Can I add some RAM .. without trashing what is there

[Osprey]

Memory Q on a Dell Dimesnion E521

This has 1 GB of RAM ... 2 x 512MB MEMORY DUAL CHANNEL 533MHZ DDR2

 

The Motherboard has 4 x memory slots .... can I add 2 x 1 GB memory modules ... to give overall 3GB ?

 

or does what is in the 'empty' 2 slots have to match what is in the currently used slots.

[Jelly Bean]

Try this Crucial scanner it should tell you if you can have mixed sticks or not and how much you can add..

 

http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/

[Osprey]

Tnx

[Synapse]

If you post the Dell service tag we can look up the spec of the board.

[Osprey]

Service Tag 2Y0WN2J

 

It says it's "DIMENSION E521 AMD ATHLON 64 X2 PROCESSO"

 

Plan is to install the extra RAM, put in a better Video card that I have, along with a spare HDD, then upgrade to W7 32bit ... currently XP Media Centre.

 

3GB of RAM with 4.5GB paging file on separate HDD to the OS .... will I hope run W7 happily enough.

 

He uses it for email / MS Office/ browsing

[Synapse]

can I add 2 x 1 GB memory modules ... to give overall 3GB

 

Yes, try to make sure you use matched pairs, so matched in slots 1 & 2, and matched in slots 3 & 4.

[Osprey]

Yes, try to make sure you use matched pairs, so matched in slots 1 & 2, and matched in slots 3 & 4.

 

So if I leave 2 x 500MB where there are, first 2 slots in from the left, then put 2 x 1GB in slot position 3 & 4 counting from the left.

 

Cheers.

[Synapse]

So if I leave 2 x 500MB where there are, first 2 slots in from the left, then put 2 x 1GB in slot position 3 & 4 counting from the left.

 

Exactly.

 

The manual explains it, link here

 

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dime521/en/OM_EN/PY349A03MR.pdf