Need some RAM

What should I do about my lack of RAM?

My Motherboard is a GigaByte P35-DS3P

Supports DDR2 800/667 memory
Dual Channel architecture supports up to 8GB by 4 DIMM slots

I am using 2 paired 1 GB sticks of RAM
- G.Skill F2-6400CL5-1GBNQ 1GB DIMM DDR2 PC2-6400U DDR2-800 (5-5-5-15 3-20-6-3)


I could;
- buy 4 new paired 2GB sticks - $100
- add 2 paired 2GB sticks - $50
- add 2 paired 1GB sticks - $26
- add 1 single 2GB stick - $22
(800MHz only)


Not sure, but I think buying a single 2GB stick would be better than buying 2 more paired 1GB sticks, and cheaper also. I really don't want to spend $100 either. $50 at the most. Also waiting on a friend who is out of town, to hook me up with Win 7 to upgrade from XP. I could buy 2 1GB sticks and at least run 1 of them till I upgrade the OS. Not sure what would happen if I put in one 2GB stick, or more before upgrading.

Deity wrote:
Hi Mr. Deity sir!


You really should upgrade, I agree so far!

And since your mobo supports dual, I'd buy a kit of 2 paired 1GB sticks ($26) instead of a single 2BG stick. You'll lose some performance when you lose your dual-channel by adding a single stick.

When using XP 32-bit you'll be able to use about 3.2 GB of the 4 GB memory due to 32-bit limitations. Upgrading to W7-64 will make all the memory accessable.

I wouldn't go for more than 4 GB in total now, your mobo isn't that new and will be the bottleneck (depending on the CPU you're using) rather then the amount or RAM.

Good luck!

Alrighty then. I'll go pick up and install 2 more. They don't have to match the timing of my other 2 sticks do they?
(5-5-5-15 3-20-6-3)

Installed the 2 Kingston sticks, but now my chipset is registering 2x 333MHz instead of 2x 400MHz as it did prior.

Chipset
Model : Giga-Byte P35/G33/G31 Processor to I/O Controller
Front Side Bus Speed : 4x 200MHz (800MHz)
Total Memory : 4GB DIMM DDR2
Channels : 2
Memory Bus Speed : 2x 333MHz (666MHz)


Memory Module(s)
Memory Module : G.Skill F2-6400CL5-1GBNQ 1GB DIMM DDR2 PC2-6400U DDR2-800 (5-5-5-15 3-20-6-3)
Memory Module : Kingston 1GB DIMM DDR2 PC2-6400U DDR2-800 (5-6-6-18 3-24-6-3)
Memory Module : G.Skill F2-6400CL5-1GBNQ 1GB DIMM DDR2 PC2-6400U DDR2-800 (5-5-5-15 3-20-6-3)
Memory Module : Kingston 1GB DIMM DDR2 PC2-6400U DDR2-800 (5-6-6-18 3-24-6-3)

Deity wrote:

Im afraid they do

size can vary but speed MUST be the same or all will run at the slower speed (if they run together at all)

I have 2 x 2gig DDRII 333 when I placed in a DDRII 666 it was not compatible with the other two and refused to run at all.

I just meant the timing. They're all PC2-6400 800 MHz. I don't know why the Bus Speed went to 666MHz, unless I had a switch to flip for the other slots I didn't pay attention to. Called my uncle, he said it was alright. Thinks they should all have the same timings, but that's about impossible to do unless you buy them all at once.

Try placing the higher sticks in the first slots, I know when it comes to capacity that that is important.

Deity wrote:Hi D.,

ATM I'm preparing for NewYearsEve (means: I'm already drunk and stoned and..., well, wasted)_ so I'm not going to do the maths here, but I believe your computer is right.

Latency and clockspeed combined determine actual speed, and so the memory controller calculates the optimum setting, in your case the controller finds the optimum with 2x333=666MHz.
Happens. Maybe you can tweak something so it will run on 2x400=800, but latency (=cycles waiting time) would increase so much (maybe due to differences in modules) that optimum speed isn't archieved.
(For instance: A latency of 3 means: 3 clocks to respond. Hz is times per second. So a latency of 3 @ 666MHz is faster (4.5 ms delay) then latency 4 @ 800)5 ms delay)

If you run CPU-Z (freeware) you can see actual speed an latency. Probably with one kit (in dual-channel) it will run at 800 with a set of latency's, the other kit will also run on 800 but with different latency's but both kits combined the fastest corespeed/latency will be exactly what your controller calculated.

besides: I shouldn't post while I'm drunk and stoned.
Do you agree?


Happy New Year everyone!

going over 4gb of ram is really pointless and just waste of money.

i agree, 4gb is plenty.

choccy99 wrote:


XP wont handle more that 4GB

Deity wrote:

If you have a quad-core CPU, you can put up to 16GB on that board but 8GB is fine for you if you aren't a power-user like I am and you have a dual-core CPU. If you are going to Windows 7 64-bit, you will definitely want to go 8GB to take advantage of 64-bit software apps like upcoming games and multi-media stuff.

That MB only takes up to 8 GB of DDR2 Ram. I bought 2 more 1 GB sticks and eventually I will buy a new MB, CPU, RAM, and a new PSU + video card. Probably get new case, mouse, keyboard....

Deity wrote:

It takes up to 16GB. The manufacturer never tested it with 16GB because 4GB DIMMs were not being made by consumer memory makers when the board was designed and tested in their labs, so it says 8GB on the specs page. Lots of people, including myself, are using 16GB of RAM on older boards including that one.