What to do with old memory when upgrading memory?

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Mas3nk0

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Jul 31, 2013
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Hi,

I am looking at a new gfx card in combination with a memory upgrade for the september/october period.

Current system specifications:
- Motherboard: ASUS P7P55D LE
- CPU: Intel i5 750
- DDR3: 2x2Gb @ 1333MHz
- GFX: ASUS HD5850
- OS: Windows 7 64bit
- Case: Antec Three Hundred

Upgrade budget: 370€ (split into 300 for the GFX and 100 for the DDR3)
Shops where I live practically use a 1 to 1 exchange rate with USD.

For the GFX upgrade I am looking at the GTX760 @270€ (MSI version as the Gigabyte doesn't fit the case with its 30mm length). I am waiting however for the new AMD series to release to see if they drop something in between the GTX760 and GTX770 performance/price range to be ready for BF4 and other next gen titles.

For the DDR3 I am looking at 8Gb (2x 4Gb) as this is considered generally to be the sweet spot if the rig is mainly for gaming purposes and not work related 3D rendering. The frequency choice would be 1333Mhz as this is what the i5 supports without OCing it which I am not considering at the moment (not familiar with it). For example: GeIL 8 GB DDR3-1333 Kit (GD38GB1333C9DC, Dragon RAM) @65€.

Two questions on which I would appreciate feedback:
1) Any comments/suggestions on my reasoning for this upgrade especially with regards to the DDR3 choice but other observations are also welcome?
2) The motherboard supports 4xDIMM in dual channel so do I remove the old 2x2Gb when installing the new 2x4Gb or do I keep it in for a total of 12Gb?
What are the consequences of both options?

Thanks in advance for the feedback!
 
Solution
mauller07
you can get 12GB as long as the memories are the same speed it should not be a problem.

even if it does not work it will not hurt to try.

what i usually do for best compatability is to place the highest memory sticks into the lowest numbered matching paired slots and then the lower capacity memories into the remaining slots.
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Mas3nk0

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Jul 31, 2013
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Sorry Carowden I was still editing the post while you responded so you only had the first two or three lines of the post. Would appreciate your feedback now that I completed the thread.
 
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mauller07

mauller07

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Mar 28, 2010
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you can get 12GB as long as the memories are the same speed it should not be a problem.

even if it does not work it will not hurt to try.

what i usually do for best compatability is to place the highest memory sticks into the lowest numbered matching paired slots and then the lower capacity memories into the remaining slots.
 
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Solution
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Mas3nk0

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Jul 31, 2013
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Thanks for the feedback Mauller07 so if I understand correctly even if there is 3 years between the purchase of these DDR3 modules they will still be compatible as memory vendors advertise about their sticks being from the same batch for optimal compatibility and does this mean that the 2x4Gb will still be in dual channel even if I have 4xDIMM's installed?

If I can leave in my 2x2Gb would I then be wiser to spend less on DDR3 and buy an additional 2x2Gb instead of 2x4Gb totaling 8Gb over the 4 DIMM slots which would allow me to spend 30€ more on the GFX card in case AMD showes up with something worthwhile at 30€ above the GTX760 price point?
 
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mauller07

mauller07

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keep the matched sticks in matched slots on the motherboard, they are usually colour coded to which slots are paired.
 
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Mas3nk0

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Jul 31, 2013
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Ok I am assuming this is the blue/gray combination on the P7P55LE.

I understand from your response that you prefer to keep 12Gb (2x4Gb+2x2Gb) as memory capacity instead of 8Gb (2x4Gb) while spending a bit more on GFX card for gaming purposes. Is this to be future safe?
 
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Mas3nk0

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Jul 31, 2013
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I have a total upgrade budget of 370€ currently allocated as 270€ for the GTX760 and 70€ for the 4x2Gb but if I would buy only 2x2Gb at 40€ and install them on top of my current 2x2Gb I would still have 8Gb (4x2Gb) total which is recommend for next gen gaming purposes. The additional 40€ could be spent to increase the GFX budget portion to 330€ in case AMD's new series drops a better GFX card between the GTX760 (250€)and GTX770 (400€) price range.

I was asking if you deemed the latter option to be a better choice if the AMD card would materialise in the september/october timeframe.
 
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Mas3nk0

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Jul 31, 2013
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If I can't find exactly the same brand what should I be mindfull of (frequency)?
 
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mauller07

mauller07

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try match the frequencies and CL (CAS Latency) of the ram for best compatibility between all the sticks.
 
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Mas3nk0

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Jul 31, 2013
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Ok thanks I selected you as best answer.

The CL (CAS latency) is usually the first digit when noted like 9-9-9-24, correct?
 
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