Upgrading ram question

[Joker08]

Hey guys just a quick question, i am looking at upgrading my ram just wondered which was a better route, 4 gigs of lower end generic ram no heat spreaders for $88.00 or 2 gigs of high end with aluminum heat spreaders for $85.00 let me know what you guys think.
  Thanks
    Joker

[Kurtiskain]

Depends on what you want to use it for...e.g Games? Office work?

Also what OS do you plan on using?

XP+Games I would go with the 2GB (dependability+speed for games)

Vista+Games (You're joking right) the 4GB (If you can put up with Vista you can put up with anything)

Office work both go with the 2GB

It sounds like you have done your research but make sure its the right speed RAM first and faster isn't always better...especially if your machine takes DDR and your trying to upgrade to DDR2 

Kurtis

[drmsucks]

@Joker08: Always a good question - always hard to answer! As @Kurtiskain mentioned, it mostly depends on how you use your computer. Unless you are a 'power' user of some sort, you probably would be better off with 'more' than 'better.' And ALWAYS better off with quality RAM from a quality manufacturer.

Be advised that if your OS is 32 bit, it will not use more than ≈3 - 3.5 GB of RAM if you go with 4 GB.

Also, for the 'normal' user, typically XP can perform very well with 1 - 2 GB and Vista needs all it can get - but, at least 2 GB.

Best of luck with your upgrade!

[Joker08]

i am mostly upgrading the ram for gaming, i am currently running a pent 4 3.2 ghz processor with 1 gig  2x(512mb) ram, a x1950 pro video card, and am upgrading from ddr to drr pc3200 keeping same ram type just upping amount, mostly because i play age of conan and it tends to lag a bit. if that makes the decision any easier please let me know.
  thanks
    Joker

[drmsucks]

I'm not a gamer so don't know if the solution to your "lag" problem is more or faster (or both!) memory. But...

Sounds like you are going to keep your old RAM and add more in empty slots. Be advised that sometimes 'old' RAM and 'new' RAM do not get along well together, for a variety of reasons. Trying to match DDR RAM may be especially difficult because of the age of your exising memory - over time manufacturing methods change, densities change, etc. Try to match the existing RAM the best that you can. Find the manufacturer and module number of the RAM and go to the memory manufacturer's website to get an idea of the probability of a successful RAM addition.

Best of luck!

EDIT: And, assuming that you do upgrade, run Memtest86 for at least 2 hours (longer is better - overnight is great) to see if there are any memory errors.

http://www.memtest.org/

[Joker08]

i don't have a problem dumping the old ram but would you advise to go with 2 gigs of the better ram to improve stability?

[drmsucks]

i don't have a problem dumping the old ram but would you advise to go with 2 gigs of the better ram to improve stability?

Good idea to dump old RAM (you may be able to sell it on Craig's list).

I'd go with the fastest RAM that the motherboard can accept (check your manual) and the lowest CAS latency that I could afford - from a name brand: Corsair, OCZ, Mushkin, Crucial, Kingston, etc. Check to see if your board supports Dual Channel (it probably does) and get a matched set of RAM totaling the amount that you want, e.g., a matched 2 x 1GB = 2 GB. Be sure to put the modules in the correct slots for Dual Channel - per your motherboard manual. (If the motherboard does not support Dual Channel, disregard the matched module stuff.)

See my EDIT above and test.

Good luck!

[Joker08]

 
View Pic
 [26]

Kingston ValueRAM 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR400AK2/2GR - Retail

Cas Latency: 3
Heat Spreader: No
Labor: Lifetime limited
Parts: Lifetime limited
Timing: 3-3-3
Voltage: 2.6V
Model #: KVR400AK2/2GR
Item #: N82E16820141465
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy

is this good for $77.00? or this
 
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 [67]

CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWINX2048-3200PT - Retail

Cas Latency: 3
Heat Spreader: Yes
Labor: Lifetime
Parts: Lifetime
Recommend Use: High Performance or Gaming Memory
Timing: 3-4-4-8
Model #: TWINX2048-3200PT
Item #: N82E16820145491
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy

for $74.00?

[drmsucks]

I'm sure that either would be fine - although, given those choices, I'd pick Corsair based on personal experience.

As an alternative, I would STRONGLY suggest this, if you can stomach the rebate aspect; excellent RAM, excellent value; faster than either of the above - and cheaper after rebate!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227210

[Joker08]

is that better than this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145575

[Calum]

I'd just like to chime in - RAM speeds will actually matter very little no matter what you do with your PC.
More RAM is always better, but remember that a 32 bit OS cannot use 4GB of RAM.
Make sure your board can actually handle the amount of RAM you plan to use too.

[Joker08]

my board is a intel D875PBZ it says in the specs that it can handle up to 4gigs of ram IntelŪ Desktop Board D875PBZ Features   

Form Factor   ATX (11.52 inches by 9.6 inches [292.61 mm by 243.84 mm])
Processor   
   Support for an IntelŪ PentiumŪ 4 Extreme Edition processor in an mPGA478 socket with a 800 MHz system bus
   Support for an IntelŪ PentiumŪ 4 processor in an mPGA478 socket with a 533/800 MHz system bus
Memory   
   Four 184-pin DDR SDRAM DIMM sockets
   Support for DDR 400 and DDR 333
   Support for up to 4 GB system memory
Chipset    IntelŪ 875P Chipset
I/O Control    LPC Bus I/O controller
Audio    Optional (Direct Customers Only) SoundMAX 4 XL with AudioESP audio subsystem using the Analog Devices AD1985 codec
Video    Universal 0.8/1.5 V AGP 3.0 connector (with integrated retention mechanism) supporting 4x and 8x AGP cards
Peripheral Interfaces   
   Eight USB 2.0 ports
   One serial port
   One parallel port
   Two Serial ATA IDE interfaces with RAID 0 and RAID 1 support
   Two Parallel ATA IDE interfaces with UDMA 33, ATA-66/100 support
   One diskette drive interface
   PS/2* keyboard and mouse ports
Expansion Capabilities    Five PCI bus add-in card connectors

[drmsucks]

The OCZ has 'better' timings but I doubt that there is any perceptible difference!

Both are great manufacturers - I'd decide based on price.

[drmsucks]

Let us know what you decide and how the new memory works for you!

[Joker08]

your first reply said i was better off with more rather then better, but you have changed stances lol do you stick by your new choice to go with less ram but better? just wondering not a big deal. i am leaning towards the 2 gig of OCZ just wanted to get a final opinion.
 thanks
   Joker