haha...I mean 128 meg.

THx wisof.

Sameolddoctor,

point is that all 4 options I listed are apparently "exactly" the same, unless somebody has more knowledge. Please enlighten.

bzkr -

here's the thing

you need to match:

1) ECC or non ECC (I haven't heard of a laptop that used ECC ram in ages)

2) basic ram type (ddr, ddr2, sdram, etc [pin count will tell you this])

3) minimum speed. you can buy faster ram, but it will just run at the machine's spec'd speed. for example, my IBM t41p uses pc2700 ddr. I can put pc3200 ddr in it, but it will just run at pc2700 speeds.

4) some laptops (not most) are pickey about the timings on the ram. these are the numbers usually listed as 2-3-3-7 or something like that (will be higher for ddr2) most laptops will be able to sort timings out on their own, however. if you're worried about this, just make sure you can return the ram easily if it doesn't work. most likely it will.

beyond that, you just should make sure you buy from a quality manufacturer. some no-name brands are actually pretty quality chips, others are not, and some are the rejects of quality manuacturers (I think spectec ram is actually micron (crucial) chips that weren't up to snuff for genuine micron ram)

I just said crucial because it's easy, they make excellent ram, and they have that webtool that identifies the correct ram for your machine. You certainly can save a few more dollars elsewhere if you want to do the research yourself.

while this isn't a comprehensive list, here are some manufacturers that make quality ram:

Micron (crucial)
mushkin
kingston (including value ram)
geil
patriot
OCZ

Usually the super pricey types of ram (mushkin redline, crucial ballistix, etc.) are for tweakers and overclockers, anyone running at stock speeds (pretty much all laptops) doesn't need that kind of thing.

Thanks, manamana.

I really appreciate your insight, and hopefully this will help lots of other people save on their computer needs.

On that front, just a note for those considering Dell systems (from an inside source). Dell usually runs promos every couple of weeks. As stated in this string before, big savings usually amount to $750 off Inspiron and Dimension systems once a month, while usually a 35% discount pops up about twice a quarter. The 40% off coupon was the first I've seen yet, but there should be something similar for a back to school promo...keep your eyes peeled...