NAN and other techno gods, question on putting RAM into a dinosaur

[swords]

When beefing up an old PC - an old Compaq XP system which I plan to give my dad this Christmas (since I've got the custom quad core XP and vista laptop). Is there any way to find out how much RAM it'll hold and what type? I've got the case open tonight and pulled out the current 128 MB stick and cleaned the guts out but there's no sticker on it saying what kind of RAM it is (such as PC2 5300, 240 pin). I'd like to load it up before I give it to him but I've been told sometimes they won't work with too much RAM.

NotANumber had a website that he posted once a while ago which allowed you to type in the model number of your PC and find out this info. It appears I've lost that bookmark, did anyone else happen to keep it?

 

[Not a Number]

Any of the RAM brand websites will have a configurator but check also on HP/Compaq's site.

Newegg is a decent place to buy stuff online especially if you can find a deal with free shipping:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductConfigurator.aspx?plf=32&category=17&name=Memory-Configurator

Some of the more popular brands:
Kingston
Corsair
Crucial

 

[Botanicadenta]

also, keep in mind, lot of times RAM prices go up when the system they're made for slips further and further into obsolescense. A couple comps ago I had a motherboard that was ~5 years old with a max cap of 512 MD RAM on it, and each 256MB stick cost about $120 just because no one makes them anymore.

For comparisons' sake, this was back when 1GB of ram was about $60-$80, can't remember specifically.

 

[swords]

Thanks guys, I'll look around and see what I can find since I've got a couple months before gift day yet. The old man is saving for a new PC but as little as he uses it, this old XP Home Ed will be fine for his needs just wanna beef it up a little.

I can remember paying $100 or maybe a little more for only 4 MB back when I was upgrading my first PC way back when, last week I maxed out the RAM in my laptop (2x 1 GB sticks) for $35 (including shipping).
It cost's more to fill my Ford Focus when it's on empty!