RDRAM question

I have a Dell Dimension 8250, which uses RDRAM. (Yes, I know, this box is
five years old, but it still works well.) I have installed four 128 MB
modules, but I would like to replace them with 256 modules, to go to 1 GB.
On my invoice, it specifies PC1066. On eBay, I see lots of PC800 modules
for fairly good prices, but will these work? I don't know squat about
memory details, specs, etc., and I'm just wanting to know how "downward
compatible" I can go from PC1066.

Thanks,

Mark

Mark,

If your Dimension 8250 has a CPU with 400MHz front side bus, you can install
PC800-45 with no ill effects, either to yourself or your computer. If the CPU
has a 533MHz FSB, then the motherboard is smart enough to adjust to running
slower with the PC800-40, slower than the PC1066-32.

You can check the FSB speed of the CPU and the current OPERATING speed of the
memory in your system by examining the BIOS CMOS settings. Press F2 when the
system is just powered up.

I'm one of the people selling some of the RAMBUS on eBay lately, along with a
Dimension 8200 motherboard currently up for sale... Ben Myers

On Sat, 26 Jan 2008 09:17:24 -0600, "Mark Rathgeber" <>
wrote:

>I have a Dell Dimension 8250, which uses RDRAM. (Yes, I know, this box is
>five years old, but it still works well.) I have installed four 128 MB
>modules, but I would like to replace them with 256 modules, to go to 1 GB.
>On my invoice, it specifies PC1066. On eBay, I see lots of PC800 modules
>for fairly good prices, but will these work? I don't know squat about
>memory details, specs, etc., and I'm just wanting to know how "downward
>compatible" I can go from PC1066.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Mark
>

Okay, it lists bus speed at 533 MHz, CPU 2.4. If I go with PC800,
will there be any appreciable slowdown? The main reason to go to 1 GB
is so there will be less choking on photo editing, video editing/
authoring, etc.

Thanks,

Mark

Any slowdown due to slower memory speed is mitigated by the presence of the
added memory. You will hardly notice it, and your bank account will be better
off, too. PC1066 tends to sell for very high prices. I think that Dell may
have put the touch on Samsung and the RAMBUS company or maybe on Intel as
manufacturer of the 8200/8250 boards to provide the added buffering in the later
850 chipsets to handle the difference between 533MHz CPU FSB and the 400MHz
memory speed... Ben Myers

On Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:43:05 -0800 (PST), Mark Rathgeber <>
wrote:

>Okay, it lists bus speed at 533 MHz, CPU 2.4. If I go with PC800,
>will there be any appreciable slowdown? The main reason to go to 1 GB
>is so there will be less choking on photo editing, video editing/
>authoring, etc.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Mark

COOL!!! Thanks for the info. Aren't newsgroups great?

Mark

Mark Rathgeber wrote:
> COOL!!! Thanks for the info. Aren't newsgroups great?

Yup!

I had an 8250 with 512MB of PC1066. I was given two sticks of PC 800 and
after installing them the computer gave me an error message on start up. I
removed the PC 1066 and installed just the PC 800 and it still would not
work. The computer was a 2.4 with a 533 FSB.





"Mark Rathgeber" <> wrote in message
news:9aImj.9205$...
>I have a Dell Dimension 8250, which uses RDRAM. (Yes, I know, this box is
> five years old, but it still works well.) I have installed four 128 MB
> modules, but I would like to replace them with 256 modules, to go to 1 GB.
> On my invoice, it specifies PC1066. On eBay, I see lots of PC800 modules
> for fairly good prices, but will these work? I don't know squat about
> memory details, specs, etc., and I'm just wanting to know how "downward
> compatible" I can go from PC1066.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark
>
>

PC800-45 or PC800-40? The suffixes -45 and -40 are important... Ben Myers

On Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:24:38 -0500, "Zed" <> wrote:

>I had an 8250 with 512MB of PC1066. I was given two sticks of PC 800 and
>after installing them the computer gave me an error message on start up. I
>removed the PC 1066 and installed just the PC 800 and it still would not
>work. The computer was a 2.4 with a 533 FSB.
>
>
>
>
>
>"Mark Rathgeber" <> wrote in message
>news:9aImj.9205$...
>>I have a Dell Dimension 8250, which uses RDRAM. (Yes, I know, this box is
>> five years old, but it still works well.) I have installed four 128 MB
>> modules, but I would like to replace them with 256 modules, to go to 1 GB.
>> On my invoice, it specifies PC1066. On eBay, I see lots of PC800 modules
>> for fairly good prices, but will these work? I don't know squat about
>> memory details, specs, etc., and I'm just wanting to know how "downward
>> compatible" I can go from PC1066.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Mark
>>
>>

So what do -45 and -40 mean? I haven't bid on anything yet, but some that I
was looking at were 45. And, some eBay listings do specifiy which it is.
Is there something else in my BIOS, or somewhere, that I need to be looking?

Thanks,

MR

"Ben Myers" <> wrote in message
news:...
| PC800-45 or PC800-40? The suffixes -45 and -40 are important... Ben
Myers
|
| On Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:24:38 -0500, "Zed" <> wrote:
|
| >I had an 8250 with 512MB of PC1066. I was given two sticks of PC 800 and
| >after installing them the computer gave me an error message on start up.
I
| >removed the PC 1066 and installed just the PC 800 and it still would not
| >work. The computer was a 2.4 with a 533 FSB.
| >
| >
| >
| >
| >
| >"Mark Rathgeber" <> wrote in message
| >news:9aImj.9205$...
| >>I have a Dell Dimension 8250, which uses RDRAM. (Yes, I know, this box
is
| >> five years old, but it still works well.) I have installed four 128 MB
| >> modules, but I would like to replace them with 256 modules, to go to 1
GB.
| >> On my invoice, it specifies PC1066. On eBay, I see lots of PC800
modules
| >> for fairly good prices, but will these work? I don't know squat about
| >> memory details, specs, etc., and I'm just wanting to know how "downward
| >> compatible" I can go from PC1066.
| >>
| >> Thanks,
| >>
| >> Mark
| >>
| >>

They represent the speed of the memory chips inside the RAMBUS module. You
definitely do not want PC800-45. Only PC800-40 or PC1066-32 for your computer.
If you are bidding on PC1066, make sure it is NOT 232-pin. For some bizarre
reason, somebody designed PC1066 systems to use 232-pin RAMBUS, not the usual
184-pin stuff seen in Dell, Gateway, HP, IBM and other mostly name brand
computers. I've never seen a system with 232-pin RAMBUS, sort of like a purple
cow.

wikipedia has a nice explanation of RAMBUS, BTW... Ben Myers

On Sun, 27 Jan 2008 09:03:04 -0600, "Mark Rathgeber" <>
wrote:

>So what do -45 and -40 mean? I haven't bid on anything yet, but some that I
>was looking at were 45. And, some eBay listings do specifiy which it is.
>Is there something else in my BIOS, or somewhere, that I need to be looking?
>
>Thanks,
>
>MR
>
>"Ben Myers" <> wrote in message
>news:.. .
>| PC800-45 or PC800-40? The suffixes -45 and -40 are important... Ben
>Myers
>|
>| On Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:24:38 -0500, "Zed" <> wrote:
>|
>| >I had an 8250 with 512MB of PC1066. I was given two sticks of PC 800 and
>| >after installing them the computer gave me an error message on start up.
>I
>| >removed the PC 1066 and installed just the PC 800 and it still would not
>| >work. The computer was a 2.4 with a 533 FSB.
>| >
>| >
>| >
>| >
>| >
>| >"Mark Rathgeber" <> wrote in message
>| >news:9aImj.9205$...
>| >>I have a Dell Dimension 8250, which uses RDRAM. (Yes, I know, this box
>is
>| >> five years old, but it still works well.) I have installed four 128 MB
>| >> modules, but I would like to replace them with 256 modules, to go to 1
>GB.
>| >> On my invoice, it specifies PC1066. On eBay, I see lots of PC800
>modules
>| >> for fairly good prices, but will these work? I don't know squat about
>| >> memory details, specs, etc., and I'm just wanting to know how "downward
>| >> compatible" I can go from PC1066.
>| >>
>| >> Thanks,
>| >>
>| >> Mark
>| >>
>| >>
>