memory for a7n8x

[brianl0202]

im building my first computer so im sure there is alot i dont know. i have an a7n8x motherboard, athlon xp 2700, is ddr pc 2700 333MHz memory ok? would 3200 make a difference?
I want 512MB of memory--does it matter if i buy one 512MB or 2-256MB. i wont be OC'ing, im just trying to build a good computer. thanks!

 

[mister_e]

Small world. I just built my first computer recently and I also used an Athlon XP 2700+ with an A7N8X mobo. I did purchase 512MB of PC3200 memory, but realized later that I got better performance if I scaled the memory back to 166MHz (i.e. PC2700 speeds). The PC3200 was about $100 more (total) than the PC2700, so I wish now that I had just bought PC2700

In case you want to know why the "slower" memory actually performs faster...it's because the Athlon 2700 runs at 166MHz but PC3200 memory runs at 200MHz, thus they are not in sync. This is called running your memory asyncronously and it can actually cause "faster" memory to under-perform. What you want to do is match the speed of your memory to the speed of your CPU. That is why PC2700 is better for this processor (unless you will be overclocking your CPU to 200MHz, which I am not)..

Also, I would suggest two sticks of 256MB instead of one stick of 512MB. That is, unless you plan on getting another stick of 512MB soon. Using two sticks of memory will allow you to take advantage of the Dual DDR on the A7N8X.

 

[lhgpoobaa]

The best value for money would be 2 sticks of 256Mb PC2700 running in dual channel mode (or two sticks of 512mb for uber ram capacities!)

PC3200 is pretty much a waste unless you plan on overclocking.

<b>Anyone claiming they can see the difference
between 450 and 500 FPS in Quake3 deserves to
be severely beaten with a rock. </b>

 

[fastingsetiman]

Hi. I'd go with the 512 and 2700.

Dual-channel, double-data rate memory for the a7n8x, you guys sure about that?.