Memory choice

[Graham]

Want to add 512mb memory to the 512 I already have.
Current system running PC2700
To future proof (a bit), was going to get 2x256 PC3200
But now I'm confused as I see there is PC4000 & PC4400!
Eventually I guess I'll go to AMD 64 CPU, but not for a year or so - any
recommendations for the spped to go for?
TIA

 

[JAD]

Your motherboard will be the determiner of what memory you 'can'
use.

 

[Graham]

Current mobo 2700 - as I said, want to buy memory can be used later on
Nforce 2/3

 

[JAD]

that's my point, you are only limited by what your 'current' board
will accept, if you are saying you want to use 'now' and then on a
newer board 'later'.

 

[somebody]

Want to add 512mb memory to the 512 I already have.
Current system running PC2700
To future proof (a bit), was going to get 2x256 PC3200
But now I'm confused as I see there is PC4000 & PC4400!
Eventually I guess I'll go to AMD 64 CPU, but not for a year or so - any
recommendations for the spped to go for?
TIA

No, I can't say which speed to get.
But you should get _as_few_ memory sticks as possible. I don't think
there's any modern chipset/memory controller that is perfectly happy
with more than two sticks of nonregistered ram.
I'd go for a single stick 512 PC3200 (or check price on PC3700). If
you're getting one of the cheaper A 64s, when it's time, DDR400 might
still be ok.

ancra

 

[Graham]

Thanks. I think JAD missed my point about wanting to future-proof, and all I
really needed to know is if faster memory would run at a lower speed on my
existing system. In fact its worth having higher speed memory anyway should
you wish to overclock your FSB at all. In the end I puchased 512mb og Geil
PC3500 CAS 2.5 - it runs at CAS 2 fine with quite tight memory timings, and
the 3500 means I have some overclockability even on a DDR400 sytem.
I would love to have only 2 sticks of mem, but cannot justify ditching my
existing 2 x 256 to replace with 2 x 512. My understanding of the
disadvantage of using 2 slots versus 3/4 is the extra power drawn. So far as
stability goes the advice garnered from overclocking forums is to leave
memory slot 3 empty and put the extra stick in 4, which I have done and all
is stable.

 

[sooky grumper]

Thanks. I think JAD missed my point about wanting to future-proof, and all I
really needed to know is if faster memory would run at a lower speed on my
existing system.

I'm coming in late to this thread. Faster memory shouldn't have any
problem running at a lower clock speed. However, keep in mind that by
the time you're likely to upgrade again, the motherboards may be taking
different memory: DDR2 or something even more advanced. If it were
cheaper to buy faster, then go for the faster. If not, then buy to match
your motherboard chipset's max FSB.

In fact its worth having higher speed memory anyway should
you wish to overclock your FSB at all.
True.

In the end I puchased 512mb og Geil
PC3500 CAS 2.5 - it runs at CAS 2 fine with quite tight memory timings, and
the 3500 means I have some overclockability even on a DDR400 sytem.

Ah, you already bought it. I should have finished reading the post
before commenting. Sounds like you're happy with the purchase, as you
should be.

 

[Graham]

Thanks, your're right about DDR2 etc but at least I do have some headroom.
Incidentally, it seems that mem prices have been rising recently largely due
to manufacturers switching to DDR2 production, making the present DDR sticks
a bit scarcer...