Personal computing discussed

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foledouse
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Very Stupid question

Thu Dec 26, 2002 2:41 pm

I have a Dell Dimension 8250. I have 512 mb of RAM. There are two slots with 256 in each. Next to the memory slots on the mother board are two more slots with two cards in them...what are they???
 
eckslax
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Thu Dec 26, 2002 3:00 pm

From the sounds of it, you are running RDRAM. Those two extra slots are indeed memory slots and they have what is called a RIMM in them. RIMM is simply a placeholder for you ram and it is not an acronym for anything (seriously, look it up). The card is merely a blank one, so you would be safe taking it out and discarding it if you wish to add more ram.
"God created man. Samuel Colt made them equal."

"Government does not tax to get the money it needs; government finds a need for the money it gets." - Ronald Reagan
 
dolemitecomputers
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Thu Dec 26, 2002 3:07 pm

The cards are terminators I believe. You must have the memory installed in pairs so if you upgrade you need two of the same modules.
 
BigMadDrongo
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Thu Dec 26, 2002 4:51 pm

I believe RIMM stands for RAMBUS Inline Memory Module, and refers to the actual memory sticks, not the terminators. But I may be wrong.
 
eckslax
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Thu Dec 26, 2002 5:14 pm

Hmm, guess it does stand for Rambus Inline Memory Module. The guy who was teaching me for the A+ certification lied to me! Oh well, at least we have identified what those "mystery cards" were. I'll have a talk with my instructor about his little misinformation. :x
"God created man. Samuel Colt made them equal."



"Government does not tax to get the money it needs; government finds a need for the money it gets." - Ronald Reagan
 
foledouse
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Fri Dec 27, 2002 10:29 am

I do have to put two sticks of compatible memory in at a time. For example I have 512 mg so I have 2 256 cards in now. So you are saying that the other two slots that have cards in them are just there for later expansion??
 
etilena
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Fri Dec 27, 2002 10:50 am

Dell PCs have them, I'm not sure why they're put in there though. The two extra sticks are just sticks, and yes, when you need to upgrade your RAM you have to get two sticks of the same RD RAM and put it in.
*yawn*
 
Starfalcon
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Fri Dec 27, 2002 1:28 pm

Rambus memory is a serial format, so you need all the slots filled because the bus is a line from the first memory slot to the last slot. Thus you need the terminators so that the memory bus can go to the end of the bus and return back to the cpu.
 
Freon
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Fri Dec 27, 2002 3:11 pm

The "terminators" are called CRIMM.

http://www.acronymfinder.com
 
Heather Jardim
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It isn't a stupid question at all. A lot of people ask this

Fri Dec 27, 2002 4:10 pm

Rambus Memory is commonly referred to as a RIMM. It doesn't stand for anything in particular other than Rambus the company wanting to stay in line with the other terms like SIMM and DIMM.

RIMM is the trademarked name for a Direct Rambus memory module. RIMMs look similar to DIMMs, but have a different pin count. RIMMs transfer data in 16-bit chunks. The faster access and transfer speed generates more heat. An aluminum sheath, called a heat spreader, covers the module to protect the chips from overheating.

A CRIMM, which is what you are referring to in you in the extra slots of your system in a Continuity RIMM. With an earlier Rambus system, you must install the modules in pairs and all slots must be populated by something to keep the signal going. Thus, this is why there are CRIMMs in the remaining slots. Basically it is a PCB without the chips. You can pull out the CRIMMs when you are looking to upgrade to more memory. As long as you install the memory in pairs and have all the slots occupied.

Check out Kingston site at http://www.kingston.com for more information on Rambus technology and other memory technologies. :lol:

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