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Thread ID: 66116	2006-02-11 13:27:00	Questions about RAM	Faded_Mantis (79)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
429317	2006-02-11 13:27:00	Hey, I'm thinking of getting some RAM, and heres my question. I know DDR ram can only be used when you have even sticks (2 or 4). However on www.ascent.co.nz under kingston RAM they have listed "ValueRAM" and "HyperX" (Hyper X is higher preformance, for gaming etc) if I was going for 768mb ram I could have these 3 combinations and still only get 2 sticks: 2x256mb of HyperX RAM = $130.96 1x512mb + 1x256mb of ValueRAM = $147.64 1x512mb + 1x256mb of HyperX RAM = $180.47 I am a budget consious student, who wants to use the computer for gaming also. So the question is, will the extra preformance I can expect from the HyperX RAM show from 512mb of HyperX against 768mb of ValueRAM for only $17 more? or is there a big enough difference in ram for the ValueRAM to be good enough anyway? Also is the preformance increase between the 768mb ValueRAM and 768mb of HyperX RAM be big enough for me to pay an extra $33 to get it? NOTE: Both ValueRAM and HyperX RAM are made by Kingston	Faded_Mantis (79)
429318	2006-02-11 16:59:00	I know DDR ram can only be used when you have even sticks (2 or 4). er..............NO...... it'll only work in 'dual channel' mode IF your pc supports dual channel and IF you have two sticks the same.......otherwise you can use 1 stick or three or whatever......	drcspy (146)
429319	2006-02-11 17:15:00	lso is the preformance increase between the 768mb ValueRAM and 768mb of HyperX RAM be big enough for me to pay an extra $33 to get it? cant really tell without more detail.....what's the clk speed ?......whichever ram has the higher speed will be a little faster wont it.....	drcspy (146)
429320	2006-02-12 06:00:00	At your first post; I ment to use them as dual channel as opposed to them reverting to single channel. You mention "2 sticks the same" does this mean same size (e.g. 256mb) as well as same clock speed manufacturer etc...? At your second post; The RAM modules were DDR 400 with the following specifications: Kingston ValueRAM, 256mb, DDR-SDRAM, DIMM, DDR400 - Rates speed: 400MHz - Bandwidth: PC3200 - CAS: 2.5 - ECC: No - Registered: No Kingston ValueRAM, 512MB, DDR-SDRAM, DIMM, DDR400 - Rated speed: 400MHz - Bandwidth: PC3200 - CAS: 2.5 - ECC: No - Registered: No Kingston HyperX, 256MB, DDR-SDRAM, DIMM, DDR400 - Rated Speed: 400MHz - Bandwidth: PC3200 - CAS: 2 - ECC: No - Registered: No Kingston HyperX, 512MB, DDR-SDRAM, DIMM, DDR400 - Rated Speed: 400MHz - Bandwidth: PC3200 - CAS: 2 - ECC: No - Registered: No The only difference seams to be teh CAS rating, and I have read that a CAS rating difference of 1 (only 0.5 in this sample) is so small that it's not worth the extra money. To repeat the origional question; "So the question is, will the extra preformance I can expect from the HyperX RAM show from 512mb of HyperX against 768mb of ValueRAM for only $17 more? or is there a big enough difference in ram for the ValueRAM to be good enough anyway? Also is the preformance increase between the 768mb ValueRAM and 768mb of HyperX RAM be big enough for me to pay an extra $33 to get it?"	Faded_Mantis (79)
429321	2006-02-12 06:23:00	HyperX isnt really worth the extra money over value ram if your only gonna run the ram at spec. If your not an overclocker consider purchasing 1gig of generic ram, the more memory the better. Brands such as Legend, TwinMOS, Apacer, and A-Data should suffice for your needs and allow you to pick up 1gig (2x512) for around $150.	Pete O'Neil (6584)
429322	2006-02-15 08:04:00	hmm, what kind of preformance could be expected from the brands like A-date, apacer etc, commpared to Kingston, Western Digital and Corsair? Is it still like a few years ago where cheap no name brand RAM went faulty alot (personal Experiance)	Faded_Mantis (79)
429323	2006-02-15 09:20:00	Worrying about the CAS timing of RAM is pretty much a waste of time (i.e. the extra $$ for the HyperX). What is vaguely important for performance is (as others have said), dual channel mode i.e. you have to get a matched pair. So having said that the: Kingston ValueRAM Dual Channel Memory Kit, 2x512MB, DDR-SDRAM, DIMM, DDR400 looks good for around $170 (1Gb is a good spot for games these days and it is worth it over 512 MB for sure). The Kingston looks good as it comes with a "lifetime" warranty (and at Ascent is costs $2 more than AData who give you a mere 12 months). I suspect that most of the crappy RAM makers have disappeared these days, just the warranty period matters in my eyes. Buy yep Ascent isn't the cheapest (although returning faulty stuff is painless).. have a look on pricespy (http://www.pricespy.co.nz) To sum up, not having enough memory is more importand than worrying about performance....	gibler (49)
429324	2006-02-15 17:53:00	I have recently replaced my 2 x 512 no-name ram with 2x 1 gig low latency ram. 2-3-2-5. As far as performance goes the low latency has made no difference to my normal useage. But the extra gig of ram has. Particularly in games. So I would say quantity is more important than quality.	JJJJJ (528)
429325	2006-02-17 11:42:00	Ok thanks for the help guys. btw, just to clear up "matching pairs" does this mean 2 of same manufacteror, speeds and ram mb (e.g. 2x256) or does it just mean same manufacteror, speeds/specs (e.g. 1x512 1x256 still giving dual?)	Faded_Mantis (79)
429326	2006-02-18 07:59:00	Ok thanks for the help guys. btw, just to clear up "matching pairs" does this mean 2 of same manufacteror, speeds and ram mb (e.g. 2x256) or does it just mean same manufacteror, speeds/specs (e.g. 1x512 1x256 still giving dual?) They have to be the same size and same spec. You normally don't need the same manufacturer, but it can be a nightmare figuring out if the specs are close enough to be a match. This is why manufacturers put out the kits containing two pieces. If you have four memory slots, then one matched pair can be a different size from another matched pair. To sum up 1x512 1x256 won't run in dual channel ...	gibler (49)
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