Ram - mixed chips on setup?

[Davi]

I've just bought an extra 512mb of Ram for my Dell 8200 - off ebay. They were advertised as matched pairs, but I've just got them out the packet and they are not identical!!

They are both Samsung 256mb chips, but one has the reference number

MR18R1628AFO-CM8

and the other has

MR18R1628DFO-CM8

I cant find enough out to know what the difference between the A and D is - PC wizard lists them both as PC800-40 RDDR Rimm chips.

Whaddaya reckon? OK to go or am I asking for trouble?

[agent006]

Not the serial number is it?

[Davi]

no it's the chip code - the serial numer is only half that length. They are physically slightly different, one being about 3mm taller (stands out further from the motherboard) than the other

[mr_yogi]

Sorry for Dumb question

If this is extra to your existing RAM do you think that these Two might be different to your existing RIMMS?

Have you tried them instead of your existing memory on there own?

[Davi]

one is identical to the existing set (the AFO) the other is different - hence my concern.

[robdickinson]

If they work dont worry.

[twister]

According to the datasheets on the Samsung site, this character in the module code refers to the "Component Generation" - I presume this is incremented if the individual memory ICs on the module are updated without the module design itself (PCB layout etc) changing, though I couldn't see any definition of this term on the site... All the parts of the module code which refer to the memory characteristics are the same, so from the module point of view they both ought to behave the same, but if you really want to be sure then checking the codes on the individual ICs (they should start K4, and have 10 characters before the - ) would be the next step.

[Davi]

twister said:

According to the datasheets on the Samsung site, this character in the module code refers to the "Component Generation" - I presume this is incremented if the individual memory ICs on the module are updated without the module design itself (PCB layout etc) changing, though I couldn't see any definition of this term on the site... All the parts of the module code which refer to the memory characteristics are the same, so from the module point of view they both ought to behave the same, but if you really want to be sure then checking the codes on the individual ICs (they should start K4, and have 10 characters before the - ) would be the next step.

Thanks Twister - do you have a link to that datasheet? I spent ages looking for em before I posted but couldn't find any with the relevant info on?!

I'll check the IC codes later.

[twister]

Davi said:

do you have a link to that datasheet? I spent ages looking for em before I posted but couldn't find any with the relevant info on?!

Yeah, the Samsung site isn't all that forthcoming with info on semiconductor products unless you lie about your location and say you're in the US rather than the UK... The page you want is www.samsung.com/Products/Semiconductor/Support/Label_CodeInfo/index.htm

[Davi]

ahh that'd probably be why then! Thanks for that.