BleepingComputer.com: Adding used RAM

The list below, I believe is my system info;

Time of this report: 12/24/2009, 21:45:24
Machine name: HPPav
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98 (4.10, Build 2222) A
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
System Model: Pavilion
HP Pavilion 8760c Desktop PC (US)
BIOS: Award Medallion BIOS v6.0
Processor: Intel Pentium III, ~731MHz
Memory: 128MB RAM
Page File: 221MB used, 1699MB available
Primary File System: FAT32
DirectX Version: DirectX 8.1 (4.08.01.0881)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 4.08.01.0881 32bit

I'm trying to get some used computer parts, maybe with a used stick of RAM in it , and I was wondering if it would help the performance of the Youtube and Hulu playback, or if something else should be done?

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks!

Adding more RAM and a bigger HDD, even an extra HDD as a Slave, will improve your Machine.

The Problem is Matching up RAM to the MotherBoard.

Time to look inside again, Mate.

This is what the RAM Slots look like.

http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&a...ved=0CBAQsAQwAA

See if you once again can get the information off them, just like your Sound Card/Modem?

WARNING!!! If you remove your RAM, take notice of the way it is fitted first, it will only go back in that way. if you try to force it in the wrong way you will damage the Slots. ALWAYS Ground yourself before touching any thing inside the Box. To remove it gently move the two tabs on the ends apart, that will pop them out. When replacing them, make sure that they are inside the Slot and tabs are wide apart then press down on them evenly until the tabs click in. Make sure that they are seated in properly. If on boot up you get strange Beeps, shut down and wriggle them about a bit to seat them better.

Take note of the Details of the RAM you have and also the number of Slots you have free. Post that Information back, and a Picture of the actual RAM fitted and Slots would Help a lot as well.

BTW? It may help others if you edit your Machines Details to include this that we know from your last Thread?

» HP Pavilion 8760c Desktop PC (US)

That narrows it down exactly.

HP has this to say on Adding RAM.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/documen...p;product=59299

This when you type in the Details of the Machine and ask for Specifications of what ships in the Box.

It shows that you can upgrade it to 3x256M of RAM and also the RAM you need to suit.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/documen...duct=59299#N951

Thanks, for your reply again!

Abacus 7 said:

Adding more RAM and a bigger HDD, even an extra HDD as a Slave, will improve your Machine.
I'd like to learn more about that.
The Problem is Matching up RAM to the MotherBoard.
To do this I believe it just has to match up to the slots, right?
Time to look inside again, Mate.
OH! Wasn't that fun!


So, heres what I've found out so far. I've got three slots inside(pictures added at later date).
I've watched some youtube vids to see the basics, but the things I haven't found is can I take a memory stick(if its the right one)out of a used machine and put it in my machine without any problems and if I do will it solve the skipping?

Now this is whats on the stick thats in my machine.

128mb, SDR DIMM H
16ZHS STK3665971

The little chip on the board says; intneon

Thanks for any help!

This is what HP says about it?

Quote

What that means is that you have the same fitted as what came with the Machine, see first Bold Line, it runs at 100Mhz synchronous, see Red, It will also support SDRAM 100Mhz, see second bold.

That means that it will only support those types, none else, even if they fit in the Slots.

It also shows you what sizes you can use, See blue.

You can use different sizes together, see Green.

So what you would be looking for in other Machines is only what is listed above, Mate. Any thing else just wont work.

Slave HDD is much easier. Just find one equal in size to what you have and change the Jumpers over to make it a Slave Drive, you look on the HDD and it will show you the Pins that you need to Jump. Then just install it above the other one and hook up the second connection of the IDE Cable to it, Red towards the Power Lead, then the Power Lead, Red towards the IDE Cable.

Now if you have only one connection on the IDE Cable, it is the wide thin Ribbon? Post Back. If you have two Connections on it but one is used by the CD Rom, post back. If you don't have enough Power connections, Post back.

Adding more RAM isn't as easy as it sounds. You haven't said how old your computer is? Just because the RAM is larger that yours doing say its going to work. There are different speeds, my old PC has PC100's Googling your chip numbers mainly shows PC130's. There are faster speeds than that so don't think that fitting faster ones will make you PC run faster it won't it may even run slower.

If you can get the exact chip numbers and any other info of the chip memory is quite cheap of eBay. I bought 2, 256MB a couple of years ago for £20 and I added one of my old ones at the same time so I had 639MB.

This a very old computer.

Are you sure u want to try to get parts as its so old.

Do remember that Windows 98 can only have a max of 512mb of ram. If you go past it you will get Bsod.
There are fixes for it but i have never tried them.

Support
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253912
http://www.msfn.org/board/windows-95-98-98se-me-f8.html

Keithuk, on Dec 28 2009, 09:16 AM, said:

This is a used computer, How do I tell how old it is?

starcraftmaster, on Dec 28 2009, 09:28 AM, said:

Right now I'm just trying to make it play youtube and hulu with out skipping.

I've got another unit that I'm not using and want to see if some of those parts might help it.

Pictures and specs coming later!

Thanks for your help!

How are you connecting to the Internet? Are you using dial up or a high speed connction?
Although more memory would help, if you are using a dial up connection it is going to skip and studder as it isnt fast enough to keep up with streaming video

I am going to play devil's advocate for a sec. A 731mhz PIII is getting to the point of being the bottleneck for even simple stuff like Youtube/Hulu etc. I can maybe see another 128 meg stick of RAM, but even then it may not improve performance enough to smoothly run streaming video.

Go into taskmanager and see what your CPU and memory usage is, to see what is getting maxxed out. I would be willing to bet memory is the best bet at this point, but don't get your hopes up. See how much your hard drive is being hit during playback as well.

Eyesee, on Dec 28 2009, 12:03 PM, said:

High speed connection.

dpunisher, on Dec 28 2009, 12:07 PM, said:

How exactly do you do that? Again I'm new at this stuff.

Here are some pics and specs on what I believe is the hard drive I took out of a unit I'm not using.

Seagate

3305 CYL 1705 MB
16 heads 63 sectors

ST31720A


[attachment=41507:1004539.jpg]
[attachment=41508:1004540.jpg]
[attachment=41509:1004541.jpg]
[attachment=41510:1004530.jpg]

I'm wondering if I can add it as Abacus 7 had mentioned?

More pictures and specs coming later!

Thanks again!

cigam0102, on Dec 28 2009, 03:42 PM, said:

You won't play YouTube on Win98 because the highest Flash Player you can use is Flash Player 9.0.124.0. When I tried to use YouTube on my Win98 system thats the message I got, update Flash Player. The same goes for WinME as well.

P.S. I was using a modem at the time.

Keithuk, on Dec 28 2009, 01:29 PM, said:

Right now the short 1-10min vids and sound work pretty good, its just the longer ones.

P.S. The computer guy I took my computers to when I had a job said I would never be able to watch youtube on this computer! I guess he wasn't right on that one.

Err...shorter duration clips/videos take lesser time to load.
So obviously a faster connection will result in faster load times.

For additional memory, get this: Kingston 256MB SDRAM PC100

There's nothing more you can do.

Just looked up your hard drive. That is a very old, very low capacity (1.7 Gig) hard drive. Also only spins at 4500 RPM. More info can be found here. Upgrading\increasing the amount of RAM will help take some of the load off of it but updating to a newer faster hard drive would do wonders. IMO

This would involve either imaging your current hard drive to the new one or a fresh install of 98 and all your programs.

The problem with a hard drive upgrade is even finding a drive small enough to meet BIOS and OS limitations. Throwing money at these older systems is akin to flushing money down the toilet. If you can find some used memory or other parts dirt cheap, that's great.