Frequently Asked Questions
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 How do I install my Patriot Memory?
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What does 2-3-2-5-t1 mean and which is which in BIOS?
These 5 numbers generally represent the operating memory timings. For a more descriptive answer, please visit our BIOS Optimization page for more details.
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What type of warranty does Patriot Memory come with?
All of our memory modules come with our life time warranty to guarantee the functionalty and workmanship of our memory at all times. For our Extreme Performance Flash memory we still maintain a life time warranty and for our Signature Flash memory, we offer a 5 year warranty.
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My System does not boot after installing new memory. I hear a continuous pulsating beep from my computer. What am I doing wrong?
Beeping can be casued by improper installation of memory. Please consult our Installation Guide and go through the installtion process again to make sure memory is seated firmly in your memory sockets.
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What is the read and write speeds for our Secure Digital cards? What does 40x, 60x, 133x mean?
The transfer rate of our Secure Digital varies depending on its classification. Our Signature line SD (40X) has a read speed of 6MB/s and write speed of 5MB/S. Our Extreme Performance line (60X) has a read speed of 9MB/s and write speed of 8MB/s. Finally our Extreme Performance Plus (133X) has a read speed of 20MB/s and write speed of 16MB/s. Our miniSD has a read speed of 8MB/s and write speed of 3MB/s.
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How come my brand name computer will not boot with the Patriot Low Latency Memory kit that I just purchased?
Most brand name computer such Dell, HP, and Compaq has limitations in their BIOS not allowing low latency memory modules to function properly. Most of the time, they also disable memory settings in BIOS so users are not able to manipulate them. Since these computers has BIOS limitations, our Patriots Low Latency Kits are not recommended for these brand name computers. We certainly can recommend any of our compatible Signature Line memory.
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Why will my PDC1G3200LLK and PDC2G3200LLK memory not operate at specified timings of 2-3-2-5?
Our Patriot Low Latency memory modules are designed to operate at PC3200, 400MHz at a low timing of 2-3-2-5. However, to ensure further stability, we recommend setting the DRAM voltage in your motherboard BIOS to 2.7v. If you are still experiencing problems, try running each single memory module will run at 2-3-2-5 timings just to make sure both modules are operating individually.
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Am I able to delete and combine the 2 partitions on my Patriot Xporter USB Flash Drive into 1 partition?
The 2 partition is actually a feature of our Xporter where one of the partition can be used as a secure and password protected partition for sensitive information. Our easy user interface allows the user to resize the secure partition to as small as 2MB. However, as of now youââ¬â ¢re not able to delete or combine the 2 partition.
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I currently own a Patriot PDC1G3200+XBLK and would like to know if the memory will operate at 1t or 2t?
Our PDC1G3200+XBLK are designed to operate at 1T at all specified operating speeds and timings of our versatile XBL line. Please adjust Command Rate accordingly in your motherboard BIOS.
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How come my Patriot Xporter USB flash driver is not recognized by Windows 98?
That is because Windows 98 requires drivers for all USB Flash Drives. If you can go to our support site and download the windows98 driver for the x-porter that should solve the problem. Remember when you installing the driver to keep the x-porter out of the usb port. You will also need a program to unzip the driver that you have downloaded.
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How do I know which Patriot Memory is right for my system?
Its absolutely easy. We offer a Patriot Memory configurator that will guide you step by step in finding the perfect memory for your system. In just a few easy clicks, the configurator can find the right memory for you.
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Does Patriot have memory that work with my Apple Computer?
One part of our Signature Line memory include a line of memory designed and tested to operate on various Apple computers. Our engineers actually work closely with Apple and even test our modules at their test centers to ensure compatibility. Please visit our website for more details on our memory for Apple computers.
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How do I setup ReadyBoost on my Patriot Memory USB Flash Drive?
Click on the link below to follow the steps to setup ReadyBoost on your Patriot Memory Flash Drive.
ReadyBoost Instructions
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How do I resolve inconsistent performance issues with certain applications in the operating system?
This answer is related to: Windows XP 32bit, Windows XP 64 bit, Windows Vista 32 bit, Windows Vista 64 bit, Windows 2000.
With some system settings when disabling virtual memory in windows, system performance improves.
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What applications are best suited for testing the performance of the SSD and Flash Memory?
The best application for testing the performance of an SSD and Flash Memory is ATTO.
The Benchmarking software can be downloaded here: http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/1137/ATTO_Disk_Benchmark_v2.34.html
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What is the best application for burning test my SSD and Flash Memory?
Since all Patriot products have been tested in the factory for performance, reliability and compatibility. We do not recommend performing burn-in tests on your SSD drive after purchase.
If it is absolutely necessary to perform Burn-in on the drive, we recommend using Passmark BurnInTest.
This software can be found here: http://www.passmark.com/products/bit.htm
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How do I set up RAID?
This answer is related to Windows XP 32 bit, Windows XP 64 Bit, Windows Vista 32 bit, Windows Vista 64 bit, Windows 2000
This applies to all motherboards that are RAID capable.
RAID is set in 2 different enviornments.
BIOS:
There are 4 general steps to follow.
1.Ensure that a minimum of 2 drives are attached via seperate SATA cables on a motherboard that supports it.
2. Enter the RAID screen in BIOS, Select the drives that need to be set to RAID.
3. Save the Configuration
4. Restart the system and begin installing Windows Normally
Windows:
For Windows RAID
The software provided by the motherboard manufacturer will guide you.
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How do I set up RAID on a system with the Operating System already installed?
This applies to Windows XP 32 bit, Windows XP 64 bit, Windows Vista 32 bit, Windows Vista 64 bit, Windows 2000
RAID configuration needs to be set prior to the Operating System installation.
Any attempt in setting RAID with the OS already installed on an SSD will erase all data from the SSD.
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Where are the RAID settings located on a system?
On systems capable of RAID configuration, the RAID setting can be located in the BIOS.
Note: Some motherboards contain seperate BIOS for RAID configuration. Please consult your system's manual for more information.
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How do I resolve inconsistent performance issues with certain applications in the operating system?
This answer is related to: Windows XP 32/64 bit, Windows Vista 32/64 bit, Windows 2000.
Try and disable virtual memory in windows for better performance when SSD drive is set as the main OS drive.
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What is "Performance Bottleneck"?
This applies to Windows XP 32/64 bit, Windows Vista 32/64 bit, and Windows 2000.
System bottleneck is any device or software that modifies the read & write performance of any USB Flash Drive, Media Flash Cards and/or SSD drives.
In most cases 3rd party card readers, 3rd party USB Hubs and slow southbridge controllers on computer systems can decrease and modify drive performance; thus, causeing performance bottleneck.
For maximum capability of your system's performance, please consult the documentation provided by the manufacturer.
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What does NTFS stand for and what is it?
The NTFS acronym stands for New Technology File System.
NTFS is a file system used by the Windows NT operating system (and is also supported by Windows XP).
The NTFS file system uses a MFT (Master File Table) to locate all files within an NTFS volume, all critical data is duplicated to allow error recovery ensuring the loss of one sector will not mean the loss of the entire partition. Additionally it can recover data from a bad sector and ensure the bad sector is not used again.
NTFS also includes some advanced security features, including the ability to password protect individual files and/or folders.
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What is FAT32?
A disk file allocation system from Microsoft that uses 32-bit values for FAT (File Allocation Table) entries instead of 16-bit values used by the original FAT system.
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How do I reformat my Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive?
This applies to Windows XP 32/64 bit, Windows Vista 32/64 bit, and Windows 2000
Reformatting your USB Thumb Drive is a simple process. Be aware that by formatting your Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive, you will be deleteing any files stored on the Drive. Please be sure to back-up all information on the Drive before formatting.
1. Plug the USB Drive into your PC.
2.Double click on "My Computer" icon(in windows 2000, and XP) and "Compuyer"(in Windows Vista)
3. locate the Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive in your list of available drives.
4. Right click on the Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive and select "Format"
The drive format wizard will help you decide how you wish to reformat your Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive.
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What is Overclocking?
Overclocking is the process of making a computer component run at a higher speed than that specified by the manufacturer. The components that can be overclocked include the CPU, the memory and the video cards. Although there may be many different reasons for overclocking, the most common reason is to increase hardware performance. For example the AMD Athlon 2500+ processor which normally runs at a CPU clock speed of 1.83 GHz may me made to run at a clock speed of 2.20 GHz or the GeForce 6800 cards may be converted to a GeForce 6800 ultra by enabling additional pixel shaders.
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What is RAM?
Random Access Memory (RAM) provides space for your computer to read and write data to be accessed by the CPU (central processing unit). When people refer to a computer's memory, they usually mean its RAM.
If you add more RAM to your computer, you reduce the number of times your CPU must read data from your hard disk. This usually allows your computer to work considerably faster, as RAM is many times faster than a hard disk.
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What is USB?
USB or Universal Serial Bus, is a way to connect peripheral devices to computers. It replaces the functionality of serial and parallel ports, including keyboard and mouse ports.
USB uses a bus topology, which means peripherals can be daisy-chained together or connected through hubs. Up to 127 devices may be connected together at one time, and devices may be connected and disconnected while the computer is in operation (hot-swapping).
To use USB peripherals, your computer must have either built-in USB capability or a USB expansion card installed. Your computer's operating system must be able to support USB as well.
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How can I tell how much RAM my Operating System is running on?
This answer is related to: Windows XP 32/64 bit, Windows Vista 32/64 bit, Windows 2000.
To check your system to see how much RAM is currently running:
Click on the Start Bar
Right click on My Computer
Select Propterties
The System Propterties screen will appear. On the bottom you will find the information about your CPU as well as the current recognized allotment of RAM.
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What is RAID?
RAID: (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) A disk subsystem that is used to increase performance or provide fault tolerance or both. RAID uses two or more ordinary hard disks and a RAID disk controller. In the past, RAID has also been implemented via software only.
In the late 1980s, the term stood for "redundant array of inexpensive disks," being compared to large, expensive disks at the time. As hard disks became cheaper, the RAID Advisory Board changed "inexpensive" to "independent."
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Why would I want to use a RAID set up in my computer? What kind of improvements over a single hard drive can I expect?
RAID improves performance by disk striping, which interleaves bytes or groups of bytes across multiple drives, so more than one disk is reading and writing simultaneously.
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I have read that RAID uses a "Fault Tolerance" process.
What is "Fault Tolerance"?
Fault tolerance is achieved by mirroring or parity. Mirroring is 100% duplication of the data on two drives (RAID 1). Parity is used to calculate the data in two drives and store the results on a third (RAID 3 or 5). After a failed drive is replaced, the RAID controller automatically rebuilds the lost data from the other two. RAID systems may have a spare drive (hot spare) ready and waiting to be the replacement for a drive that fails.
The parity calculation is performed in the following manner: a bit from drive 1 is XOR'd with a bit from drive 2, and the result bit is stored on drive 3 (see OR for an explanation of XOR).
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What is RAID 0?
RAID level 0 is disk striping only, which interleaves data across multiple disks for performance. Widely used for gaming, RAID 0 has no safeguards against failure
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What is RAID 1?
RAID 1 uses disk mirroring, which provides 100% duplication of data. Offers highest reliability, but doubles storage cost. RAID 1 is widely used in business applications.
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What is RAID 2?
Instead of single bytes or groups of bytes (blocks), bits are interleaved (striped) across many disks. The Connection Machine used this technique, but this is rarely used because 39 disks are required.
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What is RAID 3?
Data are striped across three or more drives. Used to achieve the highest data transfer, because all drives operate in parallel. Using byte level striping, parity bits are stored on separate, dedicated drives.
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What is RAID 4?
RAID 4 is similar to RAID 3, but uses block level striping. Not often used.
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What is RAID 5?
On RAID 5, data are striped across three or more drives for performance, and parity bits are used for fault tolerance. The parity bits from two drives are stored on a third drive and are interspersed with user data. RAID 5 is widely used in servers.
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What is RAID 6?
RAID 6 has the highest reliability because it can recover from a failure of two disks, but not widely used. Similar to RAID 5, but performs two different parity computations or the same computation on overlapping subsets of the data.
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What is RAID 10?
RAID 10 is RAID 1 + 0. The drives are striped for performance (RAID 0), and all striped drives are duplicated (RAID 1) for fault tolerance.
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What is RAID 100?
RAID 100 is RAID 10 + 0. It adds a layer of striping on top of two or more RAID 10 configurations for even more speed.
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How can I reformat my Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive from FAT32 to NTFS?
1 Plug the USB Drive into your PC.
2. Double click on "My Computer" (in windows 2000, and XP) and "Computer"(in Windows Vista)
3. Locate the Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive in your list of available drives
4. Right click on the Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive and select Properties
5. Select the Hardware tab
6. Choose the Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive
7. Click the Properties button
8. Select the Policies Tab
9. Change the setting to Optimize for Performance
Click OK. Eject the USB drive.
Reboot your OS
1. Plug the USB Drive into your PC.
2. Double click on "My Computer" (in windows 2000, and XP) and "Computer"(in Windows Vista)
3. Locate the Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive in your list of available drives.
4. Right click on the Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive and select "Format"
The drive format wizard will help you decide how you wish to reformat your Patriot Memory USB Thumb Drive.
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What IsDDR and what does it mean?
DDR stands for Double Data Rate. What this means is that as the signal cycles with the frequency of the RAM, it transmits on both positive and negative peaks.
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I have a new motherboard but I don't know what model type of Patriot RAM I should buy. How can I find out?
Patriot Memory manufactures a wide assortment of RAM for both Desktop and Laptop systems. You can determine which module is best suited for your system by using the Configurator located on the main page of Patriot Memory's website
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I have just purchased this new Patriot Memory 4/8/16/32 Gig SD card but my camera/reader/computer can't access it. Why?
If your SD card has a capacity higher than 2 Gig, it is an SDHC Formatted card.
SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) is a different memory format than standard SD and requires a reader that is SDHC compliant. Please check the specs of the device you are going to use to access the card with first before purchasing the flash memory.
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