How do you tell the difference and how do you determine which is compatible with your computer?
2006-11-23 14:01:49 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
Almost all modern PC's Pentium 2's and later are DIMM only. 486's use SIMMs and early Pentium's.
Physically, they look "about" the same, as they are basically small circuit boards with some memory chips on them. The different is in number of pins. SIMMs for the earliest PC usually have 30-pins only while later SIMMs have 72-pins. DIMMs are 168 pins or 184 pins.
Physically, 30-pin SIMMs are usually height of a nickel, and width of about a business card. The pin-edge has no notches at all.
The 72-pin SIMMs has one notch on the pin-edge in the middle, and the pins are much closer together compared to the 30-pin and the individual "pins" are thinner as well.
The 168-pin DIMMs have 2-notches in the pin edge, one near the middle, another off to one side half inch from the edge. The 184-pin DIMMs have one notch in the middle, to make sure they don't fit into 168 pin sockets.
As for which is compatible with your PC... you tell by looking at the sockets, which determines what types of memory go into them.
Perhaps you need to look at some pictures at wikipedia, which should give you a clue to compare against existing ones.
2006-11-23 15:12:13 · answer #1 · answered by Kasey C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A SIMM, or single in-line memory module, is a type of memory module used for random access memory in personal computers. It differs from a DIMM (the most predominant form of memory module today) in that the contacts on a SIMM are redundant on both sides of the module.
The main difference between SIMMs and DIMMs is that SIMMs have a 32-bit data path, while DIMMs have a 64-bit data path. Since Intel's Pentium has (as do several other processors) a 64-bit bus width, it required SIMMs installed in matched pairs in order to use them. The processor would then access the two SIMMs simultaneously. DIMMs were introduced to eliminate this inefficiency. Another difference is that DIMMs have separate electrical contacts on each side of the module, while the contacts on SIMMs on both sides are redundant.
2006-11-23 22:06:21 · answer #2 · answered by Joseph Meagher 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
simn are better quality, dimn are easily breakable
but serious, who asks that kind of question?
2006-11-23 22:03:47 · answer #3 · answered by nnnnn..n 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋