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800 MHz for Inspiron 531


jnesmith

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I just ordered a Dell Inspiron 531 with Vista Premium 32 bit. It is coming with 2 X 512 PC2-5300 modules. I want to upgrade the RAM.

 

According to the manual, it supports 667MHz and 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM. The only other restriction noted is that it must be unbuffered and Non-ECC.

 

When I run the configulator thing, it only lists 3 modules, all 667Mhz. Does Corsair not make any 800MHz modules that would be compatible with this machine?

 

Thanks.

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Those are the only tested modules. You might wish to take the machine down to an independent computer shop and have them install some working DRAM and have them Memtest right there.

 

Then you are assured of working DRAM in your Dell machine. It's far better than purchasing DRAM and hoping it works correctly. It's one of the issues with purchasing OEM machines.

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For example, why would this pair not work?

 

DDR2 2GB PC2-6400 (800MHz) Dual Channel (2x1GB) 5-5-5-12-T1 Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400

 

They are not recommended for use with any OEM computer system such as that Dell system because the BIOSes in those systems provide no way at all whatsoever to manually change timings, speeds or voltage. That Dell system requires DDR2-800 memory to work at only 1.75V or 1.8V (the permanently fixed voltage setting range of all OEM systems) -- but the TWIN2X2048-6400 kit requires DIMM voltage of at least 2.0V in order to work properly.

 

You're stuck with DDR2-667 memory for that Dell system, if you choose Corsair-branded memory, because Corsair does not currently offer DDR2-800 memory designed for the rigid requirements of OEM systems for general resale. (Corsair offers a VS1GB800D2 module and a VS2GBKIT800D2 kit -- but only to system OEMs directly; you cannot purchase the VS1GB800D2 module or VS2GBKIT800D2 kit on the open market at this time.)

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  • Corsair Employees
Due to the voltage limtations of an OEM computer, our XMS memory is not recommended. I would suggest you use the Corsair Memory Configurator listed in my signature below to find the best memory for your system.
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