Wanting to upgrade my Dell Dimension 8200 RDRAM but don't know what is the correct memory to buy.

[Remus]

The prices at Dell for memory seem a bit out of line with the rest of the prices on the web but I don't know exactly what will work with my computer other than the memory Dell recommends on their website. They say I need a pair of 256meg x 16, PC800, nonparity, unbuffered, 184-pin RIMM sticks of the DELL brand memory. All the memory on the web seems to have the ECC. Can anyone recommend the right kind of memory I can use with my computer? Thanks in advance.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Most memory doesn't have ECC actually. It's more expensive and is only used in servers and workstations.

www.kingston.com has a selector that allows you to specify your brand and model and can tell you what modules you need. (I'd suggest Crucial but they don't sell RDRAM.) They list what you need in "kits", which is a pair of matched modules (so only order one kit if you buy from them).

You only need a pair of 256MB modules if you're trying to increase your memory by 512MB. If you only want 256MB total, you only need a pair of 128MB modules (a 256MB "kit" from Kingston).

You can get it cheaper from www.newegg.com as well, as well as other brands. Even Corsair branded 256MB modules can be a LOT cheaper than buying from Kingston directly (they seem to have a serious markup on the "kits" compared to buying the modules individually).

If you have a P4 with a 400MHz bus, then you can get essentially any 800MHz modules. If you have a 533MHz bus processor, then make sure the modules you get are the 40ns variety.

 

[Remus]

Thank you for your help and time, I'm going to those websites to check it out now.