# RAM Upgrade for Pentium III



## s.andromedae (Jun 15, 2007)

Hello,

I'm new at this but a tinkerer so I was wondering if this is worth doing. My brother in law gave me his old Toshiba Satellite 3000-S353 laptop with lots of cool software on it. Currently, it is configured with 256MB of RAM. I've already cleaned and defragmented the HD and so there's plenty of space available but it's still running a bit slow. The processor runs at 900 MHz.

Is it worth it for me to spend about $100 bucks to upgrade it to 512K given the speed of the processor?

Second question is: if the first option is not worth doing, I would like to upgrade the RAM a bit. Currently, there are two memory stick of 128MB of RAM installed in the two slots at the bottom of the laptop. Since the memory sticks do not have to be intalled in pairs, would it be worth it to take out one of the 128MB memory stick and replace it with a 256MB stick? Will I ultimately end up with 128MB + 256MB of RAM??????

Any insights and/or advice would be appreciated!


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

I have an IBM ThinkPad with the same speed CPU and 256MB of RAM. It's running Windows 98 and flies as it's configured. I could put on Windows XP, but another 256 would be needed to make it a smooth computing experience. For Windows 2000 I could still get by on just the 256. So... What it really depends on is the OS.


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## s.andromedae (Jun 15, 2007)

I think you just answered parts of my question. Currently the OS on the Toshishiba is Windows XP Pro. I started experiencing unusually slow performance after I tinkered with it and downloaded SP2 (shouold have left well enough alone since I'm not an IT person or knows anything much about technology other than what I find on the internet).


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## Houndog777 (May 17, 2007)

Hi, doubling the memory to 2 x 256MB of PC133 would most certainly be worth it, as would ensuring you have the latest drivers for all your devices and windows update is current.


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## s.andromedae (Jun 15, 2007)

Hey thanks all for your kind comments and suggestions! I will definitely pursue the route of adding 2 x 256 MB sticks of RAM as well as update the drivers for the hardware. Just didn't want to put out the money for nothing. 

Someone at the Geek Squad took a cursory look at the laptop and didn't think I should put anymore money into it with so many more current computers out on the market, but my two-pennies keep saying for $100 and some work, the laptop could still serve as a good backup. While I understand it is definitely not to be used for playing games or editing videos, that was not my original aim, anyway.  

I welcome other comments so please feel free to share if something should pop up.

Again, thanks much!


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## Houndog777 (May 17, 2007)

Hi, check out eBay for your memory upgrade and you'll pay less than $100.
Just be sure it's the correct type, and is a branded, quality make.
Ideally, the same type and brand as you already have installed.

"Geeks" must have the latest hardware, and they must have it NOW!..lol.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

Ebay is the best place for old computer parts =), btw i do not like geek squad they charge to much and messed up my computer twice before i learned how to do much of this stuff myself.


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## PanamaGal (Jun 3, 2006)

For me it would depend on how much I could get the memory for. I certainly would not pay $100 for an additional 256MB of RAM for a laptop that old. I have to believe you could get it for under $50 on eBay.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Just make sure you get low density memory and not high density memory. That is why I would avoid ebay if you are unsure that the memory you are buying is low density.

Take a look at two of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148027


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## Houndog777 (May 17, 2007)

Hi guys,
What about this for a deal....
http://cgi.ebay.com/512-MEG-PC133-1...1QQihZ014QQcategoryZ99258QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## s.andromedae (Jun 15, 2007)

Aww .. thanks all so much for your excellent suggestions. Honestly though, I don't know if I know enough about hardware to buy stuff on ebay (the learning curve is still quite steep and I spend my time doing lots of reading and getting used to acronyms and such ... such a slow process!). Anyway, I suppose using ebay to buy parts would be OK if there was some kind of return policy if the part didn't work. 

So far, what I have done is gone onto Toshiba's website and got the specs for the laptop (http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/...BV_EngineID=cccgaddlfhllilmcgfkceghdgngdgmm.0). Then I proceeded to open the slot located at the bottom of the laptop and took a peek. I figured if I found the right part, I could pop the sucker in there myself.

I wasn't aware of the high/low density criteria, so thanks TheMatt, for pointing that out.

Either way, I'll take a look at the memory component you all have provided from newegg.com and ebay.com and familiarize myself with them. I'll keep you all posted on what I ultimately do and if I'll be successful (knock on wood)!

As for the Geek Squad, I haven't had them worked on any of my computers yet; however, whenever I have a question which I am puzzling over, I cart the CPU/laptop out there and have them glance it over while I ask them a bunch of questions. For seasoned professionals and computer gurus, that may seem like a waste of time, but for someone who initially couldn't tell the difference between a dial-up modem and an ethernet card plug in the back of the computer, in their own twisted way, they were actually helpful in helping me learn. 

Thanks all!


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## s.andromedae (Jun 15, 2007)

I must admit, prices on ebay.com are unbeatable!


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Yeah. I would contact the seller to make sure that is low density. Or you can take a look at these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/256MB-PC133-SOD...ryZ99258QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/256MB-PC133-SOD...ryZ99258QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

52$ total (with shipping). You can get them if you hurry.


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

You have 2x these Microns available too - $17x2+$10 delivery:
http://cgi.ebay.com/256MB-PC133-SOD...7QQihZ013QQcategoryZ99258QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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