# Dell Inspiron 1100 Memory Capacity is...



## Dinky One (Oct 13, 2007)

Hi,

I recently upgraded my Dell Inspiron 1100 Laptop computer with 1 gyg of 3200 memory. I was replacing two 128 megabyte 2700 chips. The 1 gyg works like a charm and I decided to use it as my cache as well. No problems. It all runs well on Home XP Sp2 with the most recent BIOS upgrade to the motherboard as well as whatever was available from the Intel website. I've got to tell you, it certainly does pay off to install all those chip and rom firmware upgrades!

Here's my quiery:

Having the empty slot and the two 128 mg chips (zzzzz) leftover it was irresistable to see what would happen if I dropped in one of the leftover 128 mg chips. This was in spite of the original information which I had been aware of which had suggested that my laptop was limited to 1 gyg total ram. Ah.... temptation. 

Long story short. Both chips were recognised in bias, as well as Windows Home XP. Computer runs fine with both. Nothing strange seemed to be happening. Of course this has been intriguing to say the least.

I did remove the 128 mg chip for now (back to 1 gyg) but am now wondering if the computer's new bios has perhaps taken away the original limitation of 1 gyg of memory.

Of course I would now like to add another 1 gyg 3200 chip to the first 1 gyg chip. I'm also wondering if unbeknownst to me... that while my laptop seems to purr like a top with extra memory installed over the 1 gyg 'limitation' (?) whether some insidious and hidden mayhem might be taking place.

I tried to run this by the guys that sell memory but I would suppose that no one likes to step out on a ledge to contradict the information which they have been going by, that being the original limitation data from Dell themselves.

Thanks for your attention.

Dinky One


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## zendude (Oct 18, 2007)

I don't have an answer to your question but did want to know where you purchased your memory. I hate buying from Dell-they are way over-priced!

I have tried Corsair, IPSG, and PNY and did not find them compatibile with my laptop, it's also an inspiron 1100 cith only 256MB.

Thanks for your or anyone else's help


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## Dinky One (Oct 13, 2007)

I received a very helpful reply elsewhere so I pass this on to all.

While some memory websites were continuing to quote the 1 gyg limitation for the Dell 1100 Inspiron Laptop, Edgetechcorp suggested that 2gyg was the limitaion for this unit and as of this moment, the obvious support of my laptop for more than 1 gyg memory seems to verify that decree. (Edgetechcorp Info for Dell Inspiron 1100 Laptop Memory:
http://www.edgetechcorp.com/memory/upgrade.asp?cid=30296 )

Other information was included in the reply which referred to the 845 GL chipset. It seemed to be suggesting that it might limit use on my computer to 1gyg. Two days before I received my new 1gyg ram module I had flashed the chipset and other motherboard devices with updates available at Intel. In my opinion Intel seems to have a very welcome manner of offering seriously useful updates to these very important pieces of computer hardware. I do not know whether any of these updates might have updated some of these chips in such a manner as to release them from the 1 gyg limitation, but indeed my Inspiron laptop is not worse in any way for having utilized them. (845GL Chipset Information:
http://www.edgetechcorp.com/memory/upgrade.asp?cid=15667 )

Finally, I seemed to have lucked onto an excellent sale on the memory that my 1100 needed at 18004memory, although that price may not be available currently. I actually paid around $41 including shipping... for 1 gyg 3200 200 pin sodim non-ecc memory. Yahoo! 
Yesterday I looked again and found 1gyg memory ram for prices in the area of, believe it or not $21 to $45 but a lot of it was 5700 type. Although my understanding is that higher speed ram is backwards compatible, I am also thinking that I read somewhere that 3200 is the top speed recognizable by this DELL unit... This is a detail that I can not tell you about with any certainty so I will decline to make recommendations in this area.
And also as a reminder, I have not purchased or attempted to install a second 1gyg ram chip into my laptop yet. In other words I am not reporting on any success, failure or other experience in doing so. None of my programs, even utilizing the 1gyg chip as my cache file, has shown that there is an urgent need to run out and buy a 2nd 1 gyg ram memory chip at this time.
...  Maybe next week?


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## zendude (Oct 18, 2007)

Hey Dinky One.

Thanks for your reply and the info. The Edgetech link you sent took me to the Dell DIMENSION 1100 specification page not the INSPIRON 1100 page. The Inspiron ram limit is 1 Gyg. The Dimension limit is 2 Gyg. I am not sure that more than 1 Gyg Ram will do anything to increase/enhance your Inspiron's performance other than making your wallet lighter. For now, my Inspiron laptop is fine for my business usage. A bit more memory should do me fine. 
I am pleased to find that Edgetechcorp memory will work in my dell laptop. I will upgrade from them. I'll also check in the Intel site for upgrading the chipset.
You've been a big help to me, Dinky One. Good luck to you.


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## Dinky One (Oct 13, 2007)

My Gosh! You're right about the Dell Dimension Information. The person that sent me the links did such a good job of offering information that when I got to the last link for Dell I suppose I only looked at the memory capacity offered and 'swooned'  happily.
Indeed my laptop was running on more than 1 gyg when I inserted the 128 mg ram chip alongside the 1 gyg, or so I would perceive since it was 1) Operating Home XP Sp1 without a problem at the time and 2) The proper recognition of the 1 gyg and 128 mg ram chips was showing in the system BIOS and in Windows XP.
Apart from that I will say nothing more or pretend to offer a professional point of view pertaining to this.
I'm glad at least that you found an outlet for your new memory.
Enjoy!


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## MichaelDee (Oct 15, 2007)

I don't know much about dells (only enough not to buy them, lol, I always build my own), but you would definitly see a huge increase in performance going from 256mb of ram to 1gb. I think 256 is the absolute minimum xp requires, therefore the big box sellers only put the minimum in to cut costs which hurts the customers, especially when they fill every ram slot with the bare minimum. Any future upgrade you do requires you to dispose of at least half of the ram you already purchased. If you add more memory (another 1gb stick), you likely won't "see" any difference, but your pc will likely be somewhat faster. I recommend at least 1 gb with xp, but 2 would be better, depending on what you do with the pc.


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