Memory Error

timmytheturtle · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 2:12 am

My Dell computer is supposed to have 256 MB of ram. I just noticed that in system properties under XP that I only have 248 MB.
Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

EVEREST says I have 247MB, as does MemTEST-86
Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

Anybody got any idea why it's reading this amount?

Tony · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 3:14 am

easy

Dictionary wrote:

megÂ·aÂ·byte (mĕg'ə-bīt') pronunciation
n. (Abbr. MB)

1. A unit of computer memory or data storage capacity equal to 1,048,576 (2^20) bytes.
2. One million bytes.

Per definition #2 (the one they use in the marketing department of Dell), you have 256*10^6 bytes of memory. Per definition #1 (the one used by computers) that translates into.. 256*10^6/2^20 = 244 MB. So you actually have extra Laughing

lyam_kaskade · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 2:12 pm

Any idea why they do this? It seems like it would cause alot of confusion.
Just to make it seem like there's more memory? or because marketing types aren't very good at math?

timmytheturtle · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:19 pm

thanks for the info tony, even though there is nothing wrong with my ram, I'm still going to say theres a problem with it so my parents will buy more ram, cause 246 MB of ram isn't alot

[Gandalf] · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:37 pm

Not for gaming, or other high-end stuff, but for most things it's enough Wink

.

They did this simply for convenience. Why not just make it an even 1000, if so few people will care? It's funny though, since it causes many inconveniences in the long run Rolling Eyes

.

timmytheturtle · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:03 pm

[Gandalf] wrote:

Not for gaming, or other high-end stuff, but for most things it's enough Wink

.

It's not enough for me. I like to game, currently the games (dod, cs, hl) I play run fine, but I wanna play hl2 (which I also own), and dod:s when it comes out. With more ram, and a better video card I should be able to play source games at something greater then 640x480.

Tony · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:45 pm

lyam_kaskade wrote:

Any idea why they do this?

Larger number to put on the package.

One could take a 190GB harddrive and try to sell it as such.. or market it as a "new, larger 200GB" harddrive with a little declaimer that 1GB is 10^9 bytes. Keep in mind that hardware is identical. You just don't need those 10GB to say you have them Laughing

[Gandalf] · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:48 pm

All HL/CS games suck IMO Surprised

.

Anways, yeah, for that you should have at least 500mb of RAM, but more importantly you need a good video card.

I can't see how you would buy a computer with 2.66Ghz, and yet only 256mb ram. What kind of video card does it have? An integrated one? In that case it would be hard to upgrade it.

Neo · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:49 pm

timmytheturtle wrote:

thanks for the info tony, even though there is nothing wrong with my ram, I'm still going to say theres a problem with it so my parents will buy more ram, cause 246 MB of ram isn't alot

Way to take advantage of your parents. Laughing

timmytheturtle · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:57 pm

[Gandalf] wrote:

I can't see how you would buy a computer with 2.66Ghz, and yet only 256mb ram. What kind of video card does it have? An integrated one? In that case it would be hard to upgrade it.

Atleast my mom, when she ordered it, decided to upgrade from 128mb to 256mb. As for video I got Intel Extereme Graphics @ 64mb of shared memory, integrated. and Dell so kindly removed the AGP slot too. I have though found a store in my city that has a ATI Radeon 9250 128MB PCI card for only 65$ or a ATI Radeon 9250 256MB PCI for 85$. But I'm in need of memory before a video card

Neo wrote:

Way to take advantage of your parents.

Damn straight, I'm not paying for any upgrades on this computer, they can. It's not like they know anything about computers, so it's easy to take advantage.

[Gandalf] · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:01 pm

Good for you... good for you... Confused

Good luck switching your integrated video card with a new one. I wouldn't bother getting more ram just for the sake of gaming if you're not going to be able to get a better video card. The one you have now is a piece of crap, and the ones you are planning on getting aren't the best either.

timmytheturtle · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:15 pm

[Gandalf] wrote:

Good luck switching your integrated video card with a new one. I wouldn't bother getting more ram just for the sake of gaming if you're not going to be able to get a better video card. The one you have now is a piece of crap, and the ones you are planning on getting aren't the best either.

Even if I can't get a new video card for this, I still would like to upgrade the ram. It will help this computer alot. Or I could always browser the local computer shop's forum for a replacement computer for myself that has an AGP slot.

Tony · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:46 pm

timmytheturtle wrote:

Atleast my mom, when she ordered it, decided to upgrade from 128mb to 256mb.

Keep in mind that Dell would give you RAM in the form that costs them less. Meaning you could find two 128s taking up both of your memory slots. You'd have to replace your RAM in such a case.

timmytheturtle · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2005 12:10 am

Tony wrote:

Keep in mind that Dell would give you RAM in the form that costs them less. Meaning you could find two 128s taking up both of your memory slots. You'd have to replace your RAM in such a case.

They gave me 1 stick of 256 MB

MihaiG · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:49 pm

i got a raedon 9550...it works smooth... the grpahics on halo are jsut as good as xbox...i oinyl payed $100 flat

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