 pin DDR SODIMMs that were advertised as having PC2100/2700/3200 compatibility.

The package arrived on Friday... it contained 2 SODIMMs in small, plain, unsealed pink plastic sleeve type bags and there was no paperwork at all. That immediately worried me... Looking closely, the various memory chips on each board have no name etched on them and the labels stuck on them are plain white with...

DDR 200 PIN
PC400 512M

written on them, that's it. No barcodes, no logos, no serial numbers, no nothing. I was dubious about the things, but since the bags weren't sealed, I decided to try them in the laptop anyway. Obviously they fit OK, but whichever way round I tried them I just got a dreaded 4 beep code - It went beep-beep-beep -- beep! That's a memory issue alright.

So now that's where you folks come in, I hope...

I know very little about memory issues, but I have to assume that 'PC400' must mean 400MHz speed? As far as I can work out 400MHz is usually linked to PC3200, not PC2100, which is usually 266MHz...

I see many adverts offering RAM that is offered as 'PC210/2700/3200 compatible' and that's why I'm confused... Should the SODIMMs I've been sent be 'backwards compatible' and be able to work with a PC2100 setup?

If the new SODIMMs should work... there isn't any non standard hardware to cause a problem (mind you, it is a Dell ). So I was wondering if it might be due to never having flashed the BIOS... Do you think that might fix the problem?

If these units are not compatible with a PC2100 setup, I need to be sure of my facts so that I can send an Email to notify the company by 1159 GMT Sunday night so they'll give me an RMA on Monday (I hope... )

Anyone able to advise me, in simple laymans' terms... Please?!?!

Thanks in advance.

Have a great 4th!

[kenc51]

since its a dell, i would rma that ram and goto
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/MemC ... ion=157119

Dell don't use standard ram as such, they set their own timings and you are always safest buying from them.
I had a oem pc back in the day, the only ram it would take was pc100 cas 3 ram

Mayby someone else knows something more to help?

[WebbyWonder]

Well, well, well... so Dell has adjusted things so that we're forced to buy their stuff and pay double the normal price for the privilege of doing so?? I don't see anything usual about the memory's specs listed there, but if it's true it doesn't surprise me in the least.

I was persuaded to try a Dell against my better judgement at the time and I've never liked the darn thing since then. Everything I hear about them makes me regret it even more!

Does anyone else know it that really is the case? I checked my laptop out on Crucial.com's site before ordering anything. After using their system scanner thing, they indicated that normal PC2100 SODIMMs would be fine.

(I'd still like to know about the PC400 aspect as well... is or isn't it an issue?)

Any further thoughts about this predicament, folks?

[Apoptosis]

I had the ASUS M6N and it ran PC-2700 (333MHz) memory and I got in some PC-3200 (400MHz) SO-DIMM's for it and it would not post. The DDR400 and DDR333 modules only differ by SPD settings, so I believe it is nothing more than a BIOS/SPD issue that causes the system to fail from my notebook expierences.

After looking at the Kingston Technology Configurator I noticed that your notebook is based on the Intel 845GL chipset and your memory should be the following:

Upgrade Type - Proprietary
Technology - DDR SDRAM
Form Factor - SO DIMM 200-pin
Memory Speed - 266 MHz
Data Integrity Check - Non-ECC

That is not good news as it says your memory is proprietary and Kingston has a unique part number for that SO-DIMM: KTD-INSP8200 If you click on that link it will take you to our shopping site and show you the lowest price on those modules.

I'm not an expert on Dell notebooks, but I do know that you need to order special memory and not "standard" generic 266MHz Memory modules. The Kingston Modules carry a lifetime warranty and are usually some of the best so-dimm's that money can buy. Plus in this case they are much cheaper than those listed on the Dell site.

[NAiLs]

I didn't have any problems throwing that PQI PC3200 into my Dell notebook. Maybe that's just 'cause this notebook is totally customizable that you don't get BS like that, or things have changed since those old laptops.

[kenc51]

If these units are not compatible with a PC2100 setup, I need to be sure of my facts so that I can send an Email to notify the company by 1159 GMT Sunday night so they'll give me an RMA on Monday (I hope... )

Anyone able to advise me, in simple laymans' terms... Please?!?!

Thanks in advance.

Have a great 4th!

How did it turn out?
RMA ?