Posted: 4/4/2011 1:53:50 PM EDT
The RAM on my Compaq has a sticker that says replace with HP parts only. I guess they weren't kidding. I ordered the maximum RAM upgrade from Crucial, but it doesn't fit. The little cut in the contact side of the hardware is not on the exact same spot as the HP RAM; it's about 1mm off. I considered taking a file to to it, but I don't have a file thin enough for the job. 
Is this some dirty practice to get you to buy HP parts only? Any idea where I can get HP compatible RAM? Thanks. |
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Quoted:
Sounds like you got the wrong ram period. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Laptop_SODIMM_DDR_Memory_Comparison_V2.svg/424px-Laptop_SODIMM_DDR_Memory_Comparison_V2.svg.png The original RAM is DDR, but according to the laptop criteria I found online, DDR2 should have worked as well. Looking at the image you provided, it seems that seems that DDR only will work. Thank you. |
| I got the correct RAM and installed it (two units of 1GB each), but when I right-click My Computer and go to Properties, it shows 896MB of RAM. Could this reading be wrong or would you suspect something wrong with the installation? 2GB is the maximum supported RAM for this computer. |
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What OS are you running (XP, Vista, 7....32 or 64 bit)? Can you download CPU-Z and see what it reads? Switch the sticks to different slots and see if anything changes if CPU-Z doesn't reflect 2gb of ram. How many pci devices do you currently have installed in your computer?
CPU-Z |
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They're called SO-DIMMs because that's how you feel when you realize you bought the wrong kind.
I think it would have been easier if they'd introduced a new notch with each level of DDR: i.e. DDR would have one notch, DDR2 two notches, and so on. It gets even more confusing when you're trying to upgrade machines that use "special" RAM like buffered, ECC, or buffered/ECC RAM. For example, some Dell "workstation" machines. |
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Quoted:
What OS are you running (XP, Vista, 7....32 or 64 bit)? Can you download CPU-Z and see what it reads? Switch the sticks to different slots and see if anything changes if CPU-Z doesn't reflect 2gb of ram. How many pci devices do you currently have installed in your computer? CPU-Z XP SP3 64 32 bit. I'll try CPU-Z and post an update. As for PCI devices, I have not added anything myself so without opening the laptop, I'm going to assume network, audio, and video cards. |
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Most laptops use main RAM for built-in video RAM, so that would account for a chunk. Then Windows reserves a certain amount for hardware (insert highly technical explanation of PCI memory address reservations here). So often Windows XP will "indicate" less RAM than you physically have in the machine. But ~800 MB out of 2 GB is definitely askew.
Further speculation on hiatus, pending CPU-Z results. Also, congratulations on being one of the few brave souls running 64-bit Windows XP. How does that work for you in general? I assume it has a compatibility layer like 7 64-bit, so that you can run 32-bit apps without drama. I read that 64-bit XP was not widely supported by hardware manufacturers (i.e. drivers), so I gave it a miss to avoid headaches. But I expect 64-bit XP is useful in specific circumstances. |
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Quoted:
Also, congratulations on being one of the few brave souls running 64-bit Windows XP. How does that work for you in general? I assume it has a compatibility layer like 7 64-bit, so that you can run 32-bit apps without drama. I read that 64-bit XP was not widely supported by hardware manufacturers (i.e. drivers), so I gave it a miss to avoid headaches. But I expect 64-bit XP is useful in specific circumstances. Microsoft suggests two different methods how to check if XP is 32 or 64 bit. One method is to look at the processor; if it's AMD64, then it is 64 bit. Mine is AMD64, but using the other method it shows that it is 32 bit. I am leaning more toward 32 bit. If I have 64 bit, I did not make the decision to have it so. Now, on to the RAM. I installed CPU-Z and it only showed 1GB of RAM. I used each RAM piece on their own and both worked. I reversed their slots and now CPU-Z shows 2GB of RAM. My Computer properties shows 1.87GB. Problem solved. I appreciate the help. 
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