How important is RAM exactly in regards to gaming?

[DigitalDragon]

Hey, I'm getting a new rig soon that includes a Q6600 and a G92 8800GTS, mainly for gaming. Right now I'm thinking what kind of RAM to get, so I have two quick questions: (I apologize, they've probably been asked before, but I couldn't find them)

1: How important is the quality of my memory sticks? Should they be of a high quality or can I just get away with any random cheap memory?

2: Should I go for okay-quality 2 GB's of RAM or really cheap 4 GB's of RAM?

I'll be using 64-bit Vista, but I won't overclock

Thanks!

 

[darkguset]

By quality we usually mean two things:
1) Guaranteed DIMMs that will work under stress (high temperatures, etc.) those are bin picked usually for server environments where critical applications need to be up and running 24/7 with close to 0 parity errors.
2) DIMMs that will probably overclock higher, easier and with less voltage than a generic stick.

Now if you don't need (1) the only question that remains is overclock. If you plan to overclock then try to get a reputable stick that is known for its overclocking capabilities.
If you just want to stick everything in your PC and start playing with no O/C, then just get the more RAM and you will be fine.

Now regarding your title: How important is RAM to gaming... that is completely relevant to the game you will be playing. It generally depends on the game. Today's games will require a 1GB as absolute minimum to play properly. With 2GB you are sitting fine. 4GB is a bit overkill for today, but not later than 2 years from now it will probably be moving towards the minimum bar.
On the other hand, faster RAM will help your games look smoother, by providing lower minimum fps.

What i would do in your case is get a higher quality RAM and overclock both the CPU and RAM to their max. Good luck and happy gaming!

 

[starcraftfanatic]

1. Quality generally determines how long they last, and how stable they will be. Stick to established brands like Crucial and Corsair and OCZ and others. With the Core 2's, there is not much difference performance-wise anymore between average memory and super memory, and the same goes to cruddy memory.

2. Get 2 sticks of 5-5-5-15 or 18 latency 2GB modules. Any established brands memory will do it's job the way it's advertised.
Stay away fromt the super cheap deals unless you're on a really small budget. I'd recommend these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145176

 

[badgtx1969]

1. Quality generally determines how long they last, and how stable they will be. Stick to established brands like Crucial and Corsair and OCZ and others. With the Core 2's, there is not much difference performance-wise anymore between average memory and super memory, and the same goes to cruddy memory.

2. Get 2 sticks of 5-5-5-15 or 18 latency 2GB modules. Any established brands memory will do it's job the way it's advertised.
Stay away fromt the super cheap deals unless you're on a really small budget. I'd recommend these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145176

The best DDR2 RAM is Micron based, and I have been seeing Crucial DDR2 DIMMs dirt cheap 6+ months. You just have to hunt for the right deals (have even seen 2x2GB):
http://www.buy.com/prod/crucial-ballistix-tracer-2gb-2-x-1gb-pc2-6400-800mhz-240-pin-ddr2/q/loc/101/204588700.html
$46 or less after mail-in rebate for the 2X1GB Ballistix tracers

This link is a good resource to check if you'll be getting Micron D9s:
http://ramlist.ath.cx/ddr2/

 

[teh_boxzor]

Pretty important in terms of games like COH which takes up quite a lot of system RAM.

also what you need for vista is more vRAM (video card RAM) since vista uses the hardware to render aeroglass (or whatever that transparent crap is)

 

[jedimasterben]

Since you're going to be using a Q6600 and not overclocking, then you could squelch away with 2x2GB of DDR2-533 (PC2-4200).
This way, when you run the RAM in dual channel, it matches the CPU's FSB and bandwidth, which will then level out the speed..

Any RAM exceeding 533 is really just overkill for you.

Here's a good PQI kit with heat spreaders and 3-3-3-8 timings:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820141241

 

[imrul]

get ddr2 533 w/ 4gb. super high quality is a rip off but so is super low quality