Upgrading RAM

For most uses RAM

is the most important upgrade. Fortunately it's cheap. I always recommend a RAM upgrade for users who predominantly use the

net etc.

I was chatting with Gateway yesterday and wondering whether I was getting that ol' corporate sell. As follows:

I'm using a Gateway 1500 (Windows ME) with a huge harddrive and 256 mg RAM. I'd like to add a further 256 RAM. The specs for my RAM are: PC 800 Compliant RD RAM. Gateway offers 256 mgs at $180. Other aftermarket sellers offer RAM with the same specs at around $80 (sometimes less). Gateway says if I don't use Gateway, my warranty is null if something goes wrong PLUS (they sneer) I'd probably have to get a new motherboard if it DID go wrong.

Tell me, friends, is this a corporate arm-twist? Are the perfectly safe editions of the required RAM out there and I should disregard Gateway's warning? Or kowtow?

I was chatting with Gateway yesterday and wondering whether I was getting that ol' corporate sell. As follows:

I'm using a Gateway 1500 (Windows ME) with a huge harddrive and 256 mg RAM. I'd like to add a further 256 RAM. The specs for my RAM are: PC 800 Compliant RD RAM. Gateway offers 256 mgs at $180. Other aftermarket sellers offer RAM with the same specs at around $80 (sometimes less). Gateway says if I don't use Gateway, my warranty is null if something goes wrong PLUS (they sneer) I'd probably have to get a new motherboard if it DID go wrong.

Tell me, friends, is this a corporate arm-twist? Are the perfectly safe editions of the required RAM out there and I should disregard Gateway's warning? Or kowtow?

Sorry about the double post. Sometimes just does that.

I'd reread your Gateway warranty that came with your PC but unless you TOTALLY muck it up it isn't likely that there could be any damage to your motherboard. It's possible that you could brak off some of the contact pins (I've done that a few times) if you jam the memory card in place but if you use a little caution and act gently you can avoid that problem.

As far as pricing goes, I bought a 256MB DIMM for my PC for $29.00 at Best Buy. Gateway is trying to sell you a crock. You could replace the entire motherboard AND increase your memory for what they want for the memory upgrade.

Thanks, Fishin' -- just about what I figured.