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MEMORY UPGRADE

Hi there

Can you plese tell me what type of memory will be compatible with my computer. Is is quite old probably 5 years old.  It has a pentium II processor 233 MHZ.  not to sure if you require any more details.  Want to upgrade it with at least 256RAM.

Thanks
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magarity

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All I know is the computer is pf Phillips make.  Do you know how I can find out what brand and model my motherhoard is?

Thanks
You should be able to find out the model no. of your m/b from the m/b itself. Often the info is printed on the m/b.

I think it will be well worth your efforts to establish the exact model no. as it is highly likely that your board will only support older type EDO RAM. By the way not long ago many m/b suppliers claimed their m/b could handle 128 of RAM when in fact they could not. I have one such m/b and since I have drive overlay software and many partitions (not thru choice) I decided it wasn't worth the hassle getting my machine to recognise the installed 128 of RAM - instead I put up with it only recognising 64 - as the chips came out of an obsolete I'm not too bothered. But don't assume that even if you get the right RAM that it will necessarily work on a realtively old m/c.

Hope that helps
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I tried to search on the Philips website but they don't have a comprehensive list.  I need an exact model number.  There should be a sticker somewhere with a model number.  It might be on the back, expecially near the power supply.  Philips makes a lot of parts like monitors and cdrom drives, but I can't find any mention that they make the whole thing.

We can either fiddle around with trying to figure out the model or we can examine the memory that is already there.  Turn off the computer, open the case, and remove one of the memory modules by pressing down and out on the little clips at the ends.  If the module is 5 & 1/4 inches (13 & 1/3) in length then it is SDRAM and get it here:
http://www.crucial.com/store/listModule.asp?module=SDRAM%2C+66MHz&cat=RAM&package=168-pin+DIMM&submit=Go
Get any of the three 'non-parity' modules.  Count how many slots are in the computer and multiply by 128 for the maximum.  Crucial should be taking into account density issues that patricab has mentioned so you can almost certainly use the 128MB modules.

If it is shorter than that then it must be EDO type, sorry no EDO handy to measure but it is not nearly as long as SDRAM.  In that case, you can get it here:
http://www.crucial.com/store/listModule.asp?module=EDO&cat=RAM&package=72-pin+SIMM&submit=Go
Get any of them up to as many slots in the computer according to desired total capacity.
Oops, forgot to label the 13 & 1/3 measurement as mm.
It appears that you have 72 pin memory modules. Those memory types are harder to find and generally more expensive. contact the guys at www.bkcomputing.com for memory strips.
PC 100
Very few PII boards came with slots for 72 pin simms.  Even if he doesn't know the model he can look at the memory slots and tell us what color they are.  If they are long and blackish-grayish then they are standard sdram pc100.  If they are shorter and white/off-white then they are 72 pin simms.  Every PII board that I have ever seen with support for 72pin simms also came with slots for sdram.

In any case, he can probably take, at least, 128mb dimm (sdram pc100).  Since it is a PII he won't require pc133.

If, on the extreme rare chance, he requires simms it is unlikely he will be able to add 256mb of ram (total).

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