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How to Read The RAM Part Numbers

Part #10310, 4 x 36 – 60 (12) (read as “four by thirty-six, sixty, twelve chip style”.) This module is a four megabit (4), by (x), thirty-six bit (36), SIMM with an access time of sixty nanoseconds (- 60), and it has twelve chips on the circuit board (12). This is a standard sixteen megabyte, (MB) SIMM.

Please note: If the number in parenthesis is accompanied by the letters “MB”, that number represents the capacity of the module. As an example, part #15410, 8 x 64 – 60 (64 MB) is a sixty-four megabyte (64 MB) DIMM module.

The chart below lists how several different RAM (Random Access Memory) modules are configured. It defines the parity style of the module (if applicable), the pin count (the gold or tin colored contacts found at one edge of the circuit board), and the amount of memory that can be placed on each different type of circuit board.

Non-parity SIMMs have 8 or 32 bits (x 8 or x 32). Parity SIMMs have either 9 or 36 bits (x 9 or x 36). Both eight and nine bit SIMMs (x 8 and x 9) have 30 pins on the circuit board. Thirty-two and thirty-six bit SIMMs (x 32 and x 36) have 72 pins on the circuit board.

Sixty-four and seventy-two bit DIMMs (x 64 or x 72) have 168 pins. The
seventy-two bit DIMMs are ECC (Error Checking and Correcting) modules.

While the following chart may prove helpful in determining the type of memory you need, it should not be considered a substitute for the owner’s manual that came with your computer or motherboard. If you do not have your owner’s manual, you may be able to find an online version at the manufacturer’s website.

To use the following chart, it is helpful to know:

The amount of memory that you have now.
The amount of memory that you would like to have.
The number of pins your memory modules need to match your motherboard design.
Whether your motherboard requires parity or non-parity memory.

The types of memory that can be used in your computer (such as Fast Page, EDO, SDRAM, ECC, PC-100, PC-133.)

Part Configurations