Getting more RAM.

empire · 12-21-2005, 01:59 PM

Hi I'm getting more RAM. I wanna a buy a 1024. The thing is the current ram in my comp says its channel is pc3200. Does that mean I have to get another with that same channel?

Fishfinger · 12-21-2005, 05:03 PM

yea dont get pc2700
buy PC3200

Random Ping · 12-21-2005, 11:01 PM

Always get the same type fo RAM when your upgrading, otherwise your mobo could malfunction or get fried. Also try to get the same brand of RAM, sometimes different brands and types (Generic Value Ram vs. Corsair XMS, for example) can cause problems as well.

empire · 12-21-2005, 11:25 PM

Dang, this sucks because the ram i HP and they dont make a pc3200 1G stick. I only have 1 free slot. Also I checked in CPU-Z and it said my RAM is 512 and im only getting like 320 out of it. I dont wanna buy somethin that isnt gonna give me what it says. Please help. Also what kinda problems are there when U buy different types? CanI get rid of the ram I have now and replace it with 2 1G sticks? I want to get the gamin started before xmas. What will happen if I get anything higher then PC2-3200? Thanks

Random Ping · 12-22-2005, 02:39 AM

The 320 coming out of the 512 stick might be because you have the ram turned down in you BIOS. Check your ram speed in the bois to make sure.

Regarding different types, I put in a ddr stick with a sd ram stick, and my motherboard fried/died. The ram also fried as well. I would personally check the website of your motherboard manufacturer, or at least the manual, to see what the highest speed ram u can handle is. My gigabyte board goes up to pc3200 and the processor limit is an athelon 3000+, for example. I don't know for sure what would happen to your computer if you tried different speed ram sticks, but you would probably would not be playing before Christmas, if at all.

Check your specifics either on the website or in the manual for the limits of your motherboard and then see what you can get. Also, it may help if you posted your computer specs, so we can get a general idea about the rest of your system and its requirements.

empire · 12-22-2005, 04:49 AM

well, the computer was gift if you wanna call it that,lol. Its an HP

There so cheap it came with no manual.but here are the specs anyways:

MD Sempron 3000+ processor (1.8 GHz, 128 KB L2 Cache, 1600 MHz System Bus)
80 GB hard drive
512 MB PC2-3200 DDR2 SDRAM (soon to be a Gb I hope)
ATI X850 Pro 256mb
IDK about the MoBo, It says:
AsusTek
Model-Salmon

Well thats all I know. But it would really help if HP gave manules with there comps. Is there a way I can look at the specs of my MoBo through my computer?wow I found the specs. Here you go http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...me =c00257657

Caslon · 12-22-2005, 05:59 AM

you can mix pc2700 with a pc3200 stick, but it will run at pc2700 ram speed.

grim reaper · 12-22-2005, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Random Ping

The 320 coming out of the 512 stick might be because you have the ram turned down in you BIOS. Check your ram speed in the bois to make sure.

Regarding different types, I put in a ddr stick with a sd ram stick, and my motherboard fried/died. The ram also fried as well. I would personally check the website of your motherboard manufacturer, or at least the manual, to see what the highest speed ram u can handle is. My gigabyte board goes up to pc3200 and the processor limit is an athelon 3000+, for example. I don't know for sure what would happen to your computer if you tried different speed ram sticks, but you would probably would not be playing before Christmas, if at all.

Check your specifics either on the website or in the manual for the limits of your motherboard and then see what you can get. Also, it may help if you posted your computer specs, so we can get a general idea about the rest of your system and its requirements.

How the funk did you fit DDR in a SD slot. They have different pin arrangements to stop you doing this.

As long as you put the same type of RAM in, in this case DDR you wont damage anything. However if you put a slower stick in all sticks will run at that slower speed. Check CPUZ to see what the latency's (under the SPD tab) are. Low latency ram is more expensive than normal ram.

empire · 12-22-2005, 01:42 PM

It came with that RAM already in it. So what kinda Ram can I get, I want atleast a Gb. Can someone help me. My CAS latency is 3. Everything else(readings) are not showing. Would this work though?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...p?EdpNo=587480

Caslon · 12-22-2005, 03:01 PM

Look up your motherboard. Google it. It will list the most stable solid memory to use.

Go with that. One stick of 1 gig ram of that will proabably do just dandy.

Random Ping · 12-22-2005, 05:35 PM

Here's what I found:

The 320 MB of memory shown of 512 total memory question can be answered by the link below. Apparently it's all the memory is being used, but Asus boards will only show part of the memory. The rest is used for bios and other internal features.

http://support.asus.com/faq/faq.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

Now to the real issue; After searching for a little while, I could only find a motherboard that was similar to your board, not exactly the same. I think your AMD socket type is 754, but since your board is not exactly the same model I can't know for sure. For the socket 754 boards it says that the memory should be PC2700/PC3200 (333/400 speed).

http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?m...3&l2=14&l3 =0

The HP spec site you mention (below) would be the best source, as it has the best information that I have found for your particular board. It also says the memory should be PC2700/PC3200, so those would be the best types for you.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...me =c00257657

Using all this information, I believe your best bet you be to get the 1GB stick from TigerDirect, or whereever you want to get it, and use that instead of the 512mb stick. As Caslon said before, you could use both, but your speed would only be as fast as the PC2700 if you put both in. The OCZ 1GB ram stick should be fine, and it will allow you to add another stick if you feel the need to upgrade to 2GB later. Since there is only two memory modules on the board, I would suggest getting another OCZ 1GB stick when you do decide to upgrade in the future.

As a side note, a great place to find RAM online in the US is here:

http://shop1.outpost.com/category/Ou...+Memory/Memory

You may have to wait a while to get the exact type of memory your looking for to come on sale, but you can get it dirt cheap with rebates when it does. I got 1.5GB for $135 about a year ago.

empire · 12-22-2005, 10:17 PM

Thanks a bunch I appreciate it. Would a Dual Channel work or does that have something to do with the MoBo supporting it. Thanks again.

Random Ping · 12-22-2005, 10:22 PM

Most of the spec sheets say DDR, so that's what I would choose. Though DDR2 seems to also work with your current system, so it's a little confusing. I am unfamiliar with the major differences between the DDR, DDR2, and DDR3 types, so if someone else knows about them, feel free to jump in and help out. Maybe ask a store tech about the memory difference if no one know here, store techs who deal with memory products usually are up to date with the latest info.

empire · 12-22-2005, 11:51 PM

OK, Is 2.5 CAS latency good?

grim reaper · 12-23-2005, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Random Ping

Most of the spec sheets say DDR, so that's what I would choose. Though DDR2 seems to also work with your current system, so it's a little confusing. I am unfamiliar with the major differences between the DDR, DDR2, and DDR3 types, so if someone else knows about them, feel free to jump in and help out. Maybe ask a store tech about the memory difference if no one know here, store techs who deal with memory products usually are up to date with the latest info.

DDR, DDR2 and DDR3 Are not backawrds compatible. You simply buy the one your motherboard on processor supports.

Usually DDR for most AMD processors and DDR2 for most Intels.

Nothing currently uses DDR3 however it is rumoured AMD may use it for Socket M2.

Caslon · 12-25-2005, 01:54 AM

Dual channel memory capability is a motherboard feature specific to those that make them.
You buy exact pair of memory modules.

You shouldn't worry about it and just get a gig of compatible ram.
With your setup..just go with DDR ram that gets you 1 gig.

Also, I posted already to look up your motherboard specs and see what they reccomend.
If your mb is so obscure that they don't have reccomendations for memory...just go for the obvious and not look for latest cutting edge.
Go with system stability, not cutting edge fast.

12-21-2005, 01:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
empire Private Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 97	Getting more RAM. Hi I'm getting more RAM. I wanna a buy a 1024. The thing is the current ram in my comp says its channel is pc3200. Does that mean I have to get another with that same channel?

12-21-2005, 05:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
Fishfinger Major Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: The Shire of Wilts Posts: 3,508	yea dont get pc2700 buy PC3200 __________________ Your message here My Stats

12-21-2005, 11:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
Random Ping Master Warrant Officer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Evergreen State (at least on the West coast) Posts: 1,275	Always get the same type fo RAM when your upgrading, otherwise your mobo could malfunction or get fried. Also try to get the same brand of RAM, sometimes different brands and types (Generic Value Ram vs. Corsair XMS, for example) can cause problems as well. __________________ It is not important that the glass is half-full or half-empty, but rather how the glass got that way.

12-22-2005, 02:39 AM	#5 (permalink)
Random Ping Master Warrant Officer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Evergreen State (at least on the West coast) Posts: 1,275	The 320 coming out of the 512 stick might be because you have the ram turned down in you BIOS. Check your ram speed in the bois to make sure. Regarding different types, I put in a ddr stick with a sd ram stick, and my motherboard fried/died. The ram also fried as well. I would personally check the website of your motherboard manufacturer, or at least the manual, to see what the highest speed ram u can handle is. My gigabyte board goes up to pc3200 and the processor limit is an athelon 3000+, for example. I don't know for sure what would happen to your computer if you tried different speed ram sticks, but you would probably would not be playing before Christmas, if at all. Check your specifics either on the website or in the manual for the limits of your motherboard and then see what you can get. Also, it may help if you posted your computer specs, so we can get a general idea about the rest of your system and its requirements. __________________ It is not important that the glass is half-full or half-empty, but rather how the glass got that way.

12-22-2005, 05:35 PM	#11 (permalink)
Random Ping Master Warrant Officer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Evergreen State (at least on the West coast) Posts: 1,275	Here's what I found: The 320 MB of memory shown of 512 total memory question can be answered by the link below. Apparently it's all the memory is being used, but Asus boards will only show part of the memory. The rest is used for bios and other internal features. http://support.asus.com/faq/faq.aspx?SLanguage=en-us Now to the real issue; After searching for a little while, I could only find a motherboard that was similar to your board, not exactly the same. I think your AMD socket type is 754, but since your board is not exactly the same model I can't know for sure. For the socket 754 boards it says that the memory should be PC2700/PC3200 (333/400 speed). http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?m...3&l2=14&l3 =0 The HP spec site you mention (below) would be the best source, as it has the best information that I have found for your particular board. It also says the memory should be PC2700/PC3200, so those would be the best types for you. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...me =c00257657 Using all this information, I believe your best bet you be to get the 1GB stick from TigerDirect, or whereever you want to get it, and use that instead of the 512mb stick. As Caslon said before, you could use both, but your speed would only be as fast as the PC2700 if you put both in. The OCZ 1GB ram stick should be fine, and it will allow you to add another stick if you feel the need to upgrade to 2GB later. Since there is only two memory modules on the board, I would suggest getting another OCZ 1GB stick when you do decide to upgrade in the future. As a side note, a great place to find RAM online in the US is here: http://shop1.outpost.com/category/Ou...+Memory/Memory You may have to wait a while to get the exact type of memory your looking for to come on sale, but you can get it dirt cheap with rebates when it does. I got 1.5GB for $135 about a year ago. __________________ It is not important that the glass is half-full or half-empty, but rather how the glass got that way.

12-21-2005, 11:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
empire Private Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 97	Dang, this sucks because the ram i HP and they dont make a pc3200 1G stick. I only have 1 free slot. Also I checked in CPU-Z and it said my RAM is 512 and im only getting like 320 out of it. I dont wanna buy somethin that isnt gonna give me what it says. Please help. Also what kinda problems are there when U buy different types? CanI get rid of the ram I have now and replace it with 2 1G sticks? I want to get the gamin started before xmas. What will happen if I get anything higher then PC2-3200? Thanks

12-22-2005, 04:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
empire Private Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 97	well, the computer was gift if you wanna call it that,lol. Its an HP There so cheap it came with no manual.but here are the specs anyways: MD Sempron 3000+ processor (1.8 GHz, 128 KB L2 Cache, 1600 MHz System Bus) 80 GB hard drive 512 MB PC2-3200 DDR2 SDRAM (soon to be a Gb I hope) ATI X850 Pro 256mb IDK about the MoBo, It says: AsusTek Model-Salmon Well thats all I know. But it would really help if HP gave manules with there comps. Is there a way I can look at the specs of my MoBo through my computer?wow I found the specs. Here you go http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...me =c00257657

12-22-2005, 05:59 AM	#7 (permalink)
Caslon Lieutenant Colonel Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Deep inside the Earth. Posts: 4,581	you can mix pc2700 with a pc3200 stick, but it will run at pc2700 ram speed.

12-22-2005, 01:42 PM	#9 (permalink)
empire Private Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 97	It came with that RAM already in it. So what kinda Ram can I get, I want atleast a Gb. Can someone help me. My CAS latency is 3. Everything else(readings) are not showing. Would this work though? http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...p?EdpNo=587480

12-22-2005, 03:01 PM	#10 (permalink)
Caslon Lieutenant Colonel Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Deep inside the Earth. Posts: 4,581	Look up your motherboard. Google it. It will list the most stable solid memory to use. Go with that. One stick of 1 gig ram of that will proabably do just dandy.

12-22-2005, 10:17 PM	#12 (permalink)
empire Private Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 97	Thanks a bunch I appreciate it. Would a Dual Channel work or does that have something to do with the MoBo supporting it. Thanks again.

12-22-2005, 10:22 PM	#13 (permalink)
Random Ping Master Warrant Officer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Evergreen State (at least on the West coast) Posts: 1,275	Most of the spec sheets say DDR, so that's what I would choose. Though DDR2 seems to also work with your current system, so it's a little confusing. I am unfamiliar with the major differences between the DDR, DDR2, and DDR3 types, so if someone else knows about them, feel free to jump in and help out. Maybe ask a store tech about the memory difference if no one know here, store techs who deal with memory products usually are up to date with the latest info. __________________ It is not important that the glass is half-full or half-empty, but rather how the glass got that way.

12-22-2005, 11:51 PM	#14 (permalink)
empire Private Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 97	OK, Is 2.5 CAS latency good?

12-25-2005, 01:54 AM	#16 (permalink)
Caslon Lieutenant Colonel Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Deep inside the Earth. Posts: 4,581	Dual channel memory capability is a motherboard feature specific to those that make them. You buy exact pair of memory modules. You shouldn't worry about it and just get a gig of compatible ram. With your setup..just go with DDR ram that gets you 1 gig. Also, I posted already to look up your motherboard specs and see what they reccomend. If your mb is so obscure that they don't have reccomendations for memory...just go for the obvious and not look for latest cutting edge. Go with system stability, not cutting edge fast.