RAM cards query

[High1]

Hello

There are two PCs here, one with 1.5Gb RAM (Win XP Pro PC tower) and another (Win 7 PC tower) with 3Gb RAM. I am thinking of upgrading the 3Gb RAM to 4Gb RAM so that I can install Mac OS X virtually.

Ideally, what I would like to do is remove a 1Gb RAM card from the Win 7 PC and install it in the XP Pro PC tower, and then buying a 2GB RAM card and installing it in the Win 7 tower. But I am not sure if the RAM cards are compatible. How would I find that out, please, and how would I find out which type of new 2Gb RAM card I would need to buy to upgrade the Win 7 PC?

Thanks

High1

[Computer_Commando]

www.crucial.com

[High1]

What a great site! Many thanks.

Is this message/warning that appears on the site having scanned the PC very important: 'Although the memory can be installed one module at a time, the best performance comes from using matched pairs of modules'.

The reason I ask is that this PC is only a few months old and it seems a bit pointless to get rid of 3Gb of RAM (2 x RAM cards) that I have at the moment, just to install 2x2Gb matched pairs.

Cheers

[Computer_Commando]

Matched means all the small detail specifications are exactly the same.  This is necessary in order for the memory to function in dual-channel mode which is the highest performance.  Right now, it's not functioning as dual-channel because 1 module is 2GB & the other is 1GB.  Are you using Win7-64bit or 32bit?  If 32bit, Windows may not even recognize the change from 3GB to 4GB.  I suspect since the machine is only a few months old, it's 32bit because most 64bit machines will come with a minimum of 4GB RAM.  If this is the case, there is no benefit to go from 3GB to 4GB.
Download, install & run this utility for more complete information:  www.hwinfo.com
Choose 32 or 64bit versions depending on what you have.

[High1]

Hello Commando

Thanks for getting back to me.

That looks like a useful piece of software.

It's a 64-bit machine (PackardBell), so I would need to ensure that (Module Part Number:) GU512303EP0201/2 were compatible with the cabled XP Pro PC downstairs.

The only reason I am hoping to upgrade this new PC is that 4Gb RAM is the recommended minimum for a Mac OS X virtual operating system.

Thanks again for your help.

[hansberry]

Yeecchh... Why would you want to run Mac OS X instead of Windows?

[High1]

Just to put a knowledge of Mac on my CV (resume) and to learn a bit more. Don't worry, I am loyal Win fan!

[Salmon Trout]

It's illegal (as in against the Apple EULA) to install any version of OSX in a VM or on non-Mac hardware. The only thing you are allowed to do is install OSX Server in a VM, provided that the VM is hosted in OSX on Apple hardware. And provided, of course, you have the appropriate license or licenses.