Memory for Dell Poweredge SC 420

[Psyber]

I looked at the manual and I have the choice of the following
ECC DDR2-400 SDRAM
ECC DDR2-533 SDRAM

I used to be in hardware, but I've been out of the game for a while. I want more memory mostly for multitasking (listening to music while photoshopping, with Office open etc. I use the comp as a desktop actually....

What I was curious about was:
-Is 400 and 533 that different (about $10 diff in price)?
-Do I need to have pairs for the SC420?
-Just to confirm, will these work in the SC 420
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820161634
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820221109

-Do I need to get pairs with this? Do I need to match the memory
-Also, I heard there is some SC 420 website out there for enthusiasts, anyone have the linky?
-Any other suggestions to speed up my system.

Thanks,
Psyber

 

[Slowlearner]

http://www.poweredgeforums.com/showthread.php?t=1954
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums?category.id=poweredge
Check dell's website for the system manual

 

[FlyingPenguin]

Dell SC420s are rather fussy - just like most of their servers. I wouldn't buy just any RAM. I'd go to a manufacturer with an online database like Corsair.com or Crucial.com and lookup the EXACT memory GUARANTEED to work with your computer.

According to the manual you need pairs in certain configurations (I have an SC420 myself) just can't remember which configurations at the moment. For 512 I'm pretty sure you must have 2 sticks of 256.

Lots of people bought SC420s when they were selling for under $300 a few month ago (myself included). People are still selling RAM they've pulled out of them on Ebay after they upgrade and you might find a deal.

Hope this helps...

 

[Psyber]

Thanks guys. I'll check out the links and take a look at E-Bay. I was thinking about upgrading to 1 GB though. Perhaps 2 512 modules would be a the best approach.