Upgrading RAM

[Chidori602]

i have one word of advice from past experiences, make sure the ram is compatible. I was using a ddr pc3200 and a ddr pc5200 together, and they would actually work, but my computer would randomly turnoff. Now I am using 2 pc3200s and there is no problems

 

[johnlgalt]

Compatibility is more suited to matching RAM to motherboard. For example, if oyur RAM increments in 100s while your system increments in x33s, then you will most likely run into issues as you'll need an exact timing map for matching those together. I ran into something similar with my matched pair of OCZ ReaperX Hyper RAM, which are PC28500 (1000 MHz) whereas my mobo likes increments of x33, instead, so matching the OC on my CPU to a value that is compatible with the RAM without overclocknig the RAM too much became an issue for me. I had to settle for a very weird timing ration (that eventually I fine tuned by downstepping the OC on my CPU) so that now the RAM is running at stock 1000 and the CPU is running at stock 1400 so the match comes out to a weird 5:7 ratio, IIRC (Can't exactly boot into the BIOS while typing this to verify lol).

If you had had a matched set of PC25200 you may still have had issues as it simply was not compatible with your mobo (and rightfully so, as if it came with PC23200, then its timings would probably be limited to 400/800.

Yes,yes, yes, I know DDR / DDR2 / DDR3 is supposed to downclock appropriately - but cheaper, higher speed RAM sometimes just doesn't do it.

 

[glockjs]

CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting will show you whats what.

yeah ram can be touchy...and some mobo's are really picky buying quality ram from a quality company will solve a lot of probs though. although i'm starting to believe corsair is the only ram company i can trust no matter what :/

 

[johnlgalt]

I've been of that mind a long time, but Corsair is also a bit more than I like to pay for, and sometimes I like living on the edge

G. Skill has gotten many a good review, but too many bad ones as well. OCZ is similar, and there was a third company that I had heard very little about but seemed to get a unusual amount of good reviews for quality High Speed RAM (this was back when I was researching DDR2, haven't looked around for DDR3 yet)

 

[glockjs]

yeah ddr3 has been horrible...a lot of companies are having issues(bad modules etc)...to me that just says corsairs quality control is above the rest. sometimes its worth the extra few extra bucks to skip the headache :/

yeah i was a g.skill fanboi until these last sticks. they work but picky as f just the issues with ddr3....

by the other company are you referring to Team Extreme by chance? if so they are an awesome company!

 

[johnlgalt]

Dunno, been 2 years now, but that doesn't sound like it....trying hard to remember - may peruse my 2500 BMs later to see....

A.Data, maybe?

 

[glockjs]

yeah a.data is actually not half bad. in my mind i still classify them as value ram...but they are one of those companies that are making strides. so in some years they could break into that quality ram category.