Two Questions: Can anyone answer them?

[SimplyShane]

Hi guys. Here are my two questions.

1. I recently purchased and installed 8GB (2GB x 4) of Crucial PC3 8500 RAM. I have just now discovered that my chipset actually supports 10600 RAM.

Is it worth going through the hassle of exchanging the RAM? I purchased it from Newegg, so I imagine that I will be hit up with a restocking fee...

2. My Windows Experience Index is only **6.5** right now under the Memory section. This has to be wrong, as my brother is reaching 6.7 with only 4GB of RAM and slower memory speed. (PC2 5400 vs PC3 8500) Wtf?

(Note: CPU-Z tells me that I *am* in dual-channel mode. Also, I *am* using Intel integrated graphics, while my brother is using a Radeon HD 4550 card.)

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If anyone could answer these questions, I would be greatly appreciative. Thank you in advance.

 

[kasunshashi]

For Q 2. - As you have a Intel Integrated Graphics, part of your main memory(RAM) is allocated to graphics processor. Even though you hold advantage in the memory speed you are lagging behind your brother in available RAM amount for general processing.

 

[jerreddredd]

what motherboard and CPU do you have? the CPU must also support 10600.

kasunshashi is probably right for Q2 (w/o further information about each computer).

 

[SimplyShane]

For Q 2. - As you have a Intel Integrated Graphics, part of your main memory(RAM) is allocated to graphics processor. Even though you hold advantage in the memory speed you are lagging behind your brother in available RAM amount for general processing.

I understand this to be true. However, I still have, according to Windows, over 7GB of available memory. ("7.47 GB usable.")
And remember, it is *faster* as well.

Something is wrong here.

In general, I find the computer to be relatively slow considering the amount of RAM I have. (Start-up takes longer than it should, and things aren't quite as snappy as I feel they should be.)

 

[SimplyShane]

what motherboard and CPU do you have? the CPU must also support 10600.

kasunshashi is probably right for Q2 (w/o further information about each computer).

Pentium (R) Dual-Core E6600 @ 3.06 GHZ

It supports 10600, as that is what the computer had in it when I replaced the RAM.

 

[Skippy27]

1.) Probably not.
2.) The amount of memory you have does not necessarily determine the "experience" you are going to get.

Sure lots of memory is good if you are going to be running 3D graphics applications or AutoCAD or some other very memory intensive application. Or if you just want to launch every single thing on your machine at one time. However, having tons of memory in a system is generally wasted money for a vast majority of the users. But it is cheap now a days so everyone thinks throwing 16GB in their system is going to make it something great and it simply wont.

 

[SimplyShane]

1.) Probably not.
2.) The amount of memory you have does not necessarily determine the "experience" you are going to get.

Sure lots of memory is good if you are going to be running 3D graphics applications or AutoCAD or some other very memory intensive application. Or if you just want to launch every single thing on your machine at one time. However, having tons of memory in a system is generally wasted money for a vast majority of the users. But it is cheap now a days so everyone thinks throwing 16GB in their system is going to make it something great and it simply wont.

That still doesn't answer the bogus WEI score.

Am I the only one thinking there is a problem? Am I overreacting?

 

[jerreddredd]

please post your build (MB/CU/RAM/GPU) and your brothers build you are using for reference.

are you both using win 7/64? or win 7/32?