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RAM chip lingo
I'm shopping for more memory for my PowerMac 9500 with G3 upgrade. Currently I have 144MB (64+64+8+8). What is the difference between a "5v FPM 64MB DIMM" and a "5v EDO 64MB DIMM?" I think I purchased EDO's last time. I have them interleaved, and want to continue doing so. Is it a compatibility issue or a performance issue between FPM and EDO?
ASKER
Great answers. Thanks.
Now that I know I want EDO, how do I find out for sure what type of DIMMs are already in the computer? If my two 8MB DIMMs are FPM, I can chuck them. Or just chuck them without question. But those two existing 64MB DIMMs I'd probably want to keep. Are they usually marked with a label? Or is there a software utility that can tell me? BTW, you deserve some points for your answer.
Now that I know I want EDO, how do I find out for sure what type of DIMMs are already in the computer? If my two 8MB DIMMs are FPM, I can chuck them. Or just chuck them without question. But those two existing 64MB DIMMs I'd probably want to keep. Are they usually marked with a label? Or is there a software utility that can tell me? BTW, you deserve some points for your answer.
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ASKER
SDRAM, unfortunately, does not work on my Mac. I think they only work on the new G3 Macs. Thanks for the helpful info.
64MB=64 MegaBytes
FPM=Fast Page Mode
EDO=Extended Data Out
DIMM=Dual Inline Memory Module.
EDO is an improvement over FPM. The major difference is that EDO needs to be refreshed less often than FPM. This allows a longer period that the RAM is active, thereby incresing the speed, meaning more data can be transferred in an equal amount of time.
To quote from an A+ Certification text:
"Mixing EDO and FPM RAM is not a good idea. Most systems that use EDO will run with FPM RAM, but you lose the benefit of EDO."
FPM may be cheaper, so balance price against performance.