So, I'm considering a memory (RAM) upgrade for my ancient PC.
As much as I try to kill it, it still works. It was the only one of three machines at my disposal that quietly and successfully accepted the insertion of an ancient scanner last week. Without whimpering. Works fine.
And, as much as I like to harsh on Microsoft, the fact remains, there's a lot of stuff out there that's only available for the PC.
It's like driving a Chevy was, two or three decades ago: I'm not loving everything about the ride, but most of what's easiest to add on demands a specific platform.
Coasting along with that metaphor for a bit, consider the cost.
I'd like to have just a pinch more performance in a machine that's running pretty much as well as can be expected. But, on the other hand, every dollar put into this old machine's hardware is a dollar that I could be spending on the next machine. More importantly, I can't easily reuse the new parts. But, on the gripping hand*, it's really not so much money, and my ride could be much improved.
What to do, what to do . . .
Okay -- let's invoke LiveChat with some tech support people!
I talk with Alyse_GWPR070 at gateway.com and explain that I've seen an offer for some PC133 RAM chips. Gateway offers only its PC100 RAM chips for my machine. Can I use these PC133 RAM chips on my old machine?
No, she assures me. They won't work. They might fry your motherboard.
I go back to the previous site, crucial.com, that recommended the PC133 chips. (This site is the top non-sponsored link returned by Google when searching for "memory.") I fire up LiveChat with them.
"Gateway tells me that PC133 chips will fry my motherboard."
"Nonsense," Akbar tells me. "They'll work fine."
Now, you know, and I know, that both of these poor bastards are in thrall to a script from corporate that dictates their every response. You know, and I know, that they are both being paid commissions for every sale that they make over LiveChat.
Yeah. Big waste of time.
But I give crucial.com credit for allowing a guy named Akbar to use his name in LiveChat in Dick Cheney's George Bush's America.
Should I make a decision on such an irrational basis?
Well . . .
. . . I mean . . .,
. . . it would save me a few bucks.
Sometimes, I hate our freedoms.
*You don't know "gripping hand?" Read The Mote In God's Eye.
5 comments:
I guess you could always back up the computer, try to add the new memory, and when the motherboard gets fried:
1. Sue
2. Use it as justification for that brand spankin' new machine you know you really want.
Heh. My thoughts exactly. I decided to get one 128 MB chip for ~$35 from Crucial (the non-Gateway place) -- less than half the price that Gateway was quoting. I'll do a backup, plug the new RAM in, and see if it works. If it does, maybe I'll buy another.
If the new chip sets my computer on fire, I doubt I'll have much of a case, but you can take it on a contigency basis, if you like.
Only kind of chips in my vocab is the kind that comes with salsa ...
LET'S GET SCARED
So, the memory came yesterday. This morning, I did a full system backup, powered down, and pulled the cover off the machine. I pulled the old memory out, put the new memory in, turned it back on . . .
Hey! Look at that! 128 MB! Cool!
Decided to see if I could put the old 64 MB chip back in, which would give me 192 MB. Powered down, put the new chip in, turned the machine back on.
Nothing. Just sort of frozen at the first instant of boot-up -- nothing on the screen, no disks spinning, nothing. OK. Two different speed chips. Not surprising they can't play together. Press power button to turn off (some LEDs are on). No response from power button. OK. Pull plug.
Pull old memory chip, plug system back in, turn back on. Fine. Got the 128 MB back. Launch some programs, look at the backup disk to see if, in fact, everything went there. Everything seems fine.
Well, the cover is off, and the computer needs to be moved back to where it usually sits. Should I just do it? No. Better to be safe and power down first.
Power down, put cover back on, put computer back in place, stack peripherals back on top. Turn computer back on.
Nothing.
What the . . . ?
Only possible explanation is that I jiggled something loose by moving the machine. Pull plug, pull cover, wiggle all internal connections. Everything seems tight.
Plug back in. Nothing. Computer keeps coming back to that just-after power-on boot stage as soon as I plug the power cord in.
Pull new memory chip, put old one back in.
Nothing.
Shit. I burned out the motherboard?
Pull old chip. Put new chip back in. Wiggle more wires.
Hmmm . . . this CPU seems a little loose. Wiggle, wiggle. Nothing.
Hold power button down. After about 5-10 secs, LEDs go out. Wiggle CPU some more. Push power button.
Hey! It works again!
But the cover is still off. Resisting superstition, I put the cover back on, moved the computer to where it's supposed to be, turn back on.
Phew. It still works.
Anyone want a 64 MB and a 32 MB RAM chip?
I just bought MPF the smallest bit of memory (for the film equivalent) for his birthday digital camera. 256K.
Post a Comment