Cost for installing more ram?

Factual Questions
1

I just bought a new dell (Inspiron 530s,Intel Pentium Dual Core processor E2140 [1.60GHz,800FSB]), though a few games I’ve installed run a bit slow (or not at all) and some other programs will run a bit kooky (I do have vista, so some of this might be due to the kinks in that).

A friend looked at the specs and said I should install more ram (I have 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz).

All of this I copied from the confirmation e-mail I got after buying it.

Does the model have space for more ram?

How much does the ram cost (on average)?

How much would the labor cost (on average)?

Thanks in advance.

2

Don’t pay for somebody to install it. Installing RAM is about the easiest thing ever. You pretty much just push it in.

http://www.helpwithpcs.com/upgrading/installing_dimm_memory_ram.htm

3

Well, there should definitely be space for more RAM. I’d be very surprised if a desktop computer had fewer than 4 RAM slots, and your 1Gb is probably installed as 2x512Mb, leaving you 2 empty slots.

If you want to check for available slots without opening the case, go to the Crucial website and run their system scanner. It’s perfectly safe, and when it’s done it will give you a report telling you how much RAM you have, what type of RAM it is, and how many empty slots you have.

You can buy your RAM from Dell, but i had a look and their options seem rather overpriced. You can buy it direct from Crucial (good RAM, decent prices), or you can find it yourself elsewhere. For hardware online, you can’t do much better than NewEgg.

I had a look on Dell’s website for your type of computer, and i think that this Corsair RAM should work fine in your computer. It’s really cheap, and Corsair Value Select had a decent reputation, even if it’s not top-of-the-line memory. This Kingston value ram should also do the trick. (BTW, don’t trust my research; use the Corsair scan to check exactly what type of memory you need).

Each of those options is a 1Gb (2 x 512Mb) pack. Most people seem to think that 2Gb total is the required amount for running Vista, although some folks use less. If you want more, go for a 2gb (2 x 1Gb) pack. It will be more expensive, obviously, but you’ll probably get better performance, especially if you’re running multiple apps at once.

As for installation, i think you’d be crazy to pay for it. As long as you’re careful, installing RAM really is a piece of piss. The modules fit right into the slots with a firm push. The main thing is to be careful not to bash anything else, and also to make sure you ground yourself before poking around inside your computer, so that you don’t fry it with static electricity. Here is a set of decent instructions.

ETA:

If your games appear to be running slowly, it might not be RAM. If they are new, graphics-intensive games, the bottleneck might be in your graphics card. You didn’t say what graphics cards you’re using.

4

Chances are, you have room for more RAM, although it’s not a guarantee. Open up the case and take a look.
As far as prices, memory isn’t terribly expensive in general. Usually it’s around $30 to $40 per gigabyte these days.

5

I also have a Dell which I bought 2 years ago. It runs well but I wanted to add more memory. A friend of mine suggested Crucial, as mentioned in mhendo’s post. I ran their test and then it made suggestions as to how much more memory I could add.

Their prices seemed reasonable compared to other online sites, so I ordered a 2-Gb pack for US$75 through their website. I received my shipment to Japan in 4 days. The small box also included a guide with directions and online support. It took about 3 minutes to install the new memory (2.5 of those minutes were spent cleaning the dusty slots). :smiley:

6

Hey, I’m really amazed at all the info you guys came up with, thanks.

One other question I forgot to ask, though… I have a warranty. Will doing any of this (either myself or having someone else do it) void it?

And I’m not to worried about ever having physical damage to my PC… Could I just worry about screwing up the software and not have a tech guy give me the thumbs down when I have software problems because I wanted a little more ram?

7

Chances are being a dell pc then yes you will void your warranty doing it yourself, chance are they want you to buy it from them and get them to install it. I have heard thow that some company’s will let you keep your warranty and install parts yourself as long as you buy the stuff from them. Your might have to check with dell.

As for ram screwing up your software if you don’t install it properly I cant see this happening. I have found old ram around my house before when cleaning up teh computer room and thrown it into a computer to see if it works/ how much it is and even when teh ram has been screwy i haven’t received any long term problems that couldn’t be fixed from taking the ram out.

8

I’m not asking if the ram will screw up the software. I’m asking if

  1. If I install new ram does that void my warranty completely (regarding anything physical or software related)

and (2) If something unrelated to the ram installation went wrong with my software somewhere down the road would I still have no warranty?

9

Well, have a look at the language of Dell’s warranty. That should tell you what you need to know.

10

Which games are you trying to run? Here is your machine and to me it looks as if the issue will be your lack of graphics card more than anything else. The default Intel integrated graphics are not suitable for playing games, and the Nvidia and ATI cards listed aren’t much better. Hie thee to your local shop or mail order place and purchase a Nvidia 8800GT - not the GTS or GTX unless you’re feeling flush.

As for memory, Vista is supposd to be a memory hog. Anecdotal evidence indicates that 2 GB is the sweet spot. I have 2 GB in this (XP) machine and 2 GB in a Vista machine I’m building. If in doubt, you cannot have too much memory. Memory is very cheap. Here’s Crucial’s page.

11

Well, if you’re worried about the warranty you could always just take the RAM back out if you have to ship the system off somewhere.

12

The problem with that is that the case usually has a seal on it that if broken voids the warranty and is impossible to get past without it showing. Some manufacturers use a special screwhead that shows if it has been tampered with.

There has been recently a case where installing Linux voided the warranty!

13

In the US, under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a warranty cannot be voided by a requirement to use particular parts or service at your expense. So, Dell can’t require you to never have your computer serviced by someone else, or require you to use a particular brand of RAM, unless they provide such parts and service for free as part of the warranty.

FTC explains Magnuson-Moss Warranty Requirements, see the part about Tie-in Sales.

Of course, if you break something while opening your case, then you’re not covered. And the difficulty of convincing Dell that you didn’t break something (if you’ve opened your case and something later goes wrong) may not be worth the time and legal fees required.

14

Thanks, iamthewalrus(:3=. Interesting stuff. I never knew that.

15

My .02 cents worth

unplug the machine first.

Make damn sure the ram stick is seated all the way in on both ends and locked in with the retaining clips.

Powering up a machine with a stick of ram half seated can have very unhappy results. How do i know this…

That said, if gaming performance is what you are looking for you have kinda a low end CPU for dazzling game performance.

Also do you have a video card or onboard video? If you are using onboard video, adding a video card will probably create a far more dramatic difference in game performance than adding ram.