adding memory to pc

[energizer]

Go for it!

Dell Dimension 3100 will take 2x ddr2 1GB modules. $40 is a fair price depending from where you get them.

Stick with brands like Corsair, Crucial, Kingston. Sometime you can get Samsung Original Modules from OEMs.

Later if you feel that your machine is slower, convert it to Linux.

I currently have a Dell Dimension 3100. It has become slow over the last couple of years. I looked online and can upgrade to 2 gigs of memory for 40 bucks. It currently has 512 kb.

The pc has two internal slots currently occupied.by the dual 256 cards. I have no.other slots. When replacing those cards, will I lose anything on my hard drive?

I hope this all made sense.

[cherylfoster]

You may be better just to replace the system, increasing RAM will not do much to speed up more than 3 years old machine. More likely to be infected with adware / spyware. Malwarebytes running like it should be noted on this point. In any case, if you upgrade the memory to ensure you get the correct type of the machine.

[UltraLNW]

Replace the system - here's why:

1. Your CPU is likely not a dual or quad core - going from single to mult-core is like going from a Le Car to a Porsche.

2. Your southbridge likely does not support SATA - using an IDE drive is fine until you have to use it after getting used to a 7200 RPM SATA II.

3. DDR memory is slow - DDR3 is the standard now, and DDR4 is around the bend. Plus, most mobos running DDR cannot support more than 2gb. That big of a deal if you are running 32bit OS, but 64bit Windows 7 is priced the same as 32bit, and in addition to the general increase in speed, 64bit OS can support and use more than 3.2gb of memory (32bit ceiling)

I run a relatively outdated system - P45 chipset, QX6700 Quad Core Extreme (65nm), 4gb DDR2-800 memory, 64gb SSD (220 read/100 write), GTX460. A couple years back, it was a screamer, but it lags considerably behind what is available today. I am fixing a buddy's PC specced with a single core Athlon, 512mb of DDR mem, IDE drive. The system is about 5 years old. I cannot imagine having to use it on a daily basis, as my outdated system has spoiled the hell out of me.

Upgrade to a new system and get SATA III, DDR3, 32nm processors, etc etc. You will not believe how smooth it is compared to what you have grown accustomed to.

That Dell deal is still available - $340 for a new system with moitor!

[JDay]

normaly the new case will have an empty drive bay, I just take the old drive out of the old machine and put it in the new box... $100 seems fair for that

Doing it that way will leave a ton of stuff on the drive that is no longer being used (old Windows install, Program Files, Swap File, Hibernation file, Temp Files, etc), obviously there is more to it.

[eta34]

I recently purchased a new laptop...nothing fancy, just a $400 Gateway special. The desktop is primarily used to store photos, music, and to allow my kid to use the internet. I am not in need of anything fancy. I use Carbonite to back everything up.

I used the malwarebytes program and found 38 different processes. We will see how the thing runs now.

Someone asked me what CPU is was using. What in the heck does that mean? How do I find out? Obviously, I am not tech savvy. Thanks again for the help.

[Coded-Dude]

click the Start Bar and right click on My Computer, select Properties. From there you should be able to determine the processor type/speed(its listed in the general tab). It will also tell you how much memory, computer name, etc.

[JDay]

Someone asked me what CPU is was using. What in the heck does that mean? How do I find out? Obviously, I am not tech savvy. Thanks again for the help.

It's a Pentium 4, all anyone who asks needs to do is Google the specs for your model machine, which you posted.

http://www.dell.com/us/en/dfb/desktops/dimen_3100/pd.aspx?refid=dimen_3100&cs=28&s=dfb

[Coded-Dude]

yes but that is only the chip classification(not its speed).

[EDIT]
according to your link it should be a 3.2 GHz with hyper threading. if he upgrades his XP machine(which I assume it is) with more memory he should notice substantial difference.

[JDay]

yes but that is only the chip classification(not its speed).

[EDIT]
according to your link it should be a 3.2 GHz with hyper threading. if he upgrades his XP machine(which I assume it is) with more memory he should notice substantial difference.

That says up to 3.2Ghz. The important thing is that the CPU supports HT (HyperThreading), with this enabled you effectively have a dual-core CPU (one physical one virtual).

[Coded-Dude]

right, but the tech specs say no lower than 2.8(521, 630 or 640). as long as he is in or close to 3GHz with HT, he should be fine(if he sticks with XP). I agree an upgrade would be warranted with a newer version of widows though.

[JDay]

right, but the tech specs say no lower than 2.8(521, 630 or 640). as long as he is in or close to 3GHz with HT, he should be fine(if he sticks with XP). I agree an upgrade would be warranted with a newer version of widows though.

He can run Windows 7 with that system no problem if he upgrades to 2GB of ram. I've done it with 1GB on a similar system but there was a tiny amount of system lag (due to the swap file).

[Ricky-Ray]

I picked up a laptop from work that we were phasing out. It was a Dell Latitude D610 and it was a 1.6mhz processor and only had 1gig or RAM on there. I upgraded it to 2 gigs and installed window's 7 on there. Granted it's a bit slow compared to my other computer but I just use it around the house for surfing the net and whatever.

Basically what I'm getting at is you may not need to upgrade your computer to a newer one is the current one will serve your purpose and YES you will notice better performance going from 512mb to 2 gigs.

IMO if the upgrade is going to cost $40, it will be $40 well worth it and consider upgrading in a few years down the line.

[orchard]

Get the memory - it will give you enough that the system isn't swapping in and out of paged memory, if all you need it for is email, web browsing, etc.

I'm running 2Gb on an old laptop used for the same purpose, works fines for that purpose. Plus you can have a guest account locked down for the kids :-)

Orchard

[MikeH1]

Going from 512k to 2gb is a huge jump and I'm betting you will notice a significant improvement. Get another year or two out of your current system and then upgrade.

+1

I just got a 5 year old IBM Thinkpad, upgraded it from 1 GB to 2GB (it's max) and it'll do quite nicely for a year or two or more, even with Win 7. Memory is usually cheaper than a complete new system.

[mmrx2]

check your task manager to see how much % your cpu is being used and how much total ram you are using. Did you try reinstalling your os? An SSD is a good upgrade to speed up older cpus.