KenK wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

KenK wrote:

Using XP Home.

I have an isolated eMachine and it performs well in normal use -
Googling, writing letters, email, news groups, etc. with 2 G RAM. I
have a Compac Presario 5000 with XP Home and 3/4G ram. Very slow.
Think upping RAM to 2 G would be worth the money? Both use the same
DSL feed.

Yes, but that means you are loading LOTS of programs into memory to
eat up the memory. Adding more memory just means you're likely to do
the same thing: load too many programs on Windows startup or login.

Does the manual stipulate what is the maximum system memory that the
motherboard will support?

Looked but nothing listed. Only says you can increase the RAM.

You might like to install 2 GB of RAM but
it appears you are stuck with just the 1 GB that came in the pre-built
PC.

http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compat...-Compaq/presar
io-5000-series-model-5430us "Maximum memory: 1 GB"
"Slots: 2"

eMachine Celeron 2.95 GHz
Compaq Pentium 1500 MHz 3 pc-133 RAM slots

If it has 3 memory slots (which is what I presume the "3" meant above)
then the oddball size of 3/4 GB for system RAM is likely due to
populating with 256 MB modules in each of the three memory slots.

Would still need to know the model number to find out what is the
maximum memory that the slots can handle along with total memory usable
across all 3 slots (sometimes those are not the same due to a limiting
factor in the current load across all the slots).

Is there a sticker on the case, maybe on the backpanel, identifying the
brand (not the reseller which is eMachine) and model of that computer?
Is the model number just "5000"? eMachine made their own computers
until acquired by Gateway who was acquire by Acer who then use
"eMachines" as their own brand. Compaq was acquired by HP but
discontinued the Compaq brand in 2013. Presario is a family line of
models. I thought it was the Compaq Presario where you want to up the
system RAM, not the Acer/eMachine computer. If you cannot find a model
number more focused than just "5000", does the sticker have a part
number?

Some Presario 5000 models allow a maximum memory module size of only 128
MB per slot. Some allow a max module size of 256 MB: they come with 2
slots filled, so 256 MB x 2 = 512 MB total. There might be an
order-time option of filling the 3rd slot (i.e., there is a 256 MB
upgrade option), so 256 MB x 3 = 768 MB total.

If the sticker doesn't provide any specific information of what you
actually have, or it has been damaged to be unreadable, you could try
Crucial's scanner to see if it can figure out what you have.
Alternatively, you could use CPU-Z, Piriform's Speecy, or Belarc Advisor
to get info about what motherboard (aka mainboard) you have.