Dell Inspiron 1721

Hello Again,

Most of you know and remember me from the Dell Inspiron 1721 problem installing Windows 7. I was successfully able to install 64 bit Windows 7 after working around some things, but now I have a new question.

I have a AMD Truion 64x2 processor and currently running 3 gigs of ram, (2.75) usable. My question is...

How much ram can my 64bit laptop recognize and use?

Would like to know before I buy more ram.

Since you are running a 32bit OS, your OS can recognize all the 3 GB RAM. If you add one more gig, it may not recognize as 4 GB. Instead, it will recognize
Total RAM-Video RAM.
For ex: If you install 4 GB RAM and you have a 512MB Graphics card, it will recognize 3.5GB RAM.

I am running a 64bit OS windows 7 just updated my spec sheet. Sorry should of edited my profile first.

Code:

*************************************************************
********************** Computer Info ************************
*************************************************************
Logged in user: M0D3\B3astiie.T@tics
Computer Model: Inspiron 1721                   
Computer Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
OS Name: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate |C:\Windows|\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1
OS Version: 6.1.7600
System Type: x64-based PC
Total Physical Memory: 2814 MB
Windows Directory: C:\Windows
BIOS Version: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A07
CPU: AMD Turion(tm) 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-60
Video Card: ATI Radeon X1200 Series 
Resolution: 1440 x 900 x 4294967296 colors
 
*************************************************************
************************** Memory ***************************
*************************************************************
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: 4000000000000000
Model: 
Name: Physical Memory
Bank Label: 
Capacity: 1024 MB
Description: Physical Memory
Tag: Physical Memory 0
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: 7F7F7F0B00000000
Model: 
Name: Physical Memory
Bank Label: 
Capacity: 2048 MB
Description: Physical Memory
Tag: Physical Memory 1
------------------------------------------
 
*************************************************************
************************ Video Card *************************
*************************************************************
Brand: ATI Technologies Inc.
Model: ATI Radeon X1200 Series 
Adapter DAC Type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Adapter RAM: 320 MB
Current BitsPerPixel: 32
Current Number Of Colors: 4294967296
Current Refresh Rate: 60
Driver Date: 12/01/2008 00:00:00
Driver Version: 8.561.0.0
MaxRefreshRate: 60
MinRefreshRate: 60
Status: OK
Video Memory Type: 2
Video Mode Description: 1440 x 900 x 4294967296 colors
Video Processor: ATI Radeon X1200 Series (0x791F)
 
*************************************************************
************************** Drives ***************************
*************************************************************
Model: SAMSUNG HM250JI ATA Device
Description: Disk drive
InterfaceType: IDE
Partitions: 1
SCSIBus: 0
SCSILogicalUnit: 0
SCSIPort: 0
SCSITargetId: 0
SectorsPerTrack: 63
Size: 233 GB
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
Model: SAMSUNG HM250JI ATA Device
Description: Disk drive
InterfaceType: IDE
Partitions: 1
SCSIBus: 0
SCSILogicalUnit: 0
SCSIPort: 0
SCSITargetId: 1
SectorsPerTrack: 63
Size: 233 GB
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
Model: SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Device
Description: Disk drive
InterfaceType: USB
Partitions: 1
SCSIBus: 
SCSILogicalUnit: 
SCSIPort: 
SCSITargetId: 
SectorsPerTrack: 63
Size: 4 GB
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
 
*************************************************************
************************* IDE/SATA **************************
*************************************************************
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Name: Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller
Last Error Code: 
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Name: ATA Channel 0
Last Error Code: 
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Name: ATA Channel 1
Last Error Code: 
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: Ricoh Company
Name: Ricoh Memory Stick Controller
Last Error Code: 
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Name: ATA Channel 0
Last Error Code: 
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Name: ATA Channel 1
Last Error Code: 
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers)
Name: Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller
Last Error Code: 
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: Ricoh Company
Name: Ricoh MMC Host Controller
Last Error Code: 
Status: OK
------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: Ricoh Company
Name: Ricoh xD-Picture Card Controller
Last Error Code: 
Status: OK
------------------------------------------

You can install max 4GB. For the list of complete specs, see here.

While Dell indicates an official max of 4gb for the 1721, through much investigation, I had learned that the 1720 (based on the Intel chipset vs the 1721 AMD chipset...otherwise same chasis) could actually work with a 2gb chip + 4gb chip in either memory slot. I had 4gb of RAM installed upgraded some time ago from the original 2gb when the machine shipped initially. Trying to speed up this older laptop as a secondary machine, after removing Vista (which was so bloated, I could no longer use the PC altogether) and loading Windows 10, plus adding an SSD as the primary drive (keeping in mind that you will only get 1.5 read/write speeds from the SATA I hardware configuration, not 3.0 as with SATA II or even 6.0 from SATA III; still, the numbers show 4x increase in speed read/write improvement over a standard HDD), I had decided to purchase a 4gb DDR2 chip, installed it in RAM slot 2 (easier to get to it on the bottom of the laptop rather than removing the keyboard for slot 1) and after several tests, the total 6gb is fully working and the system recognizes it well while able to utilize all but the 256mb reserved for additional graphics memory. It apparently will not work with 8gb from what I have read in the that the bios and hardware support just shy of that and there are no other memory configurations in between 6gb and 8gb. Still, the extra 2gb beyond the 'supported' max makes the machine run that much smoother!