Precision M4400 Owner's Lounge *Part 2*

I have one more question, is it possible to change backlit keyboard's lighting colors?

 

I don't how it was exactly but don't you have to select spdif out as audio out in order to hear it over displayport? I'm not sure but i heard this prob before. Did you try a search already?

 

Hey guys,

I'm going to upgrade my ram from 4 gigs....can I swap a 2 gig stick with a 4 for a total of 6 gigs, or do I need to swap both and go with 8 gigs?

thanks!!

 

Hi theZoid

Assuming you have 1x2GB now, you can buy 1x4GB and enjoy 6GB RAM. Ideally the best performance comes from matched pairs (e.g.2x2GB, 2x4GB), but it's not the end of the world if they're unmatched. However, both sticks of RAM should be the same speed (i.e. both DDR2 800).

If you do use unmatched pairs, put the largest stick of RAM in the first DIMM slot (e.g. 4GB in DIMM1, 2GB in DIMM2). I'm not sure if this is still the case, but this used to yield the best performance.

One last thing that I'm sure you know, you'll need a 64-bit operating system to use 4GB or above of memory.

Good luck!

 

I'm using Win7Pro x64....I have 2 x 2 gigs now....I use a couple of virtual machines....I don't quite understand the performance issue....if 6 beats 4 then I'm good....or will a 2 and 4 perform worse than 2 3's? j/k...what is it exactly that under performs with a mismatched pair? I thought it would either use it that wya, or not, and perform as spec'd.

 

Hi theZoid

Sorry, I should have been clearer. The performance difference is small and is usually only seen in benchmarks. Basically, DDR2 was designed to balance the load between both sticks of RAM, so if both are of equal size, then the balancing act is simple. If they're mismatched then there's a slight performance drop, but outside of games or other benchmarking situations, it's probably not very noticeable.

 

Thanks....hmmm...I am a gamer btw ....maybe I'll up it to 8 and ebay my 2 gig sticks....

 

if u manage to get a deal on ebay do post how much you paid. would be useful to know how much the upgrade costs.

not a heavy RAM user myself, but im itching to upgrade to a QX9300 and an SSD!!

 

Here's from the Crucial site per what jonty said re matching pairs/performance

HTML:

Manufacturer Specifications - Dell Precision M4400

Number of Slots:
 Slot 1  
 Slot 2  
 
Each memory slot can hold DDR2 PC2-6400 with a maximum of 4GB per slot.*
*Not to exceed manufacturer supported memory.

Chipset:   Intel PM45
Drive Form Factor:   2.5"
Drive Interface:   SATA
Maximum Memory:   8192MB
Slots:   2 (2 banks of 1)
Standard Memory:   1024 or 2048MB removable
USB Support:   2.x Compliant
Although the memory can be installed one module at a time, the best performance comes from using matched pairs of modules.

I'm looking at Newegg now....going to eBay....

 

Wanted to make sure you got an answer. So far as I am aware the keyboard is only illuminated in white. There are controls for when it lights up but not how bright or what color.

P.s. I love mine. Wish I could upgrade all my boards to back lighting. I'm sure it will rapidly become a standard option.