Random Access Memory

Penguin

Fledgling Freddie
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May 11, 2005
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I hope this isn't a silly question, but i don't know all that much about the insides of a computer, - I have 2 sticks of 256MB DDR RAM and 2 slots for RAM in my pc. I'm thinking of upgrading my pc a little, but this means removing a stick of 256MB RAM in order to put a larger stick in. Heres the question :p : Is it possible to "attach" more slots for RAM? (Then i wouldn't lose 256MB RAM whilst upgrading).

Cheers,

Penguin.
 

Jonty

Fledgling Freddie
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
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1,411
Hi Penguin

No, it's not possible to attach more slots for RAM to your motherboard (there are so-called 'riser' cards for PCI slots which do this, but not really RAM, at least not widely available anyway).

Also note that mixing and matching RAM isn't a good idea. Your best bet is to ditch both sticks of 256MB RAM and buy one or two new sticks. You can put your old RAM on eBay or the likes if you want, but with 512MB of good RAM now costing around £30, I can't guarantee how much you'll get.

Kind Regards
 

Penguin

Fledgling Freddie
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May 11, 2005
Messages
375
Thanks for the quick reply Jonty ;) The thing is i'm probably going to buy a 1GB stick, i could get 2 512MB sticks, but then if i wanted to upgrade again in the future it would mean ditching an even larger stick. I guess i could just do a massive upgrade now, but it seems a shame to have to lose 512RAM in the process, although i could sell them on good idea.

Thanks again,

Penguin.
 

Jonty

Fledgling Freddie
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Dec 22, 2003
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Hi Penguin

Sadly this is a problem many people face. Right now, to go with 2x1GB would probably cost somewhere around £120 for some decent kit. Note that this is likely to the maximum your motherboard supports so you won't have to, or indeed be able to, upgrade beyond that point.

In fairness, with DDR2, DDR3 and XDR all on the horizon, it's likely that by the time 2x512MB DDR RAM is no longer enough it would be time to upgrade your whole system. When this happens you'll likely be buying new RAM anyway. So it's really either £60 now for 2x512MB and make do until your next major upgrade. £120 for 2x1GB and try and make your system last that bit longer by putting off a major upgrade. Or £x and upgrade your whole system now.

Kind Regards

Jonty

P.S. Prices are meant as merely a very rough guide, always shop around, and if you can try and sell your old kit :)
 

Penguin

Fledgling Freddie
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Messages
375
I've been looking around at prices, the thing is this upgrade was mainly so that i could play Battlefield 2 - I can't see myself purchasing any other games for a while in the future, i can't keep up with tha latest games.

I don't know anything about DDR2, DDR3 or XDR - I've only heard of DDR2 a few times before, i'll have to do some research, i'm guessing that these are much more "powerful" (If thats the word) than DDR. Hmm, it's a tricky one, but i doubt that either of these would be a requirement anytime soon, as most people wouldn't upgrade straight away?

What do you think would be more effective:

1 Stick of 1GB RAM

2 Sticks of 512MB RAM

1 Stick of 1GB RAM and a different stick of 256MB RAM (Different make etc.)

(You said mixing different sticks wasn't a good idea ;))

I assume that there wouldn't be much difference beween 2 sticks of 512MB RAM and 1 stick of 1GB RAM, and therefore i'd most probably pick 1 stick of 1GB to make upgrading easier in the future.

Cheers,

Penguin.
 

Jonty

Fledgling Freddie
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
1,411
Hi Penguin

With regards DDR2, DDR3 and XDR, all would require a new motherboard, so they can all safely be classed as next-generation technologies (DDR2 is out, but that's not a concern in this case).

As for effectiveness, I'd probably go for 1x1GB. DDR stands for double data rate, and is effectively optimised so that having two sticks of RAM (e.g. 2x512MB) can provide a slight performance gain by balancing operations between both sticks. However, the emphasis is on slight, with many situations requiring a benchmarking tool to discern any difference (e.g. when playing you'd likely be unaware of any advantage). Given that you may upgrade in the future, 1x1GB would likely be your best bet, giving you room to upgrade in the future if needs be.

As for your third suggestion, I'd hazard a guess and say that, despite having a higher overall capacity than 1x1GB, mixing your old and new RAM would probably slow things down over 1x1GB. If you are going to match RAM the best way to do it is ensure: a) they are the same capacities (e.g. 512MB, 1GB etc.) b) same speed (e.g. DDR333/PC2700, DDR400/PC3200 etc.) c) same latency and timings (e.g. CAS 2, 2-2-2-6-2 etc.) d) same manufacturer (e.g. Geil, Corsair etc. (not vital)).

Kind Regards
 

Penguin

Fledgling Freddie
Joined
May 11, 2005
Messages
375
Thanks again Jonty - That helped alot. If i do upgrade then i could fiddle around i guess and see if it's more effective with the mix or just the 1GB stick.

Cheers,

- Penguin.
 

xane

Fledgling Freddie
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
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1,695
Just a reminder to say that often 2 sticks are better than 1 because:

(a) some motherboards take advantage of dual-channel RAM.
(b) if 1 stick goes bang then you can always remove it and run on 1/2 RAM, and its a lot easier to detect the RAM is your problem.
 

Penguin

Fledgling Freddie
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May 11, 2005
Messages
375
Those are some good points Xane! Thanks, i can't make a decision :p

Penguin.
 

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