Upgrading my Memory

[volitan]

I have a K8N Neo Platinum board with 1GB of Kingston HyperX KHX3200AK2/1G RAM which is made up of 2 512 chips. I'd like to increase my RAM up to 2Gigs, but i only have one slot left on the board. My question is which type of RAM should i buy to not cause problems. Kingston has a 1GB chip of HyperX, but before i spend the $270 for it, i'd like to see if i could get away with something cheaper from say OCZ or Patriot without slowing myself down or having issues. Anyways, what i have runs at 2.6 volts and 2-3-2-6.

 

[BrentUnitedMem]

What will you be using your computer for?

1GB is optimal for XP. The extra memory stick may cause problems for your system.

____________________________________________________
"Memory with lifetime warranty? So, whose lifetime is that?"
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AIM BrentUnitedMem

 

[volitan]

I use it mostly for gaming, but some video and photo editing as well. I also plan to upgrade to WinXP x64 next month, and from what i've read, more memory is supposed to be better on 64-bit machines.

 

[BrentUnitedMem]

In some rare situations with the normal version of XP will you benefit from 2GB.

Even gaming you don't really need more than 1GB, as log as you dont have too many applications running while you are gaming. If you are a hardcore gamer then 2GB may benefit you.

For the new 64-bit version of XP, I'm not sure how it manages the memory, or why it would need up to 2GB.

____________________________________________________
"Memory with lifetime warranty? So, whose lifetime is that?"
<A HREF="http://www.brentcrowley.com/" target="_new">homepage</A>
AIM BrentUnitedMem

 

[volitan]

Yeah, i would say i am a hardcore gamer. I've been looking around, and the closest match to my RAMs specs is an OCZ single. Basically the only difference is in the timing. Is this something that would probably work?

Capacity 1GB
Speed DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Cas Latency 2
Timing 2-3-2-5
Voltage 2.6V
ECC No
Registered/Unbuffered Unbuffered
Heat Spreader Yes

 

[BrentUnitedMem]

2GB for hard core gaming is a good idea. With 2GB it's a good idea to limit the page-filing, as your PC will rarely use the hard drive for swapping.

For gaming you could go with a pair of 1GB performance modules. Better to buy identical pairs of course.

OCZ is an good choice if you want performance. In this case you could go with CL2 memory. If you arent so interested in fancy memory and cost is an issue, best to stick with CL3 memory for larger memory sizes. CL3 offers more stability and a wider range of compatibility.


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"Memory with lifetime warranty? So, whose lifetime is that?"
<A HREF="http://www.brentcrowley.com/" target="_new">homepage</A>
<font color=red>AIM BrentUnitedMem<font color=white>

 

[volitan]

So what if i were to keep the two Kingston 512s i have and buy a single 1GB OCZ as i listed. Is that something that would probably work? I'm mainly concerned because i only have 3 slot on my Mobo for RAM and i'm not sure i'll be able to sell my 2 512s for anything near what i paid. So basically i'm trying to get a Gig stick that'll work with what i have.

 

[BrentUnitedMem]

<A HREF="http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=K8N_Neo_Platinum&class=mb" target="_new">K8N Neo Platinum</A>
• Supports 3 slots for 184-pin DDR SDRAM DIMM modules.
• Supports the memory size up to 2GB.
• Supports unbuffered non-ECC DDR 400/333/266.
• Supports a maximum memory size of 2GB for DDR400
• Supports a maximum memory size of 3GB for DDR333

You'll be fine with 1GB + (2x 512MB). The board is single channel anyway.

<font color=green>*****
"Memory with lifetime warranty? So, whose lifetime is that?"
<A HREF="http://www.brentcrowley.com/" target="_new">homepage</A>
<font color=red>AIM BrentUnitedMem<font color=white>

 

[volitan]

Thanks for your help on this. RAM is my intellectual kryptonite when it comes to computers so i was worried about dropping the cash before i checked around.