# CPU memory question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-memory-question/218575
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 12, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-memory-question/218575 "2003-12-12T13:33:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-memory-question/218575/1 "2003-12-12T13:33:02Z")
I am in possession of a Dell PIII-1000 computer purchased in early 2001. The computer is equipped with two 256MB SDRAM (I think) memory chips. If they’re called chips. Whatever.
If I were to purchase a new Dell machine today, one o’ them fancy P4s, would my SDRAM work in that so that I could save bux by not buying too much memory and just slipping in my current memory? Or have they switched memory types again?
---
### Author:  [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-memory-question/218575/2 "2003-12-12T13:42:14Z")
It depends.
You can try to put the old memory in. If it fits, it should work. If it doesn’t fit, well, you’re SOL.
---
### Author:  [@Chagto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chagto)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-memory-question/218575/3 "2003-12-12T13:42:36Z")
It is likely that a new Dell machine today would use DDR Ram, as opposed to SDRAM. It may be possible (depending on the motherboard of the computer, I’m not too familiar with the Dell specs) to use the SDRAM in the machine, though you cannot use the SDRAM and the DDR at the same time.
DDR is a lot faster than SDRAM, and at the moment relatively cheap, so you might as well upgrade that as well.
---
### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-memory-question/218575/4 "2003-12-12T14:17:49Z")
Like Chagto said. You can go to dell’s website and find out the types of memory used by each manchine. SDRAM, EDO, DDR, etc. Iven if you don’t know what the abbreviations mean, you can easily see if they;re the same type. If not, it definitely won’t work.
Another approach is to go to [www.crucial.com](http://www.crucial.com). They sell a LOT of upgrade memory and have a good reputation. Use their easy-to-use RAM picker-outer to determine what upgrade part each machine needs. They’re either the same, or not.
---
### Author:  [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-memory-question/218575/5 "2003-12-12T14:28:14Z")
Modern P4 and AMD systems use Dual-channel DDR400 (PC3200) RAM, where the memory is installed in pairs of equal size. You could, in theory, get an older P4 and motherboard that supports SDRAM, but the performance loss would be tremendous.
---
### Author:  [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-memory-question/218575/6 "2003-12-12T15:48:57Z")
You could sell your SDRAM on eBay.