I am looking at upgrading the RAM on my Laptop, just to pep it up a bit because it seems slow to start and start up programmes (despite a re-install of windows about 6 months ago)

It's a couple of years old as I bought it when I came to university, about 2 1/2 years ago.

It has an AMD Sempron processor, 80gb hardrive and runs windows XP.

I added an extra 512mb when I bought it, bringing it up to 2x PC2700 512mb.

I am looking to replace one of the PC2700 with a PC3200 1GB giving me 1.5gb of ram.

However looking around there is a PC-3200 and a PC2-3200.

Is the PC2 for dual core processors only?

Can anyone point me to some cheap ram (preferably under £15) if possible.

I have bought Laptop ram from

Memory upgrades, flash media, and usb storage at Crucial.com

They have a useful scan utility that will detect the correct type of memory for your machine - useful even if you don't buy from them.

You should make sure the 2 modules are matched.

You will struggle to get 1Gb for £15 - more likely around £20

I'm thinking of upgrading mine.

The recent Vista updates have slowed it down.

PC2 is just a more modern RAM module technology, not particularly related to dual core processors.

If you're going to the trouble, I'd replace with 2x 1Gb PC-3200 modules.

As said, Crucial's a good place to go and well priced.

Steve

id go as wardy suggested. If you decide to only replace one stick then id watch out with running two different speeds of ram. HP laptops will crash out if with a BSOD if you run two different speeds in a pair, not sure if this would affect your laptop make ni the same way though

Try kingston as they are, in my experience, often cheaper than crucial.

buying 2* new modules is a good idea IMHO, but of you do that you're better off going for too much RAM rather than just enough.

Cheap ram Ahoy !!!!

Memory - Laptop - Ebuyer

It's DDR RAM you'll want.

Not sure about laptops but on a desktop the RAM will run at the speead of the slowest DIMM.

If you have one at 400MHz and one at 333MHz then the system will run at 333MHz (if it ran that speed anyway then no problem)

But you'll have more RAM to play with and should improve performance.

HTH.

It's DDR RAM you'll want.

Not sure about laptops but on a desktop the RAM will run at the speead of the slowest DIMM.

If you have one at 400MHz and one at 333MHz then the system will run at 333MHz (if it ran that speed anyway then no problem)

thats fine on desktops but for some reason on HP laptops it causes them to blue screen and they wont just switch to the lowest speed.

To be fair, if you have not got it yet, I'd say the 1GB should be fine and maybe it's time to defrag the hard disk or look at a faster disk and a new install of the OS if you cant afford an upgraded laptop.

^ Agreed - the type of machine you're talking about probably won't run the sort of stuff well that would push it hard enough to need the extra ram.

DDR2 ram for desktops has a different pin layout to DDR, but on laptop SODIMMS they're both 200 pin - I think the locator notch might be in a different place though. The desktop I'm working on now requires two identical modules to run twinbank optimisations, but if there are different speed modules in place it has the ability to clock them asynchronously rather than dragging the faster ones down.