Does PC100 only laptops support PC133?

[TNTrulez]

I have a Dell Cpx 650Mhz and I tried putting in a 256MB PC133 chip and it didn't work.

I don't know if it was my RAM (ebay) or it is the computer itself that is rejecting it.
I looked online at the user manual/technical manual and it says the computer supports 256MB PC100.

So I'm wondering if the PC133 variety should work or not?

Anyone have experience dealing with these kind of things in the old days (computer wise)?

 

[Corporate Thug]

most systems will let you use faster ram, it will just run at the speeds that the system is rated to

 

[TNTrulez]

That is the problem. Mine is not responding and I wonder if my laptop is rejecting the Ram or it's the ram itself.

 

[Viper96720]

Crucial recommended PC-100 sodimms. But usually PC-133 would just run at PC-100. I think you got bad ram.

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

Dell servers and laptops have a tendency to be horribly picky about ram, its a crappy flaw. took 3 sticks of ram before my old dual PII server would accept the ram, and 2 sticks before my PIII Dell laptop would take a stick of ram(also pc100). god speed, might want to consider just ordering from dell or the such.

 

[MedicBob]

Some are very picky about ram. Do you have a friend who can test the ram for you? I would buy the correct ram for your lappy from Crucial, Kingston, etc instead of generic.

 

[WackyDan]

SODIMMS are also flaky about working in that manner... ie; using a 133 in a 100 system. Best bet with notebooks is use the memory it's rated for.

 

[PeteyCPU]

It might be chipset limitation. I had a dell inspiron 3800 that could only handle pc100 due to density issues. I believe my laptop was based off of Intel's 440bx chipset.

 

[Codewiz]

Sounds like a density problem to me if the ram is in fact good. the BX Chipset would not work with high density chips.

 

[beatle]

There should be chips on only one side of the dimm. Even some PC100 is high density and will not detect all of it (I learned this the hard way).

 

[Eug]

More likely chip density.

You CAN get PC133 low density 256 MB sticks, but they are often hard to find, with much of the 256 MB sticks out there being high density (which won't work on a BX mobo).