Is there any relationship with RAM & CPU Speed

Sure there is a little bit of a relationship between your ram and CPU...  kinda... in a way...

First you have a FSB (Front Side Bus) your CPU has a FSB along with your mobo... so if you have a mobo that can run at 800 MHz FSB then you should have a CPU that runs at 800 MHz FSB (using laymens terms, sorta)... Well the frontside bus is the bus that is between your CPU and northbridge. Northbridge is a part of your chipset on your motherboard that supports things like memory.  So if you have a FSB of 800 Mhz for instance you are going to want RAM that can match that.  In this case you want DDR ram that is 400 Mhz (PC 3200). Why 400 Mhz? well because DDR means Double Data Rate, so in other words your DDR transfers 2 times per clock cycle. 400 X 2 = 800 so now your FSB is matched with the speed your memory can handle and that will be optimum performance.

Just a thought

Without knowing your chipset, I am with LucF on this one. You need to see what your motherboard manual says about supported ram and max ram size.

If you don't have the manual, see if you can find it on one of these:

< older mobo links >
http://users.iafrica.com/g/gl/glynhall/hohweb/manuals.htm
http://venus.spaceports.com/~canada/webhq/
http://www.elhvb.com/mboards/index.html
http://mb.dynip.com/html/mboard/

For a good explanation of the types of memory modules and how they interact with your system, start here:

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/index.htm

and then start exploring memory here:

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/ram/index.htm

Eventually, after some very interesting reading, you will get to the category that answers precisely what you asked.  Start with this one:

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/cpu/arch/ext_Buses.htm

I have a feeling that your system will be using memory that interfaces at 66 MHz.  This is referred to as PC66 spec.  Assuming this to be the case, although you MAY be able to install the faster PC100 memory types, it won't speed up anything as it will still only run as fast as the "bus speed" (66 MHz).  It MAY NOT accept PC100 memory, however, which would be a pity because PC66 memory is now more expensive than PC100 because it isn't sold as much.

Download and install the following program that will identify your system's hardware, and produce a report that you can select details from and paste here:

http://www.aida32.hu/aida-download.php?bit=32

Version 3.88

http://www.aida32.hu/download/aida32pe_388.exe

Opt for a "system summary" in .txt format, then delete unnecessary detail from it.

Peotic Audio, FSB and system bus are two different things. Totally independent of each other. When you hear 533 or 800 FSB that's only the bus between the processor and L2 Cache. And DDR doesn't mean double the the bus speed. In theory it means double the data rate. In practice in only increases by some 30%. There's no relationship between CPU speed and RAM -if you increase one you do not increase the other. But if you increase your either one, you increase the performance of your overall system. How? It's too much to explain in a forum. In your case if you just want to know if you system will work faster with more RAM your answer is Yes. It will run faster and you'll be able run more applications but the Processor speed will be the same speed.

I guess the short answer is "it depends :-)" , Newer machines have there RAM speed tied to the bus speed which is indirectly connected to the processor speed.  Older machines are tied to the bus speed but the memory chip speed was more of an issue.  But I imagine that the question should have been "Is there is any relationship between machine speed and the increase of RAM memory" and in this case the answer would have been yes.  When the operating system (in this case I will assume win95/98/me/nt4) runs out of real memory it swaps memory out to the hard drive.  It takes nano seconds to access memory but it takes mili seconds to move the hard drive hd and access data (an eternity to the CPU in comparison to RAM).  Any time you can avoid accessing the HD the better when it comes to over all system performance.

Having said all of that win95/98/me does not use memory above 128 MB very well, so if you are using these operating systems I would not suggest upgrading beyond 128 mb (just a waste of money).  In the case of NT4 it uses memory above 128 mb very well (although I don't think your system is going to be upgradable over that anyways ... at least I recall any). oh and before I forget, there are programs out there that swap to HD no matter how much RAM you have (that was the way that they were built) but there should not be many of them around any more (CAD applications where a very good example of this).

I would not suggest installing win2k or XP on your machine as it will be very very very slow (even with the memor upgrade), that is even assuming that you can get it installed.  If you do decide to go the memory upgrade route I suggest going to a second hand computer shop, they might have the memory you are looking for.

If you are not sure what type of memory the system board takes, you can go to the manufactures website or you can often find that information by pulling the FCC ID off of the System board and doing a search at http://www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid/.  This by the way works for most electrical devices that have been made for sale in the USA as it should have an FCC ID if it is sold in the US. (I did this with a sound card that was 8 years old once and it worked like a charm).

 

Rahaman ,

How long have you had this PC? The amount of memory your asking may or may not be possible with the motherboard. If the memory is EDO memory, then the better route might be to upgrade to a new PC. You could try to find the EDO memory for the Acer system, but who's to say that it will actually work with the ACER. I know Acer's and they can be picky about the type of memory. Yes, the increased memory would make Windows a little more quicker, but at what cost are you willing to spend.

  If you plan to increase the memory anyways, then I have some online links to buy memory. You will need to find out either what motherboard model  (Example: Abit KT7A) or Acer product line. You also need to check how many slots for memory, remember EDO has to be installed in pairs. Is there enough slots and how much does each slot hold? It's just something else to think about before you try to upgrade the memory. Thanks and good luck!

http://www.crucial.com/

http://www.kingston.com/


BlackSteel

man its not worth it, look at upgrading 2 a new comp

rahaman

If you are still out there, then the best thing you could do is consult the manuals that may have come with your computer.  This may be a small book, or perhaps some Adobe Acrobat or Word documents on the supplied CD that was used to install the chipset drivers.  Either way, this would tell you the type of accepted memory and what maximum amount can be handled.

I have found that both of BlackSteel's online resources offer a "configurator" where you tell it the model of your computer or motherboard, and it will give you a list of memory modules.

From memory, the standard Pentium MMX processors went up to 200 MHz, so I have a feeling that what you PROBABLY have is a Pentium II 233 MHz MMX processor.  If this IS correct, then it is highly likely that the motherboard is based on the Intel 440LX chipset which has a memory bus speed of 66 MHz.   This is what they refer to when you see SDRAM memory quoted as PC66 or PC100.

In other words, although it is usually possible to replace RAM modules with PC100 (as can be handled with the later Pentium II and III 440BX-based boards), it still won't be able to interact with the memory any faster than 66 MHz.

You will probably find that the manual, which would be written BEFORE the PC100 memory was available, that it will advise you that you can ONLY use PC66 memory.  The problem is that PC100 memory is now cheaper than PC66 memory.

If you need to find out the model of your motherboard, download and install the program AIDA32.  This may also tell you a serial number for your memory modules and also tell you what configuration they are.

Right-Click the following link and select "Save TARGET As" to download the AIDA installer file:

http://www.aida32.hu/download/aida32pe_388.exe

I agree fully with BlackSteel about EDO memory and your best option if it turns out to be that.

You will find various ways of detailing memory modules.  Assuming that you have DIMM Memory Modules (ie. usually the double-sided ones that can be fitted singly), you may see something like this:

168-pin DIMMs with gold-plated contacts
66 MHz SDRAM only
Non-ECC (64-bit) and ECC (72-bit) memory
3.3 V memory only
Single- or double-sided DIMMs in the following sizes:
 
DIMM Size      Non-ECC Configuration      ECC Configuration  
8 MB              1M x 64                              1M x 72  
16 MB            2M x 64                              2M x 72  
32 MB            4M x 64                              4M x 72  
64 MB            8M x 64                              8M x 72  
128 MB          16M x 64                            16M x 72

Where it says gold plated, then you should abide by this.  mixing tin and gold or other metals can cause them to oxidise and cause bad contact.

Adhere strictly to the quoted voltage stated.

ECC and non-ECC  is explained in my linked pages earlier.

This page might also help:

http://www.crucial.com/uk/pvtcontent/memorytype.asp?model=&memtype=CHOOSE

If the memory modules are SIMM's, then get a new computer and keep your existing one as a spare while you look for cheap memory to upgrade to maybe 64 MB if possible.

Here's a useful page.  Continue with the links to read more:

http://www.crucial.com/uk/library/BargainPC_Up2Speed.asp

Here's some of Crucial's advice, between the advertising blurb:

http://www.crucial.com/uk/library/bargainPC_Up2Speed3.asp

To use their "Configurator", go here:

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/listProductLine.asp?cat=RAM&mfr=Acer&submit=Go+to+step+2+%3E

and enter your model.

Note that this is for the UK.  For the USA, go here:

http://www.crucial.com/store/listProductLine.asp?cat=RAM&mfr=Acer&submit=Go+to+step+2+%3E

and optionally allow your system to be scanned.

You MAY be able to identify your current memory by running the following utilities:

DIMM ID 2001 v.1  (20 KB)
Research Machines latest version allowing you to identify your DIMM's installed in your PC.

http://www.vml.co.uk/vis/vis_downloads/DIMM_ID2001.zip

DocMemory 2.0  (297 KB)
Simm test & diagnostic software for WinMe/ NT &2K).

http://www.vml.co.uk/vis/vis_downloads/DocMem20.exe

Please let us know what you have found out.

Bill, great amount of info ;-) just one thing to add:

>>the standard Pentium MMX processors went up to 200 MHz
they went up to 233MHz so in this case, it could be either the P1 or the P2. (I personally have a P233 MMX still running)

take care,

LucF

Thanks for that LucF.  That was a misunderstanding on my part from the specs on some old base units I used to have taht only supported up to 200 MHz, and one that I could have checked first on Intel's "history" pages.  In that case, then there is every chance that the memory modules are 70ns  Fast Page Mode or EDO SIMM's.

I did have one Pentium 166 MMX board that accepted up to 512 MB of 32-pin SIMM's, but that's possibly unusual.

Hopefully rahaman will return and clarify.

Interestingly, I once did a modification on a 200 MHz Socket 7 Pentium board whereby I forced it to accept an AMD AMD K6, K6-2, or K6-III CPU. It worked fine and fast with memory up to its Max, and saved it from obsoletion.  A good project if you are prepared to risk ruining the motherboard.  Read about it here:

http://www.plasma-online.de/english/upgrade/tweak/fixes/fix_socket7_bf2.html

Have a blast at this if you have an old base unit kicking around  :-)

Bill

In fact I could try it on that P233... great project, I'll give it a try this weekend (now all I have to do is look around for a nice K6)

LucF

Great info here, but not enough points for a split... how about PAQ/No Refund?

What he said.    : )