Owner's Manual
68 Installing System Components
You can upgrade the system memory by installing combinations of 512-MB, 1-GB, and 2-GB unbuffered
memory modules. If you receive an error message stating that maximum memory has been exceeded, see
"System Messages" on page 15 for more information. You can purchase memory upgrade kits from Dell.
NOTE: The memory modules must be PC-3200 compliant.
Memory Module Installation Guidelines
The memory module sockets are arranged in banks (1 and 2) on two channels (A and B).
The memory module banks are identified as follows:
Bank 1: DIMM1_A and DIMM1_B
Bank 2: DIMM2_A and DIMM2_B
The memory module banks must be installed in identical pairs in configurations that have more than
one memory module. For example, if socket DIMM1_A contains a 512-MB memory module, then the
second memory module to be installed must be a 512-MB memory module in socket DIMM1_B.
Table 3-1 shows examples of different memory configurations, based on the following guidelines:
• The minimum memory configuration is 512 MB.
• If only one memory module is installed, it must be installed in the DIMM1_A socket.
• A bank must contain identical memory modules.
• Install the memory modules in bank 1 (DIMM1_
x
) before installing memory modules in bank 2
(DIMM2_
x
).
• Installing three memory modules is not supported.
Table 3-1. Sample Memory Module Configurations
Total Memory DIMM1_A DIMM2_A DIMM1_B DIMM2_B
512 MB 512 MB None None None
1 GB 512 MB None 512 MB None
1 GB 1 GB None None None
2 GB 512 MB 512 MB 512 MB 512 MB
2 GB 1 GB None 1 GB None
3 GB 1 GB 512 MB 1 GB 512 MB
4 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB
4 GB 2 GB None 2 GB None
5 GB 2 GB 512 MB 2 GB 512 MB
6 GB 2 GB 1 GB 2 GB 1 GB
8 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB