[SOLVED] Dell optiplex 380 SFF max ram 4gb or 8gb

[Tetsuo1981]

Hi all
I have a Dell optiplex 380 SFF and want to max the ram. I have heard conflicting info that either 4gb or 8gb is the max it can handle. So my system has the following:
A07 bios installed
64bit Windows 7 ultimate (toying with a win 10 Pro ssd upgrade)
2 x 2gb ddr3-1066 sdram
01TKCC motherboard
Intel pentium dual core E5800 3.20ghz
Crucial reckons 8gb max and Aida64 report states 4gb. Which is it? And what spec EXACTLY would I need? I'm in the UK if that matters
Cheers

 

[Barty1884]

That system should support 2x4GB, as far as I know.

Now, whether it's going to be of any benefit >4GB with an E5800 is debatable, but 8GB should be fine....

As far as what you'd need... unbuffered, non-EEC, DDR3 1333MHz (to be 100% safe, although it would probably accept faster speeds, just run at 1333)

As an example (just picking London at random - if you want to share City, might be able to track down something local to you).
https://www.gumtree.com/p/memory-mo...666cl9d-8gbrl-2x4gb-8gb-ddr3-1333-/1367107030

Now, that is overkill for what you need (you'd be fine with basic blue/green PCB stuff), just an example.

Or:
https://www.gumtree.com/p/memory-motherboards-processors/hynix-2x4gb-ddr3-1600/1367107282

That's 1600MHz. It should just work at 1333MHz, but there's a slim (very slim, IMO) chance that it would fail to post.

Local is going to be a better option, unless you're rural somewhere...
By the time you pay shipping on eBay, or wait for something from China, it's not really worth it.

Examples:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8GB-Memo...252448?hash=item4b75c2dea0:g:8H4AAOSw7tReZp6e
Even if you were to win a bid, you're looking at 20quid shipping.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8GB-2-x-...679086&hash=item2f3f000a44:g:E04AAOSwLGdeXqPe
Pushing 30quid when it's all said and done.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-Cruc...hash=item593c6064d4:m:meN-t96OmjVEUzOnV8bTxJQ
28quid, from China - so a few weeks to receive it, minimum?

I'd assume (relatively) locally, you'd find something for under 20quid..... realistically, should be around 10.

 

[Tetsuo1981]

That system should support 2x4GB, as far as I know.

Now, whether it's going to be of any benefit >4GB with an E5800 is debatable, but 8GB should be fine....

As far as what you'd need... unbuffered, non-EEC, DDR3 1333MHz (to be 100% safe, although it would probably accept faster speeds, just run at 1333)

Cheers for that. Just confusing as Aida64 states otherwise. So would you go for what you've said over what crucial recommends (DDR3L-1600 UDIMM), and if so why? I know my way around a computer per-se but my brain crashes when going into more detail, especially with ram and all the varients!!

[EDIT] Yikes!! I didn't see all the links you put for me!! Thanks for that! I'm in Swanley in Kent at the moment but moving to medway in a couple of weeks but you've given me loads to look at

 

[Barty1884]

There seems to be a bunch of strange information out there when you Google the model etc.
I see someone on Dell's forum/site suggesting it needs soDIMMs (laptop memory), which isn't the case.... I see DDR3L (low voltage) recommendations.... again, isn't the case etc.... and I see misinformation regarding max capacity (which I don't believe is the case).

Crucial are usually pretty good, but that recommendation is off. DDR3L and 1600MHz should be pointless in this instance (although should work). The low-voltage element is unnecessary, and the 1600MHz will almost certainly clock down to 1333MHz anyway.

If in doubt, pull a DIMM you have installed. Is it DDR3 or DDR3L? I highly doubt it's DDR3L.
Is it 1333MHz or 1600MHz? If 2x2GB of Y configuration (DDR3 1333 or DDR3L 1600) works, then a 2x4GB config of the same should work too - provided the board isn't capped at 2x2GB as a maximum.

I'd be confident in what I've recommended. I'm almost certain the board will accept 2x4GB and that DDR3 (non-L) and 1333MHz is what you should be looking at. With some much misinformation out there, it's impossible to be 100% certain..... but I'm pretty close.

 

[Tetsuo1981]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-Cruc...hash=item593c6064d4:m:meN-t96OmjVEUzOnV8bTxJQ
28quid, from China - so a few weeks to receive it, minimum?

I'd assume (relatively) locally, you'd find something for under 20quid..... realistically, should be around 10.

Those are numbers I can get on board with and I'm no stranger to the slow-boat from China so will give this a good look and check AliExpress out too now I know what I'm looking for. Next I'll be looking at a cpu upgrade but I'll save that for another day! Cheers again

 

[Tetsuo1981]

There seems to be a bunch of strange information out there when you Google the model etc... If in doubt, pull a DIMM you have installed. Is it DDR3 or DDR3L? I highly doubt it's DDR3L.
Is it 1333MHz or 1600MHz? If 2x2GB of Y configuration (DDR3 1333 or DDR3L 1600) works, then a 2x4GB config of the same should work too - provided the board isn't capped at 2x2GB as a maximum.

I'd be confident in what I've recommended. I'm almost certain the board will accept 2x4GB and that DDR3 (non-L) and 1333MHz is what you should be looking at. With some much misinformation out there, it's impossible to be 100% certain..... but I'm pretty close.

Will check tomorrow (baby asleep where computer is) but pretty sure they're non-L modules. And yeah, the misinformation is what has put me off doing anything about it. Will have a look and let you know. Out of curiosity how can I tell if my board is capped at 2x2gb? I mainly use Aida64 as my go to and that states max 4gb and board only has 2 slots so that'll be the 2x2. Is there any other tools or utilities I can use to check?

 

[Barty1884]

Take a look locally though, I'd expect to find something cheaper than that you can collect.
I'd hope to spend no more than a tenner.... maybe 15 quid at a stretch for some basic green or blue PCB stuff.

As an aside, on the CPU front.... some user suggested a Q9650 (Core2Quad, 3GHz) is compatible... only the 95W variant though... Not the QX9650 which is 130W.
https://www.dell.com/community/Optiplex-Desktops/Optiplex-380-CPU-upgrade/td-p/7188055

However, I can;t find any way to validate that. Dell's support site for older stuff is pretty poor.

I have found a CPU-Z validation of a Q6600 working though
https://valid.x86.fr/k9pmtq
Which can be had for a fiver, from Korea:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Intel-Core-2-Quad-Core-CPU-Q6600-2-4GHz-8M-1066-LGA775-SLACR/183118728120?epid=74103280&hash=item2aa2ba0bb8:g:fMcAAOSwZlZaTLPE

Interestingly, that validation has a 2x2GB config for the RAM......

Out of curiosity how can I tell if my board is capped at 2x2gb? I mainly use Aida64 as my go to and that states max 4gb and board only has 2 slots so that'll be the 2x2. Is there any other tools or utilities I can use to check?

Unfortunately, with Dell's site not covering it off anymore - the only way to know with 100% certainty, would be to try.

If everything (Aida/Crucial etc) were consistent, then fair enough... pretty good idea.
But with differing info, who knows.

EDIT
Another couple of validations using the board.
https://valid.x86.fr/j2ksh1
2x2GB
http://valid.x86.fr/tprq48
1x4GB

So... it might be the board will take a 4GB DIMM, but maxes out at 4GB...
Very few people have validated results with CPU-z and that board (that I can find at least), so I wouldn't take either result as gospel.

EDIT 2
Supposedly, this guy "verified" it in their own system - adding another 4GB module to an existing, and it works:
https://www.dell.com/community/Desk.../Maximum-Memory-for-Optiplex-380/td-p/4494846

Take that for what it's worth.

EDIT 3
@Tetsuo1981 - tagging you incase you're not getting notifications for all my edits 😂
So, finally found a link to the manual... linked by a poster here:
https://www.dell.com/community/Desktops-General-Read-Only/Dell-Optiplex-380-max-RAM/td-p/4720466

Direct link:
https://www.techdata.com/business/dell/082010_123/Files/august2010/Dell OptiPlex 380.pdf

Which states:

Memory Options3 2 DIMM slots; Non-ECC dual-channel 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, up to 8GB Max system memory