1x512mb ddr or 2x256mb ddr sticks?

Scruff

Will have to buy a new rig in the next month or so and am thinking of getting an Nforce2 mb but can only afford to buy 512mb ram for it. Whats the best ram config to use with these boards?

Ta,
Scruff.

ozt9vdujny3srf

If you get an nforce 2 that supports dual ddr (which u should )

most definitely 2 * 256 is the best.

If not dual ddr, I would say the 512 stick, cause it prolly works out cheaper

jow

Hi,

the NForce2 is built to support Dual-Channel DDR.
The performance you gain is around 3 - 5 Percent in comparison to one memory module. So this is probably not noticable......

On the other hand: I would say if you want to use the PC for gaming 512MB is the minimum of memory you should install.

So you can go for two 256, have 5% better Performance but if you want to decide to upgrade your system you can throw them away..... ;-))
Or you buy a good PC400 512 Module and you can upgrade your system to 1GB by getting another module (but in that case don't buy a no-name module, because you never know what you get....)

regards,

jow

Venom

What jow said. Always go for 1 big chip over 2 small ones as you never know when your gonna upgrade, but the smaller sized chips tend to be disgarded in my experence.

ozt9vdujny3srf

i'd have to disagree, youll never go over a gig od ram on that rig anyway, on a side not, the nforce 2 ultra-400 doent support dual ddr, so if you are going down that route, thats the board for you.

i would have thought the performance gain is well over 5 % though.

unkel

Everybody has a point. If it was me however I'd go for this weeks offer from Komplett

http://komplett.ie/k/k.asp?ck=1&r=1&action=info&s=ut&p=34153&AvdID=1&CatID=17&GrpID=19

who'd have thought to have 1GB of 3200 Corsair DDR for €154 :cool:

so obviously get 2

jk2001

I would start out with a good quality 512Mb PC3200 stick. Corsair is good, so is Mushkin (www.mushkin.com).
I would not go with the cheapest you can find (like the Komplett offer) - the Nforce2 is capable of superb performance so don't downgrade your system by choosing a CAS2.5 stick - make sure you pick one that is rated CAS2. It will cost you a bit more but I think it will be worth the extra cash.
-jayo

irishguy

the other way to think of it is that its easier to sell 256mb chips and they depreciate less compaired to 512mb chips. Also i think 512mb should be enough ram for a few years i have 512mb and i play most new games and i never use it but hey i remember saying 2 or 3 years ago who would want more than 192mb :cool: .... so it is up to you

ozt9vdujny3srf

WIll you look at that, i was absolutely wrong :P

http://www.overclockers.com/tips00395/

(on a side note i am getting the corsair memory from komplett because it owns :P)

jow

Also i think 512mb should be enough ram for a few years i have 512mb and i play most new games and i never use it but hey i remember saying 2 or 3 years ago who would want more than 192mb

honest: before I startet to play battlefield or other newer games I thought 256 is enough....

forget it: I bought a 512MB as an Add-On because the loading times of the game levels were crap.

after arrival I made some tests:
the loading times increase from 256 to 512 by 50%!!
And, after applying the 256 module to a sum of 768MB the increase was still 15% (I should have the exact seconds somewhere....)

So I would always recommend: go for a minimum of 512MB and be happy if you can add some more after 12 months ....

jow

Scruff

so a 512mb pc3200 stick it is then, if i can afford it cause i was looking at cheapy noname one...:o

i suppose the advantage of buying a goog quailty Pc3200 stick is that if i do in future upgrade to a 400mhz fzb athlon i wont have to replace the ram as well to get the right performance out of it.

cheers all!

though, jow, your confusing me, do you mean the load times decreased by 50% when you went from 256 to 512?
Are you a foreigner who can't speak english proper?

jow

though, jow, your confusing me, do you mean the load times decreased by 50% when you went from 256 to 512?
Are you a foreigner who can't speak english proper?

damn...got me.... :ninja:

yes, sometimes it is hard for us germans

What I meant was decreasing you are right....

sorry, I do my best

jow

ozt9vdujny3srf

Originally posted by Scruff
so a 512mb pc3200 stick it is then, if i can afford it cause i was looking at cheapy noname one...:o

i suppose the advantage of buying a goog quailty Pc3200 stick is that if i do in future upgrade to a 400mhz fzb athlon i wont have to replace the ram as well to get the right performance out of it.

cheers all!

though, jow, your confusing me, do you mean the load times decreased by 50% when you went from 256 to 512?
Are you a foreigner who can't speak english proper?

I would recommend the crucial memory that is available at the moment for 177€