What memory to buy for my X31

I'm desperate. My IBM X31 has only 512 MB of RAM and the pagefile is fragmenting all the time - I have just now less than 24 hours after a complete restoration of the laptop defragtmented my hard drive twice! (Strict one-size pagefile has been setup)

What type of memory should I buy, what should I look out for and is it easy to switch the memory blocks myself?

 

You need 200pin So-DIMM DDR ( NOT DDR2) 400MHz RAM chips. The best prices I know of are found on NewEgg.

As for the memory, it is very easy to swap out. There should be an access panel on the bottom of the notebook that will give you access to both memory slots. Two new chips, a screwdriver, and presto...you're good to go.

What I do not know, however, is how much RAM you system supports. I think a maximum of 2GB, but you may have to update your BIOS.

 

Thanks. The memory in my system is currently 2 x 256 MB DDR 226 MHz CL 2,5, PC2100. These specs seem lower than the ones mentioned in the reply above this - does this mean anything?

And what does CAS latency mean? I suppose from the label on the memory sticks that it has a CL of 2,5 and those I've found to buy have a CL of 3.

 

Also, I recall something about always buying memory in pairs of equal size. That's a long time ago - do I still need to do that or could I buy eg. a 1GB block and a 512 MB block of memory and use it at the same time?

 

CAS latency is the time taken for the memory to recieve and adress a request by the memory controller. Its the time taken for a signal to be recieve, to the time when an output signal, (generated by the meory itself) is sent.

A latency increase of 0.5 should not result in a ny performance loss. Lantency only matters in memory intensive applications, where it needs to be access frequently. There also no need to use matched pairs or the same densities. If you want dual channel functionality, then you will need to stick to the same density and manufacturer. Dual channel doesn't offer a massive increase in performance, and its best to disregard it.

 

Worth checking that the X31 does not (as my X20 does) have some built in ram or have one ram slot that is a lot harder to access than the other, before you buy any more ram for it.

Memory chips do not need to be of equal size these days.