Memory question

[carpenter940]

I have a motherboard with three memory slots.
At the moment I have:
bank 0 - 64MB PC133
bank 1 - 128MB PC133
Bank 2 - open

I have the opportunity to put either a 128MB PC100 or a 64MB PC133 into
bank 2, what would be the better choice since the 64MB is faster than
the 128MB?
In other words is the extra 64MB boost worth the slowdown in speed?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have a motherboard with three memory slots.
At the moment I have:
bank 0 - 64MB PC133
bank 1 - 128MB PC133
Bank 2 - open

I have the opportunity to put either a 128MB PC100 or a 64MB PC133
into bank 2, what would be the better choice since the 64MB is
faster than the 128MB?
In other words is the extra 64MB boost worth the slowdown in speed?

You are speaking differences in speed of milliseconds anyway.

Your benefit - assuming Windows XP operating system - of having more than
256MB of memory would greatly outweigh the decrease you would see (barring
any incompatibility issues with the hardware) due to the slower speed
(memory will only be as fast as the slowest speed component.)

I would - in your case - consider buying a larger stick of RAM; as Windows
XP will take probably whatever *you* can throw at it and it will only
improve your experience with said computer. Now - if this is the case where
this is just some spare machine or you don't want to dump any money into it
what-so-ever... So be it.

If it does tweak your interest...
Go here:
http://www.crucial.com/
Enter the system manufacturer/model/etc and find your ram then compare
prices here:
http://www.pricewatch.com/

Get a lifetime warranty stick of the largest the system can take and go.
Given what you have...

256MB sticks starting at $24 shipped with lifetime warranty:
http://www.pricewatch.com/memory/1948-1.htm

512MB sticks starting at $43 shipped with lifetime warranty:
http://www.pricewatch.com/memory/2425-1.htm

Good Luck!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have a motherboard with three memory slots.
At the moment I have:
bank 0 - 64MB PC133
bank 1 - 128MB PC133
Bank 2 - open

I have the opportunity to put either a 128MB PC100 or a 64MB PC133
into bank 2, what would be the better choice since the 64MB is faster
than the 128MB?
In other words is the extra 64MB boost worth the slowdown in speed?

It doesn't work that way.

What you are calling the speed of the RAM is actually not the speed it runs
at, but the speed it's *rated* to run at. The actual speed it runs at is a
motherboard setting and all RAM on the motherboard runs at the same speed.

If you have memory that doesn't match in speed, you need to set the
motherboard to run at the slower speed. If you don't, you will likely find
that the slower-rated memory will fail in use.

Also note that WIndows XP is very fussy about having all the RAM on the
motherboard matching in all respects. Unless the new RAM is exactly the same
with respect to speed, timing, and brand, I wouldn't add it at all. If you
do, you will likely experience problems with it.

 

[carpenter940]

Thanks Shenan Stanley and Ken Blake

Up untill now I'd been running WinXP with the 3rd bank populated with
the 64MB PC133 and it had been running fine for the past year. I came
across the 128MB PC100 in a computer I was using for parts. I went
ahead and used the 128MB module and it's been stable for the past 5
hours, but if I start having problems I'll do as Ken advised and go
with the matching 64MB memory.

This is a computer for my 11 year old daughter so if it goes down for
awhile she and I dont really care She only plays zoo tycoon on it.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks Shenan Stanley and Ken Blake

Up untill now I'd been running WinXP with the 3rd bank populated with
the 64MB PC133 and it had been running fine for the past year. I came
across the 128MB PC100 in a computer I was using for parts. I went
ahead and used the 128MB module and it's been stable for the past 5
hours, but if I start having problems I'll do as Ken advised and go
with the matching 64MB memory.

You're welcome and good luck.