LAB 6.1: RESEARCH RAM ON THE INTERNET

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this lab is to help you learn how to find important information about RAM that you need when upgrading the memory. After completing this lab, you will be able to:

• Find documentation on your systems motherboard

• Read the documentation for your systems RAM specifications

• Search the Internet for RAM prices and availability

MATERIALS REQUIRED

This lab requires the following:

• Windows 2000/XP or Windows 98 operating system

• Internet access

• Optional: A workgroup of 2 to 4 students

LAB PREPARATION

Before the lab begins, the instructor or lab assistant needs to do the following:

• Verify that Internet access is available.

ACTIVITY BACKGROUND

In the past, RAM was literally worth more than its weight in gold. When building a system, most people made do with the minimum amount of RAM needed for adequate performance. These days, RAM is more inexpensive, which means you can probably buy all the RAM you need to make your system perform at top speed. Graphics-editing software, in particular, benefits from additional RAM. In this lab, you research how to optimize RAM on a graphics workstation with a memory upgrade budget of $150.

Activity

1. Use My Computer to determine the amount of RAM currently installed. Record the amount of RAM here:

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2. Using skills you learned in Lab 5.3, determine your motherboards manufacturer and model. (If you dont have the motherboard documentation available, search for it on the Web and print it.)

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Use the documentation for your motherboard to answer these questions:

1. What type (or types) of memory does your motherboard support? Be sure to include the speed as well as the category (such as SDRAM or DDR2):

2. How many slots for memory modules are included on your motherboard?

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3. How many memory slots on your motherboard are used, and how much RAM is installed in each slot?

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4. What is the maximum amount of memory your motherboard supports?

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5. What size and how many memory modules would be needed to upgrade your system to the maximum amount of supported memory?

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Now that you have the necessary information about your systems memory, go to a local computer store that sells memory, or go to http://pricewatch.com or a similar Web site, and answer the following questions:

1. What is the price of the memory modules required to configure your system for maximum memory?

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2. Does your budget allow you to install the maximum supported amount of RAM?

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3. Can you use the existing memory modules to upgrade to the maximum amount of supported memory?

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4. What is the most additional memory you could install and still stay within your budget? (Assume youll use the existing memory modules.)

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Explore other types of memory on http://pricewatch.com or another similar Web site, and answer the following questions:

1. On average, what is the least expensive type of memory per MB you can find? What is its price?

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2. On average, what is the most expensive type of memory per MB you can find? What is its price?

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3. Is SO-DIMM memory for a notebook computer more or less expensive than an equivalent amount of DDR2 memory for a desktop PC? Give specific information to support your answer:

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LAB 6.2: EXPLORE THE KINGSTON WEB SITE

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this lab is to use the Kingston Web site to learn about RAM. After completing this lab, you will be able to:

• Identify types of RAM

• Determine appropriate memory types for a system

MATERIALS REQUIRED

This lab requires the following:

• Internet access

LAB PREPARATION

Before the lab begins, the instructor or lab assistant needs to do the following:

• Verify that Internet access is available.

ACTIVITY BACKGROUND

RAM comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and speeds. Not every type of RAM works with every system. In this lab, you use the Kingston Technology (a major RAM manufacturer) Web site to learn about RAM and see how to make sure you have the right memory module to upgrade your system.

Activity

Do the following to begin learning about system memory:

1. Open your browser and go to www.kingston.com.

2. Notice that you can use the sites Memory Search section to search for memory based on the type of system you have. What other three ways can you search for memory?

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When you search the site based on your system, the results include a list of compatible memory types with prices, maximum memory your system supports, processors supported, and number of expansion slots on your system for memory modules. Do the following to find information about a memory upgrade for a motherboard:

1. Select one of the motherboards from the table in Lab 5.4. Which motherboard did you select?

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2. Perform a memory search on the Kingston site for information on this motherboard. Answer the following questions:

   • What types of memory modules can this board can use?

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   • What types of processors does the board support?

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   • How many memory slots are on the board?

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   • What is the maximum amount of memory the board supports?

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Now continue exploring the Kingston site by following these steps:

1. Return to the Kingston home page.

2. Click the Memory Tools link. A drop-down list displays several tools, one being the Memory Assessor. With this tool, you specify which OS youre researching, and Kingston displays a recommended amount of physical RAM based on usage criteria.

3. Using these tools, and perhaps other areas of the site, answer the following questions:

   • In general, do operating systems for desktops and workstations require more or less memory than operating systems for servers?

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   • How wide is the data path on a 168-pin DIMM?

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   • DDR is an extension of what older memory technology?

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   • What does the SO in SO-DIMM represent?

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   • What is an advantage of loading applications entirely into RAM rather than loading part of an application into virtual memory (a page file)?

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   • What is another term for a page file, and why are page files used?

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   • How many bits of information does a single cell of a memory chip on a 256 MB PC2700 DDR module hold?

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   • Why would you have problems with a system in which you installed three known good RIMMs?

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   • One memory technology uses only a 16-bit path. What acronym is used for this type of memory?

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   • What type of material is used to make a memory chip?

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   • What function(s) does the aluminum plate on a RIMM serve?

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   • Why might you not mind using slower memory (in MHz) if faster memory is available for a marginal price difference?

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   • What is the systems bank schema, and why is it important when installing RAM?

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   • What is a memory performance measurement in which the lower the number, the better the performance?

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   • What memory technology achieves better performance by using both the rising and falling sides of the clock cycle?

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   • List five considerations when upgrading memory:

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   • If a motherboard can support SDRAM or EDO, which would result in better performance?

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   • What memory technology uses a heat spreader?

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   • What types of memory do notebook computers typically use?

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   • Name two characteristics of a system using RAMBUS licensed memory:

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