Does RAM brand really matter?

[gobizzle]

I want/need to upgrade from 4GB RAM to 8GB. Now the convenience of driving down the street to staples is very fast/easy but I obviously don't want to get a cheap kind that may glitch or break on me. However I was under the assumption that RAM is RAM and it really didn't matter which brand you got.

For those wondering it will be DDR2 as well. My current setup as 2 x 2GB sticks with two slots left so I'd have to get 2 more sticks of DDR2 for this machine...


Basically my question is whether or not Staples-bought RAM will do the same job as Newegg bought RAM...


Thanks



PS - Money isn't really an issue considering RAM is quite cheap as it is

PPS - 4GB DDR2-800MHz is what I'm using now...is it viable to completely remove the 800MHz sticks and upgrade all the RAM in the machine? I figure that is pretty outdated by now as this machine is roughly 2.5 years old.

 

[psaus]

It does matter, unfortunately. But before I go down that route, going to Staples is going to be a complete RIP OFF! Only because they charge more for the good stuff than they should. Buy from Newegg, amazon or alike. MUCH cheaper for better quality, and you're only going to wait an extra day or two (presuming you're asking around on forums, you can wait the extra day or so, to save $20.

Brand. Yes, it matters. They break down into 3 tiers, but unfortunately for flaming reasons I'm not going to list them like that. Just know that tier 3 is the worst (the cheapest) and anything goes, even if they have a lifetime warranty. Tier 2, middle of the road price as you might expect, but you struggle with installation/DOA modules. If it starts ok, as well you get past the 30-day mark, you're in the clear for the lifetime of the system (most of the time).
Tier 1 is only a tad more expensive than tier 2, but you have the best probability against DOA and the 30-day window failure. As well you'll have MUCH better support should the *** hit the fan.
Given that RAM is the most likely device/component in a new build to fail, this is saying something.

With RAM being so cheap, go with Kingston, Corsair, or Crucial.

As for exactly what type (speed/etc) ram to buy, it's hard to say because you haven't posted what system you have. Ideally you match exactly what you have now for inter-compatibility reasons. But if your upgrade is going to require you remove the existing stuff then, we really need to know what your system/motherboard is to help you further.

CPUz is a good tool to ID your existing RAM part numbers as well as your motherboard part number (as long as it's not an OEM system, like a Dell, HP, etc - if the latter, make and model of your system will do).

 

[gobizzle]

Best answer selected by gobizzle.

 

[gobizzle]

Actually it is an OEM (was a graduation gift)... HP Pavilion p6280t.

IPIBL-LB (Benicia) motherboard

Windows 7 Home 64-bit
Core2Quad Q8300 2.5 GHz
2x2GB RAM (Stock)
GTX 550 Ti Fermi GPU
4GB DDR2-800MHz SDRAM [2 DIMMs]

 

[nikorr]

This topic has been closed by Nikorr