Laptop Memory Problem

ianwalsh2

I think I'm after making a fairly stupid mistake! During the summer I bought my Laptop, a Dell XPS M1210. Due to my lack of cash I bought it at the cheapest price I could, with the intention of upgrading the hardware as I went along. I recently decided to upgrade the memory. So I found out the type of memory required - SODIMM DDR2 and went searching on the Internet. It also appeared to me that I have two memory slots. I was being told I currently have 2 x 256MB memory cards (or whatever the proper term is for them). So therefore, I assumed I'd need to buy two new memory cards. So I ordered two of these 1GB cards (yesterday) in order to give myself a 2GB total memory.

Only this evening I went to see how hard would it be to actually swap the memory cards, so I unscrewed the cover and took out the card, fully expecting there to be another one underneath or in some other slot but there isn't! As you can probably tell, I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to memory but I'm just wondering have I made a big mistake in buying two seperate cards? Does two memory slots actually mean that there are two memory cards integrated into the one card, which slots into only one memory slot? I hope you can follow what I'm trying to say! Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

mathias

Can you by any chance take a picture and post it ?

Usually if there are two memory chips they will be lying almost horizontal , one on top of the other , you may have two slots but only one is occupied or you may well have only one slot.

If you only have one and you were sold the system under the impression it had two then you may be able to take it back to dell , otherwise you can always just use one of the 1GB chips and sell the other one.

Soundman

Dell XPS M1210 is upgradeable to 4056MB Dual Channel 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory so would need minimum 2 slots to hold the memory. Could just be that you have 1 stick of 512MB memory leaving one slot free?

Edit: Just checked the Dell site. It does have 2 memory slots.

Edit 2: Memory it takes is: Single OR Dual Channel 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM or else Dual Channel 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM

Ruu_Old

There should be two memory slots for your two stickes of RAM. Your laptop can handle a total of 4GB. I found a review on the laptop which might give you an idea on where the memory slots are located. I don't know if its any use to you.

Storage and memory are both user upgradable, with the hard drive and one of the DIMM slots located in separate bottom compartments. The second memory slot is harder to reach than most that are located beneath the keyboard; its location requires disconnecting the cable and a few other extra steps, but the process is doable. The only other small design faux pas is the ExpressCard slot's old-fashioned eject stick. Like most, it is maddeningly difficult to store.

Soundman

All I can say to that Ruu is WHY?

That is a serious design flaw that they didn't make both slots easily accessible seeing as that is the main upgradeable part on a laptop.

Ruu_Old

Its Dell, someone is working really hard for their pay cheque.

Soundman

Ruu wrote:

Its Dell.

And your point being?

I actually like Dell. Using one right now. Had it over a year with no problems thus far. Unless you count the occasional ones created by my own experimenting.

Ruu_Old

Yep, I have an auld Dell Inspiron 1000 that works fine for me. Now the memory slots are easy and accessible on that. Just open the wee hatch on the underneath of the lappy and you're there. I assumed thats the way it would be for most of them, I guess not.:(
OP, you have the correct type of RAM anyway I believe.

Soundman

Ruu wrote:

Yep, I have an auld Dell Inspiron 1000 that works fine for me. Now the memory slots are easy and accessible on that. Just open the wee hatch on the underneath of the lappy and you're there. I assumed thats the way it would be for most of them, I guess not.:(

510M, 6000 and 6400 are all the same too. Did they run out of space or something on the XPSes? Hmm.

Soundman

Ruu wrote:

OP, you have the correct type of RAM anyway I believe.

Is SDRAM and SODIMM RAM the same?

Ruu_Old

SODIMM (mainly used in laptops) (small outline dual inline memory module) is the alternative to the DIMM (for desktops), those would be the type of packaging the RAM is in I believe. SDRAM is a type of a RAM, probably most common today. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here.

Soundman

Still not sure what the difference is but...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SDRAM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SODIMM

K.O.Kiki

Soundman wrote:

Still not sure what the difference is but...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SDRAM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SODIMM

SD-RAM is what old PC's used -- without getting into specifics, SD ran at its rated speed (eg 200Mhz); the newer DDR & DDR2 run at twice their rated speed (DDR400 runs at 200Mhz, but twice per clock cycle, so 2x200=400).
Or something. It doesn't matter for my studies, anyhow; and you can always read Wikipedia if that doesn't make any sense!*

*goes off to read Wikipedia

ianwalsh2

Cheers for that lads. I presumed they'd both be in the same place (the flap under the laptop) since that's the only place they described in the manual. Nehoo I'll have to go searchin for this other slot so! Seems a bit ridiculous doesn't it!?

matt-dublin

the other slot i think should be under the keyboard...

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xpsm1210/en/SM/memory.htm#wp999869