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My pc only has 2 dimm sockets. One has 256mb of ram. Can i put 512 in the other one or do they have to be the same?

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— there are a few quick checks and simple tests to make before buying or fitting that 512MB stick so the upgrade is useful and stable.

Start by identifying the motherboard model and the exact type of the installed module. Look for the board model printed on the PCB or read module SPD info with a utility like CPU-Z (CPU-Z). Record generation (DDR/DDR2/etc.), module label (PC3200, PC2-5300…), voltage, CAS latency and whether the stick is ECC/registered.

If keeping both sticks, aim to match electrical and timing characteristics (voltage, CAS, ranks) as closely as possible; if they differ, the system will usually fall back to the more conservative settings and may not use any advanced multi-channel mode. For boards that support asymmetrical pairing or "flex" modes, part of the memory may run paired while the remainder runs solo — the manual explains behavior for your chipset and configuration (good overview at Crucial: ).

After fitting the new module: confirm BIOS/POST reports the expected total, boot into the OS and run a memory test (MemTest86 is the standard: MemTest86). If it fails to boot or is unstable, reseat modules, try each stick alone to isolate a bad DIMM, and verify you did not mix registered/ECC modules with unbuffered non-ECC modules. As suggested, consult the motherboard manual for per-slot and total limits before purchasing to avoid incompatibility.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

My pc only has 2 dimm sockets. One has 256mb of ram. Can i put 512 in the other one or do they have to be the same?

not the same size ,but they do have to be compatible type/speed

Member Avatar for caperjack

My pc only has 2 dimm sockets. One has 256mb of ram. Can i put 512 in the other one or do they have to be the same?

not the same size ,but they do have to be compatible type/speed ,and the motherboard has to have a size limit of 512 or over

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