Upgrading RAM question(s)

[Polywogus]

Hey all, Running an AMD Athlon-64 4000+, 1gb RAM (512x2), NVIDIA 6600GT PCI-E w/ 256mb, 450 power supply, Windows XP, & am wanting to upgrade another gb of RAM. I'm not super familiar w/ all the types of this that & the other, but I do know how to install RAM, but my questions are... Is there a benefit in using 1gb sticks of RAM, or is it just because maybe 4 slots for 512's isn't common?  I don't know the # of slots inside there at the moment.  Does quality often decrease in 1gb stick?  Rather than just purchase another gb, be it 2x512 or not, should I buy 2gb total, matching, install them together?  In other words, does RAM get along if not the same brand, or is there bound to be problems? & lastly, does adding a gb of RAM, should I expect the heat to increase dramatically and/or will my power supply be OK to handle it? Thank you for answering my questions =)

[-=Hoss=-]

Well, you got a lot of questions I've never considered.  Like the heat and the power supply.  I've never heard of those being a problem.  I'm also not aware of there being problems with memory from different manufacturers not playing nice together.  There is a type of memory that has to be paired, but I can't for the life of me remember what its called.  You could well only have 2 slots for memory.  Def something to check out before you buy anything.  I would think single, larger sticks would be preferable, but I can't really give a reason one way or the other.  So, if you have the slots, just go for whatever is cheaper.  You will need to figure out what kind of memory you have.  DDR2 sticks will not fit in a DDR slot, and I'm pretty sure you have to match whatever speed your motherboard is designed for.  For instance mine takes DDR 400 Mhz.  I couldn't use a DDR 500 Mhz (if they even exist, I don't know that they do) Now, I have a memory question too, so I'll tack it on here and hope someone smarter than both of us answers.  I'm about to build my own machine, and it'll pretty much be just for playing EQ2.  I'm trying to get out cheap by scavenging as much as I can from my other computers.  One of the things I have that I may be able to use is 3G of DDR400 RAM.  I'm planning to use one of the dual core 2.6G processors and a geforce video card (probably somewhere between the 7900 and 8800 depending what the motherboards can handle).  So, the question is, am I going to hate myself for using such slow memory.  Either now, or once the RoK expansion comes out.  Will the memory be the choke point in this setup?   Will it help much that there's 3G of it?  -h

[doctorbow]

Good questions: Heat: normally not an issue regarding mem upgrades (If you're not boiling now, another 2gb isn't going to do it) PWR: same thing: RAM is a low power consuming, as far as wattage is concerned Pairing Memory:  There's debate on this.  Generally speaking, if your motherboard can support pairing of memory, it is a good idea to go with it.  Matched pairs of same brand are best, but timing is what is important if you mix 'n match brands in a dual-channel setup (2 different brands being used as a single 'pair'<img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.  Which I can't personally recommend. As far as the assumed question: You already have a matched pair, so I am assuming your motherboard DOES support dual channel, so your question THEN becomes: Can I use a different brand of matched-pair RAM with a current matched-pair already in my system?  The answer is: Yes, you can.  Read about memory speed though. Memory speed:  You also want to match your memory to your motherboard's maximum supported speed, to optimize your results.  you CAN buy faster RAM then your mobo can handle, which will automatically down-clock to the most compatible (IE: slowest memory currently on-board).  This is typically only feasible if the 'faster' RAM happens to be cheaper (strange, but can happen).  Most BIOS will mention the current clock speed of the memory on 1 or more pages of the pre-boot setup information screen(s).  The downclocking doesn't happen to the extreme tho (800 mhz might not down-clock to 400, for instance, but possibly to 667) Regarding scavenging: Always fun: But, as you said yourself, DDR2 sticks will not fit in a DDR slot, and likewise, DDR won't fit in DDR2 slot.  They're incompatible.  As far as the Core2 Duo that you're probably referring to, it's likely a 765 chipset, which AFAIK most motherboards have only option for DDR2 memory.  So, I may be wrong and definitely concede if I am, but before planning on using your 3gb of DDR for certain, make sure your current mobo is able to handle that chip (the dual core 2.6ghz you mention) or similarly, if you upgrade mobo as well as CPU, that the new combo can handle your old RAM, comprende? Now, benefit in using 1gb sticks:  If your motherboard supports this config in single-channel, 1gb CAN be cheaper than 2x512mb.  However, 2x512 w/ similar clock speeds and setups will outperform, IF dual-channel is supported.  And, 2x1gb will out-perform in dual channel config that same 2x1gb in single-channel configs.  4 available mem slots, regardless of dual channel, single, ddr, or ddr2, is not uncommon.  But, is pretty much the max # of slots you'll encounter on most normal PC's.  Therefore, if you plan on running a 4gb setup at any point in the future, the recommendation would be 2x1gb (bringing you to 3gb total atm), that way, when you upgrade, you're only replacing the single pair of 512's, instead of 2 pair of 512's.  Think of it as wasting money at that point.  But that is pretty far forward thinking and you could likely have several major over-hauls before 4gb becomes necessary on a gaming rig...  2-3gb atm is pretty well the gaming norm.  H-E-double-hockeysticks, I still run with 1gb atm, but that's cuz I had 1 of 2x512 fail, so that makes the set worthless. And lastly, regarding regetting using 'slower' memory... hard to say.  I believe it depends on the motherboard that you pair it with, as far as what it will support, I think the dual core's now are standard at the ddr2-4200 (which would be a 667 mhz clock) on up to 4800 (800 mhz clock) so, if mobo only supports 667, then it wouldn't be worth the upgrade just to squeeze the last speed-droppings out of it, but, if it did support 800, and it was within your budget, faster memory paired with a faster processor IS better, even if you have to go with a 2x1gb setup instead of 3gb total.  (EQ uses nowhere NEAR that much memory yet.)  Being above 1gb is best to avoid alot of hard-drive swapping when virtual memory is needed. Hope this helps.

[Polywogus]

Thank you for the replies. I'm understanding most of this <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Altho, Doctorbow, I was getting lost w/ some of the things. Let me see if giving you a little more detail helps. Again, I haven't checked how many slots for RAM I have, but I'll presume I only have 2, which means in order for 2gb RAM overall, I'd need 2 1-gb sticks. Motherboard ( eVGA nForce-4 SLI Chipset Dual DDR w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, Dual PCI-E MB ) Memory ( 1024 MB [512MB X2] DDR-400 PC3200 Memory Module Dug up my order form from forever ago & this is what I've got. Hope that clarifies...thank you again for any info.

[-=Hoss=-]

Thanks for the info Doc.  I'm planning on using an E6600 or E6700 intel chip, which is an LGA 775 socket.  There are boards out there with that socket that support DDR400 memory.  Now, newegg only has 2 of those with 4 slots, and one is out of stock.  The one they have is from jetway.  I dunno, I've never heard of them, they sound kinda shady.  I just noticed that there are a number of them that can use DDR400 and DDR2533.  2 slots each.  I'm thinking this might be a good option for me, I'd just use my 2 gig sticks for now.  But, I'm curious, in light of what you were saying, how well the 2 different memory types and speeds play together.  Also, I was confused on what you were saying about memory downclocking, can you clarify?  Or at least see if i got this right.  If I buy a mobo that can take DDR2 533, and put in DDR2 800 sticks (hey, I might know a guy), no problem, the memory just runs as fast as the mobo will allow, right?  Or is there a limit to how many steps down the memory can take?  What if I have a mobo thats rated for DDR2 800 and put in DDR2 533?  Will the mobo downclock and just run as fast as the memory can handle? -h

[-=Hoss=-]

So, does anyone know if you buy a mobo with DDR400/DDR2 533 memory standard, can you use both types of memory at the same time? -h

[TSR-GarethC]

I highly recommend against using ram with different rates.

[Wingrider01]

-=Hoss=- wrote: <blockquote>So, does anyone know if you buy a mobo with DDR400/DDR2 533 memory standard, can you use both types of memory at the same time? -h </blockquote> In most of the combo boards I have had expierence with (mostly bad) you cannot use both sets of memory slots at the same time, you can either populate it with DDR or DDR2 but not both at the same time.

[Savara]

-=Hoss=- wrote: <blockquote>So, does anyone know if you buy a mobo with DDR400/DDR2 533 memory standard, can you use both types of memory at the same time? -h </blockquote>Thats a big negative!  Always use ram with the same speed and latency, and if possible buy all the same exact type/brand.  Subtle differences cause all kinds of problems.

[Savara]

<cite>Polywogus wrote:</cite><blockquote>Hey all, Running an AMD Athlon-64 4000+, 1gb RAM (512x2), NVIDIA 6600GT PCI-E w/ 256mb, 450 power supply, Windows XP, & am wanting to upgrade another gb of RAM. I'm not super familiar w/ all the types of this that & the other, but I do know how to install RAM, but my questions are... Is there a benefit in using 1gb sticks of RAM, or is it just because maybe 4 slots for 512's isn't common?  I don't know the # of slots inside there at the moment.  Does quality often decrease in 1gb stick?  Rather than just purchase another gb, be it 2x512 or not, should I buy 2gb total, matching, install them together?  In other words, does RAM get along if not the same brand, or is there bound to be problems? & lastly, does adding a gb of RAM, should I expect the heat to increase dramatically and/or will my power supply be OK to handle it? Thank you for answering my questions =) </blockquote>There is a benefit of having sticks in pairs if your board supports dual channel.  If it does support dual channel the memory performs much better.  I have a newer intel system and I am not sure about the memory banks on the AMD MoBo's .  Download CPU-z for detailed info on your ram type, speed and latency.  If you are upgrading ram try and use the same brand, speed and latency. More memory requires more voltage from the board, but your board should automatically adjust.

[antwar]

<p>i have one of those boards you mentioned, and got it specifically because it supported core 2 duo processors, had a PCI-Express x16 slot AND supported both DDR and DDR2 ram, so i had one less thing to buy right away, as i could just re-use my current DDR ram in the system.</p><p>my boards brand is ECS (reputable) and it is a small form factor (SFF) board, also called M-ATX, MATX, or Mini-ATX, which allows it to be installed in alot of the smaller OEM system vendor cases, such as the HP case i put it in. it can really breathe new life into an old system by allowing you to upgrade to lastest technology, while not breaking your bank off the get-go.</p><p>i got it from newegg as well, and so far, it has worked out exceptionally well for me, although i bought a celeron D 356 3.33Ghz single core processor to start out with to save myself a bit of coin but still have a working system. i am going to upgrade to DDR2 ram, and upgrade to a core 2 duo E6420 soon, probably by the end of the summer if i am lucky. the core 2 duo will make a HUGE difference, but the DDR2 ram will also be a noticeable improvment i bet.</p>