i have a packard bell 2589, working with Windows Vista Home Premium (build 6000). um, heres some of my specs.

Board: Packard Bell BV Cuba MS-7301 1.0
Bus Clock: 266 megahertz
BIOS: Phoenix Technologies, LTD W7301VP2.031 02/17/2007

241.47 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
211.75 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

ATAPI DVD W DH16W1P ATA Device [CD-ROM drive]

ASUSTeK Tiger Capture Device
Realtek High Definition Audio

I'm a total noob when it comes to all this. i know i want more RAM and things. just tips to as well, on how to know computers. like did any of you guys read books or things, and what books i can read to be in the know how. help me!

Hi. Welcome to the forum...

I personally learnt from experience, and being here.

Get some old computers from freecycle or something and have a play around, take them apart rebuild them, destroy some... it's all good.

What are you wanting to know?

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hey, yeh, thats exactly what im planing to do. im guna go down and see if i can see free scrap and disgarded computer components and see what i can make of it all.
do you think i could make a whole working computer from pure scraps lol?
i just wana be in the know, you know?
i only started this course last week and i already had an intrest in all computing like mmorpg and downloading but now i wana know more!
regards, and thanks

Well, theres a damned hell of a lot to a computer. Give me something to go for.

You say you want more RAM for your PC?
Lets start there. I took a quick look on google, and it looks like your PC supports up to 3GB of DDR2 400 / DDR2 533. Although It only has two banks... As far as I know there isnt such thing as a 1.5GB memory module (Though I could be wrong), which kinda limits you to two 1GB sticks.

DDR2 is the standard of memory your computer takes. Its full name is Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory. Which is a bit of a mouthful!

Then you have the DDR2 400 / 533. This is the actual speed the memory operates at, so obviously faster (higher) is better.

Which means the ideal RAM for your computer is two sticks of 1GB DDR2 at 533.

That might be a bit confusing... I confused myself typing it...

Does that make sense?

What else you wanting to know?

Tom.

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hey, is this one ok

Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

and this would just slot into the motherboard i have now, work straight away and expand my RAM therefore making my computer faster?

also,howd you get all that info of my make of computer?
i use something called belarc advisor. is that any good?
how did you know my computer supports this RAM?
how can i tell in the future?
what did you actually type into google to get this info lol
god im asking so much lol
thanks, regards

also, whats the difference between DDR and DDR2?
and is it easy to slot into the motherboard?

Lol, don't worry.

Firstly, the memory you showed me is a single stick of 2gb, this won't fit because your motherboard doesn't support it. You need two chips of 1GB each. Also, that memory is 800MHz, your PC supports a maximum of 533. That wouldn't be a problem buying memory thats too fast, but its a bit over-kill... theres just no point spending more money buying faster stuff because you wont get any more out of it. (Something like this: Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK would be good, but i'm, gueissing you already have 1gb or ram in there... if thats at 533MHz though, its just a waste of money buying two sticks of it, since you already have one)

I typed in your computer model number into the Packard Bell website, it told me all about your hardware. I did originally search for your motherboard but this didn't come up with much.

I have never heard of Belarc Advisor to be honest with you.

I know your PC supports that RAM because the Packard Bell website told me

In the future just remember you can get 2 X 1GB @ 533MHz tops, or if you have a new PC, find the motherboard make and model, go onto the motherboard manufacuters website, find the page for your model, and see what the specs are under memeory, it should tell you what it supports.

I'm unsure what memeory you are running.... By right cliking on "Computer" in Vista it should tell you the amount of RAM, but probably not the speed... But its kinda midnight and I've had a few beers so I can't think of a way to know the speed of RAM you have at the moment... I'll post back tommorow.

Don't buy that RAM just yet... I'll help you find out what memory you have
and see what you need tommorow when im a bit more sober... I might save you a tenner.

night...

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DDR is older, DDR2 is newer. DDR2 is faster basically.. Its just a simple clip-on kinda thing... you just need to make sure its the right way round!

That wasn't descriptive at all... I need sleep.

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Umm. Ok.

If you download, install and run: PCWizard, Click the "mainboard" icon, click "Physical Memory" from the list, this will give you a hell of a lot of information about the memory you currently have.

Nope, I don't understand it either, but if you copy and paste what it says into here i'll go through with you anything that makes any sense to me.

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General Information :
A0 (RAS 0) : 512 (Single Bank)
A1 (RAS 2) : 512 (Single Bank)
Information SPD EEPROM (A0) :
Manufacturer : Nanya Technology
Part Number : M2Y51264TU88A4B-3C
Serial Number : 46371B41
Type : DDR2-SDRAM PC2-5300 (333 MHz) - [DDR2-666]
Format : Regular UDIMM (133.35 x 3)
Size : 512 MB (1 ranks, 4 banks)
Module Buffered : No
Module Registered : No
Module SLi Ready (EPP) : No
Width : 64-bit
Error Correction Capability : No
Max. Burst Length : 8
Refresh : Reduced (.5x)7.8 µs, Self Refresh
Voltage : SSTL 1.8v
Prefetch Buffer : 4-bit
Manufacture : Week 2 of 2007
Supported Frequencies : 200 MHz, 266 MHz, 333 MHz
CAS Latency (tCL) : 3 clocks @200 MHz, 4 clocks @266 MHz, 5 clocks @333 MHz
RAS to CAS (tRCD) : 3 clocks @200 MHz, 4 clocks @266 MHz, 5 clocks @333 MHz
RAS Precharge (tRP) : 3 clocks @200 MHz, 4 clocks @266 MHz, 5 clocks @333 MHz
Cycle Time (tRAS) : 9 clocks @200 MHz, 12 clocks @266 MHz, 15 clocks @333 MHz
Min TRC : 12 clocks @200 MHz, 16 clocks @266 MHz, 20 clocks @333 MHz
Information SPD EEPROM (A1) :
Manufacturer : Hyundai Electronics
Part Number : HYMP564U64CP8-Y5
Serial Number : 04008222
Type : DDR2-SDRAM PC2-5300 (333 MHz) - [DDR2-666]
Format : Regular UDIMM (133.35 x 3)
Size : 512 MB (1 ranks, 4 banks)
Module Buffered : No
Module Registered : No
Module SLi Ready (EPP) : No
Width : 64-bit
Error Correction Capability : No
Max. Burst Length : 8
Refresh : Reduced (.5x)7.8 µs, Self Refresh
Voltage : SSTL 1.8v
Prefetch Buffer : 4-bit
Manufacture : Week 24 of 2007
Supported Frequencies : 200 MHz, 266 MHz, 333 MHz
CAS Latency (tCL) : 3 clocks @200 MHz, 4 clocks @266 MHz, 5 clocks @333 MHz
RAS to CAS (tRCD) : 3 clocks @200 MHz, 4 clocks @266 MHz, 5 clocks @333 MHz
RAS Precharge (tRP) : 3 clocks @200 MHz, 4 clocks @266 MHz, 5 clocks @333 MHz
Cycle Time (tRAS) : 9 clocks @200 MHz, 12 clocks @266 MHz, 15 clocks @333 MHz
Min TRC : 12 clocks @200 MHz, 16 clocks @266 MHz, 20 clocks @333 MHz
Memory Controller Information :
Memory Controller : Standard, EDO
Number of connectors : 2
Max. Module Size : 32 MB
Max. Memory Size : 64 MB
Supported Speed : 70ns, 60ns
Supported Voltages : 5v
Error Detection Method : No
Error Correction Capability : None
Current/Supported Interleave : 4-way/1-way

ok, theres all that information from that program you suggested, pcwizard, and i cant believe how amazingly in depth it is, its a keeper

this might make it easier in the future for all my computer probing lol

Well, I was wrong.

You don't have a single 1gb stick of 400 / 533.

You have two 512MB sticks at 666.
Oops.

To be honest I don't have a clue what half of that stuff means, if you're interested im sure someone else can go through it with you.

The stuff in red is your memeory type and size, which confuses me, because from what I saw on the tinterweb your PC supports max 533, yet someone decided to put 666 in there anyway.

You could buy 666, theres nothing stopping it working, but it'd probably cost more and it would work just as well as the link i showed you a few posts ago.

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If I have helped you, please consider donating a little cash to Cancer Research UK