The crucial name to remember... (Crucial (computer memory))

Member Name: MichaelR

Product:	Crucial (computer memory)
Date:	30/09/01 (121 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free Royal Mail Special Delivery, Low prices, Excellent customer service

Disadvantages: VAT not included in prices

I’m sure that the ridiculously low memory prices – which have been on a downward spiral for some time now – have not escaped the attention of most people. A 128MB SDRAM module that could have cost you over £130 a little over a year ago can now be yours for around £15. So, considering the fact that prices are so low, and the fact that manufacturers of memory have now admitted that they are starting to make losses and prices are likely to rise again soon, now could be a good time to invest in the most effective performance-enhancing upgrade for your computer.

There are a great many retailers out there who will happily meet your requirements – from more traditional retailers such as PC World (who, as usual, will rip you off pretty badly if you should decide to purchase memory from them) to online retailers such as Novatech and Crucial.

Crucial represents the best choice in my view. Their speed, service, and low prices are pretty much unrivalled – 128MB of PC100 SDRAM cost me just £13.05 plus VAT – Crucial do not charge for delivery, your memory is delivered by Royal Mail Special Delivery (which guarantees delivery by 12PM on the next working day) absolutely free of charge. There are other delivery options available, should you require delivery by courier or delivery guaranteed to arrive on a Saturday. I personally don’t see any reason to choose the courier options though, as Royal Mail Special Delivery is very fast and insured for up to £250 anyway, so the courier service is not really any better.

The Crucial site is very easy to navigate, allowing even the least technically minded user to find the appropriate memory upgrades very quickly and without fuss. Using the Crucial “memory selector” you can simply choose your make of computer or motherboard from the pull-down menu box, and then choose the model from a subsequent pull-down menu. The list of compatible memory modules is then display
ed, and it’s just a matter of choosing the size (bigger numbers are obviously better!) For anyone who doesn’t have a listed motherboard, or who has some PC knowledge, you can also search by memory type (e.g. 168 pin DIMM, and then SDRAM, PC100) and a list of modules will be displayed along with details on latency, parity etc.

You can click on the part number of any module to see further details, or if the technical jargon is confusing you then you can click on the type of module at the top of every listing to get a full, plain English, explanation of all the terminology. These guides are very useful, as they give tips on how to spot which type of memory you have – e.g. counting the chips on a module to see if you have ECC or non-parity RAM (ECC has a number of chips that is a multiple of 3, everything else is non-parity)

If you are a regular visitor to the site, you can also search by part number. Very handy if you work in IT and order memory regularly, as it really helps to speed up the transaction.

The various guides should help you to select the appropriate memory module(s) for your computer with great ease, however Crucial do offer a full refund if you choose a module that turns out to be incompatible. If you use the memory selector, you can claim back the full price paid – however a 20% restocking fee applies if you used the advanced search features and then chose the wrong type of memory.

When you have decided on which module(s) you want to purchase, buying them is as easy as finding them was – just enter how many units you would like into the little boxes next to the part numbers in the listing. Click the “Add to Basket” button and they’re added to your virtual shopping basket. All very straightforward. You can then proceed to the checkout and choose the delivery method. Special Delivery is free, as I already mentioned, or you can have an evening delivery for £4.05 or guarant
eed Saturday delivery for £12.95.

After you have chosen the delivery method, VAT is calculated and added and it’s only at this point that you see the final totals. That’s my only real criticism of the site – all the prices remain exclusive of VAT up until that point, so unless your mental arithmetic is very sharp, or you want to get the old calculator fired up, then you may underestimate how much you are going to be spending – especially if you are buying more than one module.

Payment details are then requested – and have to be entered even if you have used the site before. If you have never used the site before then you’ll have to enter your billing and shipping details, as well as your phone number, e-mail address etc. If you have ordered before then you can simply enter your e-mail address and password and your details will be retrieved. You still have to enter payment details though, as these are not held on the server (for obvious security reasons). You can either pay by credit or debit card (Visa, MC, Switch, or Solo) or you can send a cheque or postal order to Crucial. Obviously paying using plastic ensures quicker delivery though.

Once you have entered payment details and confirmed your order, Crucial will send you a friendly confirmation e-mail immediately. You will also get an e-mail sent to you when the item is sent, and this will give you the tracking number for your order – you can then track the progress of the package by either logging into the Crucial website, or by visiting www.royalmail.com and entering the supplied tracking number. Delivery is extremely fast – I ordered 128MB of RAM at 4AM on Friday morning and took delivery of it at just before 9AM on Saturday morning – very impressive – just 29 hours from ordering to delivery.

The RAM came very well packaged with the anti-static bag protecting the RAM sandwiched between two pieces of foam inside a tig
ht-fitting cardboard box. The sales receipt and a small guide on installing the RAM were also included – very handy for anyone who’s a bit unsure about how to install the modules, as the language used is very simple and there are clear illustrations. The RAM was easily (well, maybe not that easily, as on my computer the PSU has to be removed in order to access the DIMM slots) installed, counted up OK by the BIOS, and has given a much needed boost in speed and multi-tasking capability to my system.

I just really can’t recommend Crucial highly enough. They are one of the most impressive companies that I have ever dealt with – from the 10% discount on all Internet orders, to the excellent customer service and support (which even includes a freephone technical support number in addition to everything I’ve already mentioned) and lightening-fast delivery. I can’t think of a better online retailer that’s out there…

If your machine is starting to grind to a halt when multitasking or running the latest software, then you should visit www.crucial.com/uk and order some extra RAM from this very impressive company.

Summary: