Memory question

[Greg8752]

I have a older Gateway E-3400 that I want to add more memory to and the user manual says this machine uses non ECC memory but I Googled "Can you mix ECC memory with non ECC memory" and I got an answer that Yes you can (sometimes). Could anybody that's in the know on memory let me know if I could possibly harm the system by mixing the two different types. Thank you for any help. Greg.

[Paul Komski]

Go to www.crucial.com and enter your PC's details. There should be adequate and specific info there for you to make an informed choice.

Actually it says (http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=E%2D3400+Series):
Your system does not support ECC. Because ECC and non-ECC modules should not be mixed within a system, install the same type of modules that are already in your system.

[jlreich]

Paul is right, mixing them most likely won't work. However, it will not hurt your system. It just won't work or work right. That's the beautiful thing about ram, you can experiment to your hearts content without worrying about it messing anything up, with the exception of the outside possibility of corrupting data. But it will not physically damage your system.

[ski]

Give it a try. If there are instability problems, or the system does not boot up, then you have your answer.