ddr2

[Antcomp]

im planning on getting a new mobo that supports ddr2 and was wondering what number ddr2 would be advisible. is there a difference btw 3200, 4200, 5300 , 6??? . ive seen many diff numbers but not sure the difference. im getting a p4 processor chip the new 600 series 3.2ghz.
also if i get 1 gb of memory should i buy 2 512mb so i can access dual channel memory on my mobo b/c i know if you have an odd number of chips only single channel memory is achieved. unless its really not much of a difference.

 

[cdogg]

If you search for DDR2 on Yahoo! or Google, you will get a ton of hits, most of which will answer your question.

For the most part, you don't need to worry about it too much yet. DDR2 400MHz (PC2-3200) performs almost identically to DDR1 400MHz (PC3200). The frontside bus speed of P4's are still capped at 800MHz, so using DDR2 533MHz (PC2-4200) or 800MHz (PC2-5300) doesn't provide much benefit now. It will in the near future, but not with today's offerings.

The way to look at it is that DDR1 is going away, but will still be around for some time. If you decide to go with DDR2, the speed shouldn't make much difference. Just be sure to get it in "dual-channel" configuration.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[Antcomp]

i see. well then my next question would be that i looked at all the memory on newegg and im not sure what brandname to go with b/c the prices range so much for about the same types of chips so what is a good range to go with moneywise until it gets ridiculous.

 

[pmonett]

I have never bought brand-name RAM sticks and my PC works fine. Of course, I don't get the highest scores like professional benchmark sites do, nor do I overclock my RAM.
I feel that getting top-notch, high quality RAM is a lot more expensive than it is worth, and I am not rabid enough a performance geek to really need it. I prefer putting my money in a good graphics card, the CPU, and buying more RAM for the price.
Just be sure to get RAM with a warranty, so that defective units do not cost you. For the rest, whatever you get will most probably be good enough for personal use, especially when used in dual-channel configurations.

Pascal.

 

[cdogg]

I agree with pmonett to certain extent. However, keep in mind that many brands like Corsair sell value modules that are much cheaper than their overclocking, high-end versions. I remember buying 1GB of Corsair PC3200 Value RAM (CAS Latency 2.5) for around $100 recently.

Now it's only $80 plus shipping. See this link:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145440

You might be able to find cheaper generic memory, but I can't imagine you would save much more than $20 on a 1GB. Other good brands that I've come across are Micron (

http://www.crucial.com),

Mushkin, Kingston, and Samsung.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884