RAM Question

[Ithryndil]

Ok, I am getting my parents some RAM for their computer. They have Vista and only 512MB so it runs slowly. I decided, since it's so cheap to get them 2GB. The question I have is if it's too much. The specifications for the computer say that 2GB is the max. What would happen if I just added the 2GB in the computer bumping the RAM up to 2.5 GB? The specs are this. Thanks for the help and I apologize if this has been asked before.

 

[aetherh4cker]

If 2GB is the max, then it's the max. You can't have more.

From the looks of things, it only has two RAM slots anyways. So if you bought 2x 1GB, it would fill both slots and you wouldn't be able to use the old 512 anyway.

 

[Ithryndil]

I actually opened up the case and it looks like there are 4 slots for RAM. So, I would it mess up the computer to have more than the max? Slow it down?

 

[peterhuang913]

It just wouldn't read and use the ram.

 

[Ithryndil]

I see, well I saw 4 spots that looked identical right where the RAM was, however, the manufacturer's website says "2 DDR2 Slots (Total)." I wish I could find the motherboard model number.

 

[Dakaggo]

Does the motherboard have dual channel? With or without if you only need 2 GBs you should just get 3 more sticks of 512mb ram. Unless they have two 256 cards in which case I don't know whether it would be better to have two 1GB or 2 512mb sticks.

Also just because it can only use 2GB doesn't you can't upgrade. Just get faster ram.

 

[Ithryndil]

Well it's not my computer...however it says the max is 2GB, I went ahead and just bought 2 sticks of 1 GB each. The weird thing is that the motherboard looks like it has 4 slots for RAM, yet the emachines website says there are only 2 DDR2 Slots total...so I am confused why it says there are 2 slot, when I looked at the motherboard and saw 4 identical slots. If the other two aren't for ram, then I wonder what they are for...

 

[Dakaggo]

I'm sure its just a different motherboard. Doesn't matter 2GB should be more than enough for any normal situation.

Thats assuming they don't do intense scientific algorithms, high def art or extremely high end gaming on it do they?

 

[Ithryndil]

Dakaggo, I would be extremely surprised if my parents did anything like that. I realize 2GB should be fine, but am just annoyed that it's so difficult to find out what a computer's motherboard model is. You'd think they would list it online. And the whole thing with me seeing 4 identical slots where the site says there are 2 slots for DDR2 RAM.

 

[Nagasama]

it should say somewhere on the mobo. maybe on the back, lol how convenient.