Memory Question

[suvayanr]

I am looking to install some memory in my PC. The motherboard has two slots, and one of them is occupied with a 256MB PC2700 stick. I want to add 1GB to the system. Would it be better to buy two 512 sticks, and dual channel the memory, giving me a total of 1gig, or should I buy a single 1GB stick, and get 1.25Gigs of memory, without dual channel???

 

[Yoosty]

In answer to you questions', never mix ram sizes, so it is better to get 2x512mb sticks kit. Since they will usually be matched. Also I would go for PC3200 ram, plus 2x1gb kit ram.

Also would check Corsair, Kingston and other ram sites out, since they usually have a Memory Configurator that lets you pick from Computer Maker or Motherboard for right ram for your computer. But most only show Value ram series.

Also check e-tailors' site like NewEgg, ZipZoomFly, Mwave, TigerDirect and others for best prices in USA on ram. If you are in UK then check Scan, eBuyer, Dabs and others e-tailers'.

Hope this helps you some.

 

[XMSYellowbeard]

What chipset is your MOBO made with and what MOBO is it? Check your manual to make sure your MOBO will support 1gb DIMMs. If you have a single channel MOBO, a single 1gb DIMM makes the most sense.

 

[Scougs]

I'm not so sure that I agree with Yoosty's advice. I would first ask you what motherboard/chipset are you running on. The fact that you are running PC2700 suggests that having so called matched memory may make absolutely no difference.

 

[rsetter1]

If your board/cpu does not support dual channel memory you will be better off with 1x1gb PC3200 than with 2x512 PC3200. In a non-dual channel system One stick of PC3200 runs at 400mhz. Two sticks of PC3200 will run at 333mhz. I would rather have 1gb running at 400 than have 1gb running at 333.

 

[nobly]

To the original poster:
Much of this depends on your system specs - please post them. Please post what you do with your computer as well so we can recommend a good total amount.

 

[suvayanr]

Motherboard specifications table
Part / Feature Specification / Support
Motherboard description
Motherboard manufacturer's name: ASUS P4GV-LA
HP/Compaq name: Guppy-GL6E
CPU/Processor
Socket: 478
Supports Intel Pentium4 processor
Front-side bus (FSB)
533/400 MHz
Chipset
Northbridge: Intel 845GV Graphics and Memory Controller Hub (GMCH)
Southbridge: Intel ICH4
BIOS features
4 Mb FWH EEPROM
Award BIOS with enhanced ACPI, DMI, Green, and PnP Features Plus
Form factor
Micro-ATX form factor, 9.6 in x 8.6 in
Memory
2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets support unbuffered non-ECC 2 GB 333/266 MHz DDR SDRAM memory modules
Expansion slots
Three PCI
No AGP slot
Video graphics
Integrated
Onboard audio or audio card Controller: AC-97
Realtek ALC650/658 6-channel CODEC chipset
Dolby 5.1 audio support
Location: Integrated
Onboard LAN
Realtek RTL8100C
10/100 Mbps LAN controller
Back panel I/O
One PS/2 mouse port
One PS/2 keyboard port
One VGA (monitor)
One Parallel
One serial port
Four USB (2.0)
One IEEE 1394
One RJ45 networking port
Three audio connectors: line in, line out, and microphone
Internal connectors
One Primary IDE connector
One Secondary IDE connector
One Floppy disk drive connector
One 20-pin ATX power connector
One 4-pin ATX 12V power connector
One USB 2.0 connector supports two additional USB 2.0 ports
IEEE 1394a connector
One CPU fan connector
One Chassis fan connector
One CD in connector
One AUX connector
Front panel audio connector
System panel connector




I bought this computer from a store about two years go for about $150. I bought some video editing software to use with my camcorder, and the computer repeatedly claims to be out of memory, giving me error messages. Also the program, and also other programs crawl along. Even startup takes ages, even after removing every unnecessary program from startup. If I added the memory, I could also possibly get a better video card and play some games.

 

[nobly]

If you do alot of video editing, I would say 2GB might be a good route to go down. But it may not be necessary to get 2GB, depending on your situation. You can install a 1GB and the 256MB sticks and run in single channel mode to see how much it will improve. Your motherboard's chipset does not support dual-channel, so there is no need for a matched pair. I would venture a guess that you will see a vast improvement from 256MB to 1.25GB and a minimal improvement going from 1GB to 2GB.

Regardless, a 1GB upgrade should make your computer run much faster. The computer claims to be out of memory because it is and your virtual memory settings are too low.

Also note that there is NO AGP slot, so you cannot upgrade your graphics card unless you go PCI video, which would not be recommended.

If you are looking to upgrade RAM and video card, you may want to consider throwing more in and just getting a new computer.