Are all ram the same?

4788 Views 4 Replies 3 Participants Last post by MunkyPhil, Jan 8, 2007

U2XS

Discussion Starter · Jan 6, 2007

Hey guys, I have 512 MB of Kingston Hyper X Ram (PC2 6000 I believe). I'd like to add 1 GB of RAM to this but I'm not sure what to get.

If I generic brand, it could be about $60 cheaper than 1 GB of Kingston Hyper X. Assuming that the specifications are the same, is there a difference due to the brand?

If so, what issue can I expect? Thanks for the help!

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8210GUY

· #2 · Jan 7, 2007

Yes there are numerous differences that one can face, the major points are the speed and cas latency of the ram, getting something different from what you have will at best cause it to run at the slowest speed, therefore penalising your speed, other issues may involve a finicky motherboard only accepting certain combinations of ram (max sizes etc).
I would strongly suggest sticking with the exact same ram to minimise possible problems, getting another brand or even more so a no name brand you have no idea if it will work or not.

One thing I will ask though, are you intending to get this new stick to enable hyperthreading ?
Because if you are you may be better off selling that stick you have and buying a matched pair of ram, at least that way you are guaranteed that they will do the job you got them for, just a thought.

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U2XS

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 7, 2007

Thanks!

Hey, thanks for the fast reply! I've noticed when working with computer parts that even though they should be standardized and their capacities match, there is often a big different between brands.

No, I didn't have the intention of using it for Hyperthreading - though after looking into it, I may want to do it now. The reason I did it is because my Win XP task manager often tells me that I am up to 450+ RAM usage. So I figured that another gig would put me well over the mark and give me leeway to render video footage and Flash websites.

Thanks for the help!

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8210GUY

· #4 · Jan 7, 2007 (Edited)

Well given the cost of some ram these days it probably wouldn't hurt to add a bit more at least, say another 512 stick, it should help a lot with your speed, then I'd suggest when you next upgrade look at 2 gig (2x1gig paired) ram, but look at that when your ready to swap motherboards\processors, but just get another 512 for now, should be cheap enough to get another stick of what you currently have.

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MunkyPhil

· #5 · Jan 8, 2007

I'm guessing hyperthreading above is meant to be dual channel. Dual channel is a function of your motherboard's chipset and you can learn everything you need to know from your motherboard manual.

I think you have two options.

1. Have 1.5Gb running in single channel. If you do multimedia/editing etc I would go with the higher capacity. A boost of two matched dual channel 1Gb sticks would be best for this though, then you can sell the 512Mb.

2. For normal use and even gaming go with the performance increase from 1Gb dual channel. You don't need any more than a gig for this.

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