ram upgrades

[chelseafc2005]

hi i am going to install atleast 1gb of ram into my system. All i need to know is that i have 512mb ram atm and when i put in the gb will i be able to keep the ram in the system or not? The brans would be different but it would be pc 3200 ram and that is what i have in the system atm.

thanks in advance

 

[henkjan]

if i were you i would not install 1 gig if you have 512 allready.
if you have 1 gig and 512 the 512 won't work good.
it's better to have 2x 512 or 2 x 1 gig.
but it's your choice

 

[muckshifter]

Take the 512 out ... try the 1g on its own ... then add the 512

The CAS may be different but a modern board should allow for this.

As they are both 3200 you should not have a problem ... famous last words, as Sods Law would say.


As a rule, it is always better to replace existing ram with new ... there, I covered my back if all fails.

 

[chelseafc2005]

ok thanks for the swift replies i will do that once i get my hands on the ram i saw that for the price corsair value select is one of the best to get is that the one with the lifetim warranty aswel?

 

[henkjan]

is it not better he just gets the same 512 mb ram he has now?
if he buys 1 gig he will be like wasting 512 mb of ram.. maybe in the future he will upgrade again and that he will be sitting there with 512 mb of ram that he bought. or don't mind me

 

[chelseafc2005]

the reason i dont want to get the same time of ram that i have atm is that the stuff i have is some cheap no name brand and i want to get something a bit higher quality than it also the brand that i have at the moment i have googled and it is hard to buy it is quite hard to find.

 

[muckshifter]

is it not better he just gets the same 512 mb ram he has now?

Not really, as you said, it is better to "pair" up your ram, especially with a nVidia MB.

if he buys 1 gig he will be like wasting 512 mb of ram

Nope, like I said, try the 1gig to make sure everything is ok ... then why not add the other 512 ... XP will use it if needed AND will soon tell you (by crashing) if there is a missmatch.

.. maybe in the future he will upgrade again and that he will be sitting there with 512 mb of ram that he bought.

Not so, sell it or use it in another PC

I do always buy new ... but I don't give a hoot who supplied the RAM ... I have a pair of 'no name' memory in my system right now ... however, the chips are made by Samsung.

 

[henkjan]

hmm then my bro was wrong..
he said if i would buy 1 gig of ram that the 512 mb of ram i had did work but that it would work less active as befor.

 

[muckshifter]

hmm then my bro was wrong..
he said if i would buy 1 gig of ram that the 512 mb of ram i had did work but that it would work less active as befor.

That really depends on what you have ... and what you buy.

If you can "match" what you are buying with your existing ram, you should have no problems whatsoever. However, most people have bought their PC from Comcrap, Hewlet Crapard, Dell Hell or some othe proprioty manufactured PC ... they fit what works and unless you use someone like Crucial to 'match' it, you'll no doubt end up in misery.

XP is also very picky at what you have as is your MB ... I have been spouting the numbers game for years.

Everything to do with computers is 'critical' and one 'cheap' component can give you a crap load of bother.

Your brother was probably playing safe ... or does not know any better ... but in general, it is better to replace the old with the new. As long as it is the correct type for your MB.

 

[henkjan]

i learn more every day

 

[muckshifter]

i learn more every day

So do I ...