How identify high density PC3200 Ram?

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Doc

The subject line pretty well says it all. Any way to visually id if RAM is
high or low density?

Thanks
 
The subject line pretty well says it all. Any way to visually id if RAM is
high or low density?
Click to expand...

What do you mean by "high density". Assuming standard-conforming modules,
that would indicate high(er) density/capacity chips... so for the same size
DIMM, less chips. E.g. 512MB PC3200 DIMMs can be found with either dual
ranks of eight 32Mx8 chips or a single rank of eight 64Mx8 chips. The only
indication of this I've seen for on-line purchasing is at www.newegg.com
where some of the Crucial DIMMs have a part number which ends in .8T... a
distinction I don't see at www.crucial.com.
 
George Macdonald said:
What do you mean by "high density". Assuming standard-conforming modules,
that would indicate high(er) density/capacity chips... so for the same size
DIMM, less chips. E.g. 512MB PC3200 DIMMs can be found with either dual
ranks of eight 32Mx8 chips or a single rank of eight 64Mx8 chips.
Click to expand...

For example:

http://tinyurl.com/fta8r

Apparently only compatible with certain chipsets.
 
"Doc" said:
The subject line pretty well says it all. Any way to visually id if RAM is
high or low density?

Thanks
Click to expand...

The memory chip part number would be a dead giveaway. But a
typical advertisement for RAM, won't disclose info like that.
Only a high res picture would do.

If the memory is coming from Ebay, chances are it is high density.
And that is why they are selling it on Ebay, and not at a regular
store. The Ebay advert will usually have some sort of disclaimer,
making it the buyer's responsibility to figure out what they are
buying. It isn't worth the aggravation, to potentially save $20
on a 1GB stick, by buying it from Ebay.

Paul
 
The subject line pretty well says it all. Any way to visually id if RAM is
high or low density?
Click to expand...

In a word: No.

The first problem is that "high density" and "low density" are rather
meaningless terms unless they are being referenced to something.
Chips that are "low density" today were "high density" two years ago
and flat out didn't exist 3 or 4 years ago. Similarly back in the
Pentium days, "high density" memory meant 64Mbit chips that wouldn't
work with many chipsets of the day, but not 64Mbit chips are not just
"low density" but rather "extremely obsolete density".

Really what you need is the ACTUAL type of chips being used, ie
128Mbit vs. 256Mbit, vs. 512Mbit chips (all of which are reasonably
common on memory modules being sold these days). Next you need to
figure out HOW they are being arrange, ie in a *PROPER* x8 or x16
configuration or in a x4 configuration that violates all JEDEC memory
specifications. Probably 90%+ of all "high density" memory being sold
by eBay vendors and Pricewatch bottom-feeders falls into the latter
category. How it is that they decided on the term "high density" to
mean "total piece of crap that intentionally violates all principles
of memory module design" is beyond me, but then again, buying ANY new
computer parts from eBay is beyond me as well.


Of course, the real solution is MUCH simpler, just go to:

www.crucial.com

You'll end up with something that just WORKS and get a warranty to
boot!
 
Bitstring <[email protected]>, from the
wonderful person Tony Hill said:
Of course, the real solution is MUCH simpler, just go to:

www.crucial.com

You'll end up with something that just WORKS and get a warranty to
boot!
Click to expand...

Seconded. It'll also probably arrive within 48 hours, and if it don't
work, they'll swap it. Mind you'll they'll have actually tested it, so
it'll probably work.

I wouldn't buy memory from most people I know, unless I knew for damn
sure why they were selling it, much less someone on Ebay.
 
For example:

http://tinyurl.com/fta8r

Apparently only compatible with certain chipsets.
Click to expand...

The key here is "standard conforming". First anybody who buys unbranded
DDR DIMMS gets what they deserve. Since they are claimed to work with VIA
chisets, that would indicate they are made with x4 memory chips and are
populated on both sides *but* as a single 64-bit wide rank. IOW they are
"double sided" but *not* dual rank and do not conform to the industry
standard for unbuffered DIMMs. Even SyncMax has quit trying to sell this
junk which was called "high density DIMM" - could even be a dump of their
inventory.
 
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