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Original post by Dan,

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Here's part of a write up I found on memory, hope it helps.

If you look back when your system (desktop or laptop) was introduced and looked at what memory was available you would have noted the memory modules were quite large physically from what we have today.

- Cost was high for any of the larger memory SIMMs

- The I/O speeds were not as fast as what we have today

- Power and heat was a big problem

While desktops had plenty of power, laptops didn't so it was not uncommon for laptops to have less memory or was limited due to the heat buildup and running time.

Today things are much better even for older systems!

- With super high density chips now being used in SIMMs the power and heat issues are a thing of the past.

- Memory limits placed by the laptop manufactures to meet their usage claims (how long you use your laptop) is no longer the the killer.

- Memory cost have also dropped (not as fast as hard drives though) so more people are willing to buy more.

Guidance:

- With newer high performance systems interleaved memory is more important (Vs straight I/O).

- If you have an older technology SIMM (larger chipped) in your system its best to throw it away if you're in the process of adding memory.

- Use a matched set (bought together) when ever possible. Mixing older tech SIMMS with newer tech SIMMs often make an unstable system.

- Always check your firmware (BIOS/PRAM/vPRAM) is at the latest for your system

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