Different types of PC133 RAM?

[brm5017]

I have a customers Dell Optiplex GX240 that needed some more RAM. I found that it takes PC133, so I ordered some up, stuck it in, and I'm hearing constant, slow beeps. I think it's a ram incompatibility issue.

My question is can there be different types of PC133 RAM out there?

 

[NYJimbo]

Go back and listen to the beeps again, be sure they are not actually a sequence. This might be close enough to your model.

http://www.austincc.edu/cloud/manuals/Dell/GX260/solvprob.htm#1176760

 

[iptech]

I have a customers Dell Optiplex GX240 that needed some more RAM. I found that it takes PC133, so I ordered some up, stuck it in, and I'm hearing constant, slow beeps. I think it's a ram incompatibility issue.

My question is can there be different types of PC133 RAM out there?

Yes there are, you'll need top buy RAM this is compatible with that Dell system. I always use Crucial for RAM these days as they will guaranteed the RAM is matched to your system.

BTW PC133 RAM will be very expensive thesedays and is hard to source, are you sure the customer is willing to pay to upgrade an eight year old computer?

 

[Doctor Micro]

There are different types of PC133 RAM. Visually, there are single-sided (chips on one side only) modules and double-sided (chips on both sides) modules. Some motherboards are very picky about which type you can use and in general, if you open the case and find one type, it's a good idea to use the same type.

iptech made a couple of good points. PC100 and PC133 memory is hard to find these days (it's no longer being manufactured, to my knowledge), so finding new PC100 and PC133 memory is getting harder and harder and more and more expensive. The other alternative is used memory (pulls), available on eBay or other online sites. Using used memory is somewhat of a crapshoot and sometimes a ripoff (i.e., you buy memory advertised as new and in reality, it's used and may not work in your machine).

Also, as iptech mentioned, spending a good chunk of change on a memory upgrade for an older machine may not be worth it. Even if you do it, make sure to manage the customer's expectations so they don't think they're going to end up with an up-to-date fast machine just by upping the RAM.

 

[brm5017]

Its for one of my good friends' father. He is tight on money, and cannot afford a new computer.

It seems that PC133R and PC133U are different. Does this make sense?

 

[studiot]

As a computer tech

Ask yourself

Why does this old pc suddenly need more RAM?

Then post a proper report here about the number of slots size of modules installed
Whether you are retaining or replacing
Have you checked that the BIOS will recognise larger modules?
Is there an SPD issue.
I don't think these Dells had parity RAM, but was it security registered?
and so on.

You might get better help that way.

 

[iptech]

The R and the U stand for Registered and Unbuffered.

Unbuffered RAM: There is no control between the chipset and the memory chips, meaning that data can be given to the chips at any time, even in the middle of a clock cycle. It is less efficient when the data is being read.

Registered RAM: Provides a delay so that all data from the chipset is collecting at the beginning/end of a clock cycle. This gives an advantage when data is being read by the system.

They are both interchangeable (theoretically) and registered RAM is more expensive. Registered RAM would typically be used in servers whereas most desktop PCs will use unbuffered RAM.

Your Dell Optiplex will use unbuffered RAM, but as I said earlier you must get RAM that is specifically compatible with your system. Dell used slightly different tracking on their RAM daughter-boards than other manufacturers so when new you effectively had to buy RAM directly from Dell at an inflated price. Thesedays you can still buy compatible RAM from manufacturers like Crucial RAM but it will is relatively expensive as it is now long obsolete. For example a 512Mb RAM module will cost $56.99 plus shipping, which is probably more than double to value of the whole computer system.

http://www.crucial.com/search/searchresults.aspx?keywords=CT231575

If the system's worked well for him over the past eight years, why now does he need to upgrade the RAM?

 

[ICEinLAVA]

I recently came across a pc that a client wanted to upgrade. the gateway computer had 256mb of PC133 in it. and i added some used PC100 sticks, and the computer started to beep slowly. I pulled the PC100 sticks out and added some used PC133 sticks, and the computer was happy.

 

[jakeman]

Upgrading the RAM is always the best way to increase the performance of just about any computer, including a lot of older models that are still in use today. There are, of course, exceptions, but this Dell Optiplex GX240, with two slots and a max capacity of 1GB, would definitely benefit, as long as the owner is not drastically changing the way he intends to continue using it. The CPU is usually the “limiting” factor for things like videos or, now, the increasingly popular watching of streaming TV, but this pc has a Pentium IV with a range of 1.5GHz - 2.0GHz (have to check what his has), which should be more than adequate for everyday computing. The 128MB of RAM that this machine shipped with is not.

Iptech’s assessment is right-on and this RAM is unbuffered, but to take it a bit further, it can also be ECC (error-checking and correction) or non-ECC - check out Wikipedia for an explanation; while this machine can handle either form, all the modules must be of the same type, and I suspect that this may be the cause of the beeping sounds encountered in this case. The ECC is indeed the more expensive, yet neither is difficult to find. Most techs use crucial.com and the memory scanner available to determine the type, amount, and max capacity of the RAM for any given computer (if it has an internet connection), but I recently discovered a better utility from oempcworld.com - it’s more thorough, easier to understand (and print!), plus the recommendations are more accurate and detailed. A quick search on the site for this Dell pointed me to a whole page of RAM options, notably a 512MB, non-ECC, PC-133 SDRAM module for $28. What’s even better is that shipping is free if you choose the first class mail option - they’ll tell you how long delivery might take, but I’ve always (5X so far) received mine within two days!

If I were doing this for a family friend looking to save money, I’d max it out with 2-512MB non-ECC sticks for $56, making all the concern about compatibility moot, then add an AV utility and good firewall (free ones, of course!) that would barely hinder a now much improved pc…

PS. XP will respond great, and Win 2000 or most Linux distros will fly, but Win ME must be replaced!

 

[brm5017]

Thanks Jake. That was a great response!

It is for a family friend, so it's a freebie. They're only paying for the RAM.

I'm with you 100% that the 1GB will have a night and day difference when compared to the 128MB it shipped with. Windows XP was installed a couple years back, so I'm giving it a fresh format & re-installation in addition to the upgraded RAM.

 

[breadtrk]

A GX 240 will take any DDR ram.

 

[iptech]

A GX 240 will take any DDR ram.

That's incorrect, which is why I suspect the OP is having problems. Dell Optiplex RAM is proprietary.

 

[studiot]

BRM
Back in Post #6 I asked a number of questions you have seen fit to ignore.

I don't think you will resolve the issues on your present course, only create further ones.

Do you for instance have the XP drivers for this machine if you reformat?
(I would agree that 128M is woefully insufficient for XP)

You may or may not be aware that Dell memory is not always what it is labelled. Dell test-select the better spec devices from batches of lower spec devices and use them as cheaper modules.

 

[brm5017]

This PC is perfect for web browsing, but the 128MB of RAM was holding it back with Windows XP. It needs more ram. I am replacing with 2 512MB Modules. I have tried a single 512MB stick that is labeled PC133 that I had laying around, and it worked perfectly, that is why I ordered the 2 512MB sticks of PC133 ram from ebay (cheap for a freebie job), which ended up being PC133R not PC133U. As for the reformat, I've already downloaded the drivers, re-formatted and re-installed the device drivers. The computer is working perfectly, just on slow side(128MB RAM).

breadtrk, PC133 ram is not DDR, so any DDR ram will not work.

Let me clarify to everyone, at this point, I have ordered PC133U ram. I'm waiting for the shipment to arrive. I'll keep the post updated.

As a computer tech

Ask yourself

Why does this old pc suddenly need more RAM?

Then post a proper report here about the number of slots size of modules installed
Whether you are retaining or replacing
Have you checked that the BIOS will recognise larger modules?
Is there an SPD issue.
I don't think these Dells had parity RAM, but was it security registered?
and so on.

You might get better help that way.