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Question

RAM for old Dell 650 Precision Workstation

Mar 14, 2016 9:33AM PDT

Have 2100 and 2700 DIMMS now, with one bank now defective. Can I use PC 2700 DDR CL 2.5 DIMMS in this machine? These are Kensington KVR333X64C 25K2/2G (2 GIG) chips. Will replace all the old chips, with 2 GB total. Using Linux Mint MATE 17.1 on one drive and Windows (seldom) on the other, boot drive (MBR instructions for Linux boot, default.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
For me, no.
Mar 14, 2016 10:03AM PDT

After too many odd crashes I learned to never mix memory types. At office, shop and home we install all the same sticks or don't do it. While you are free to try this, no shop or tech I know will say it's OK.

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Answer
SPD
Mar 14, 2016 10:33AM PDT

When you set timing by SPD on RAM, and you put the faster chip in DIMM1, then you will have problems. If you still intend to try that, be sure to either manually set the speed manually to the lowest rated RAM, or put the slowest in DIMM1 and hope that's where the SPD is it reads from the chip.

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Answer
Ram
Mar 14, 2016 12:44PM PDT

Your mobo has 4 ram slots...2 banks of 2.
Each slot has a max capacity of 1GB.
If one of the banks is bad that leaves 1 good bank/2 good slots.
If this ram you have is a 2x1GB kit fit it in the 2 good slots.