1.5 GB or 2.5 GB RAM (Windows XP)

[therefiller]

Hello everyone.

For Christmas, I plan on adding another gig of RAM to my computer. My current RAM is .5 GB right now, so if I upgrade it to 1.5 GB, will it run games like TF2 well with a graphics card that is capable of running it on maximum settings? Should I upgrade it to 2.5 GB for better performance, or would I notice little difference? I'm sure I will eventually reach my goal of 2.5 GB, but I don't have too much money right now, so I'm just wondering how long I could stall before my games get more and more RAM hungry.

 

[V3NOM]

yeah 512 is bottlenecking pretty much any game out there...

 

[therefiller]

yeah 512 is bottlenecking pretty much any game out there...

Thanks, but my main questions is whether or not there is a huge difference between 1.5 GB to 2.5 GB when it comes to playing games on the Orange Box (namely TF2, HL2:EP2, and Portal).

 

[therefiller]

The more the better, so get what you can afford.

Sure.

Any cheap 1GB DDR brands you guys recommend?

 

[dechy]

If you have 512MB right now, then it's probably paired with a really slow/old CPU, old gfx card & probably even go as far as under 7200RPM HD. I know the only systems I've dealt with in the last 2-3 months that had only 512MB met all of what I just described; meaning upgrading any 1 component alone will be near a waste.

Obviously, the more of anything (RAM/MHz/RPM/MB/etc...) is good, but to what degree?

Post your full computer specs, as even going to 2.5GB on an old 1.8GHz P4 with integrated gfx (or some other cheap card) might make you very disappointed towards your "upgrade".

 

[therefiller]

If you have 512MB right now, then it's probably paired with a really slow/old CPU, old gfx card & probably even go as far as under 7200RPM HD. I know the only systems I've dealt with in the last 2-3 months that had only 512MB met all of what I just described; meaning upgrading any 1 component alone will be near a waste.

Obviously, the more of anything (RAM/MHz/RPM/MB/etc...) is good, but to what degree?

Post your full computer specs, as even going to 2.5GB on an old 1.8GHz P4 with integrated gfx (or some other cheap card) might make you very disappointed towards your "upgrade".

I'm getting this card to upgrade my current Intel chip:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102792

It can run on a 305 watt power supply, as stated by people who reviewed it.

Here are my full specs:

http://www.superwarehouse.com/Sony_VAIO_RB40/VGCRB40/ps/617486

 

[boulard83]

Nice, thx for you CPU spec

Your system support a MAX of 2g so

2x 1g is the best for you.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161161
nice reviews on this 2x1g kit. 38$

 

[therefiller]

Nice, thx for you CPU spec

Your system support a MAX of 2g so

2x 1g is the best for you.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161161
nice reviews on this 2x1g kit. 38$

Thanks a lot! I'll check that out.

Also, if I were to take two different brands of RAM, they wouldn't conflict with each other in anyway, right? I wouldn't imagine so, but I'm just wondering. I'm not the most knowledgeable person on computers in the world, so bear with me.

 

[therefiller]

Oh, but my original questions still remains.

1.5GB is enough for gaming of my level, right? At least temporarily. I'm not exactly trying to run games like Crysis or anything. Remember, I like Valve games and other games that utilize the Source engine.

EDIT - I plan on playing these games on maximum settings with a resolution of 1024 X [whatever it is]

 

[boulard83]

Timing and voltage arnt the same for all brand. youll have to manual some settings. The best bet is to go for this 2g kit. CHEAP and good for you !

 

[therefiller]

Shoot.

Can my computer hold 1GB a slot, or is it a maximum of 512MB a slot? I know computers have their limit, but I'm a little bit skeptical right now. I have four RAM slots, I believe.

 

[therefiller]

Never mind, found out the maximum memory per slot is 512MB. I think I'm going to go with this pack instead:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820141423

 

[allhands]

Where did you see it's a maximum of 512 MB per slot? Your system can hold a max of 2 gigs but you should be put any stick into those slots as long as it's 184 pin DDR SDRAM. I would go with 2 gigs since memory is so cheap.

 

[geofelt]

For any ram you are considering, do your own homework.
Go to the ram vendor's web site, and access their configurator.
Corsair, Kingston, Patriot, OCZ and others have them.
Their compatibility list is more current than the motherboard vendor's QVL lists which rarely get updated.
Enter your mobo or PC, and get a list of compatible ram sticks.

Ram vendors can change the manufacturing technology at any time, even though the specs on the sticks are exactly the same for voltage, speed, and timings. Some motherboards are very sensitive to this. It is better to populate with kits of the exact same ram.

 

[V3NOM]

geez must be a bit pricey... DDR is more expensive than DDR3 LOL

 

[boulard83]

i dont se anywhere that you mem slot are 512mb MAX.

you have 2 slot and a max of 2g ....

Memory: 512 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max), DDR SDRAM, 400 MHz
from the link you gave us to find your spec ....

Edit : Expansion Slots Total 2 x memory, DIMM 184 pin

 

[tcsenter]

I'm getting this card to upgrade my current Intel chip:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102792

It can run on a 305 watt power supply, as stated by people who reviewed it.

Its not the watts that matter but rather the AMPS. e.g. a 300W SeaSonic or PC Power and Cooling PSU can handle more loading than a lot of cheaper 500W PSU. The 305W unit in your Sony may be the same OEM units that Dell uses, which are decent quality. The HD 4670 is a 60W ~ 65W card under load, so it is not certain your PSU will be adequate. If not, here are two of the best deals going on new PSU at the moment:

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ500SXS 500W ATX12V / EPS12V Active PFC - $30.00 shipped (after rebate)

PC Power & Cooling Silencer S41D2 410W ATX12V Active PFC - $40.00 shipped (after rebate)


Your system should accept 1GB per slot for 2GB total. Here is a better deal than the Wintec:

CORSAIR ValueSelect 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR 400 - $25.00 (after rebate)

 

[therefiller]

Hey guys. Sorry for the incredibly late reply. I doubt you are going to answer this, but I'll go on anyway.

I was under the impression that my system had 4 slots, each holding 256 MB at the moment. I don't know how in the world this came to be, but I have 1 GB RAM as of now, according to clicking "Properties" on My Computer. So I believe I have 256 MB of RAM in the 4 slots, which can be upgraded to 512 MB a slot for a grand total of 2 GB.

I could be wrong, but I'm just checking.

 

[geofelt]

Hey guys. Sorry for the incredibly late reply. I doubt you are going to answer this, but I'll go on anyway.

I was under the impression that my system had 4 slots, each holding 256 MB at the moment. I don't know how in the world this came to be, but I have 1 GB RAM as of now, according to clicking "Properties" on My Computer. So I believe I have 256 MB of RAM in the 4 slots, which can be upgraded to 512 MB a slot for a grand total of 2 GB.

I could be wrong, but I'm just checking.

Download and run cpu-z. It will tell you exactly what you have for mob and ram.

 

[therefiller]

Thanks. I downloaded the program and it seems some-what similar to Everest, which I already have installed, but useful anyway.

I have another question. Off-topic, I know, but is there really any huge performance gain from PCI x16 to PCI 2.0? As of today's standards? Don't get me wrong, I Googled it and everything, but almost all the results were from around a year ago. I'm just wondering if an ATI HD 4670 would be bottle necked much by my PCI x16 slot.

Here's my specs:

http://www.superwarehouse.com/Sony_VAIO_RB42G/VGC-RB42G/ps/610222

Here's the 4670:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102792

So what do you guys say? Bottle neck for games like TF2 and CoD4, or will the card run near full performance?

 

[geofelt]

PCI-e 1.0 and 2.0 ares forward and backward compatible. There is no meaningful difference in performance with any of today's cards.

 

[mikrev007]

Its not the watts that matter but rather the AMPS.

Since the formula is watts = amps * voltage
i would think there is a relation. But there is a difference in how different psu's handles the load on the different rails