Any reason to do this memory switch

[duragezic]

I currently have 3x512mb PC3200 memory plus 1x256mb PC3200 in my NF4 setup. Thus its single-channel in 2T command rate, AND the timings are on AUTO/SPD so they're pretty slow like 3-4-4-8. One stick is OCZ value, two are completely Unknown and another is a Buffalo stick. But I'm limited by one of them the most so the rest set to the slow timings or hell they're all slow maybe... but anyway timings aren't really what I care about.


I may be able to sell the 256mb Buffalo stick for $15 (would be hard to ask for $20), and then I could order a 512mb stick of Geil Value, OCZ, Value, Corsair VAlue, etc etc for about $38 shipped (anyone have a cheaper price?).

Result:

I increase to 2GB ram in dual chanel (but still 2T) for $23.

I mostly use my computer for games like BF2, HL2/Source, racing games new and old, maybe will buy FEAR or Oblivion. I don't find the swapping to be bad in FEAR or BF2 even when I had 1.5GB. I normally game with around 17-18 processes with the only running programs being the game and Miranda ICQ (tiny). But loading times maybe would improve?? Other than that I encode videos and do a small amount of image editing and I plan to do some sound, DVD, and capturing in the future. But I believe most of that stuff is more CPU limited.

Is the extra 256mb and dual channel worth the $23? We'll say a stick of new 256mb costs $17-20. Is dual channel worth the extra few dollars?

I'm leaning towards no, its not worth it to do for the time and $23 to ever see anything noticeable, but I'd like to know what others think.

 

[obeseotron]

Noticeable - no, Measurable - yes. The fact is, 5% is not noticeable, and that's a pretty generous estimate of the dual channel bump. The fact that you are running single channel, DDR333, 2T, and pretty poor other timings taken together might be hitting you in a very noticeable way. Individually they won't hurt you too much, but they are all cumulative and hurt memory bandwidth a lot. You are getting like 1/3 of a normal dual channel DDR400 Value RAM (Cas 2.5) setup.

In 90% of situations you will get much better performance from 1GB in 2 DIMMs than 2GB in 4 DIMMs on an Athlon64, Battlefield 2 and FEAR being close to the only exceptions. Obviously windows will begin to swap sooner, but 1GB is still pretty much adequate for non-professional workloads. Doing RAM piecemeal is not a viable option on Athlon64s.

 

[duragezic]

What? I'd get better performance with 2x512mb (dual-channel, 1T) then 4x512mb (dual-channel, 2T)??

I thought A64s were hardly affected by memory bandwidth. If I did 4x512mb I'd get dual channel thus double my memory bandwidth? I don't see how having 2/3 the bandwidth of a CAS 2.5 system is slower than having that full bandwidth but with half the memory. Timings account for a couple %, 1t/2T is another couple, with dual-channel being maybe 4-5%. So even worse case I'm loosing 15%... anyway I'm just wondering if HALF the ram really is better with more bandwidth for a A64 system.

 

[alimoalem]

no, the 2 gigs is better than the 1 gig, especially for you'll be doing...i'm really not sure what the other guy was on

why don't you sell your 1.75gb of ram for $100 and spend like $30 more to get 2x1gig of ram? it's a little more than $23 but i think $30 is worth the 15%. you're running at DDR333 instead of DDR400; 2T instead of 1T; CAS 3 timings instead of 2.5; 1.75 gigs instead of 2gb; and mixing and matching isn't always good. then again, you don't have any immediate need to upgrade. it's really up to you. if you want to keep your $30 to save up for a future upgrade (which is a very good option), you can. or you can experience blazing fast 15% faster ram .

do you plan on upgrading anytime soon in the future? and maybe you can have your $23 go towards a video card upgrade instead. could you list your video card?

 

[mechBgon]

I mostly use my computer for games like BF2, HL2/Source, racing games new and old, maybe will buy FEAR or Oblivion.

What I keep seeing the BF2 players say in the 1GB v. 2GB discussions, is that map swaps go faster with 2GB and that it's worthwhile for that reason.

If it were me, I'd sell the whole pile and get two matched 1GB modules. If you buy a new 512 and it has a different logical layout than your loner 512 has, then you might have 2GB but still end up with single-channel since the dissimilar modules can't both be addressed the same way.

Sorry if that's not a lot of help. But my money's where my mouth is, I use two 1GB's on my NF4 work rig And I am now bumping up against the 2GB ceiling about every couple days. C'mon Windows Vista, arrive already

 

[1N0V471V]

I honestly hate the idea of having mis-matched RAM in my machine. But that's just me. . .

 

[KoolDrew]

why don't you sell your 1.75gb of ram for $100 and spend like $30 more to get 2x1gig of ram?

:thumbsup:

 

[2kfire]

Originally posted by: alimoalem

why don't you sell your 1.75gb of ram for $100 and spend like $30 more to get 2x1gig of ram?

My vote also goes for this one.

 

[duragezic]

I don't know how I'd sell my current RAM for that much if mis-matching is such a bad idea. No one would want it and I'd end up paying a bunch of money just for a little bit better timings and bandwidth. I just spent $750 upgrading and don't have $ to do much else. I thought 4x512mb would be my best cheap/value upgrade until say a year or 1.5 years when DDR3 or whatnot is mainstream, cause basically if I bought 2x1GB now I'd barely get anything out of it and be stuck with a bunch of crappy RAM. Not worth $150 really. Fvck.

Also, once I raise my HTT a little more, I'll be at 200mhz or within a couple mhz. I'm at 196mhz now, so I am basically at DDR400. Best case is the new 512mb stick would work okay in dual channel.

I was able to run 3x512mb in dual channel on my old NF2 board. Two were the unknown but matched sticks and the other is OCZ Value. If my 4th 512mb chip was purchased to be OCZ value again, I should be almost garaunteed to run dual channel hey?

 

[alimoalem]

don't the two running in dual channel need to basically be the same sticks? i thought running a corsair with an ocz would keep it single channel...i could be wrong but that's my impression.

 

[duragezic]

I don't think so. Like I said I ran dual channel with different sticks. It might be different with NF4 though.

If I get some spare time I'll do some benchmarks myself with REAL WORLD tests. Mostly applicaition and game level loading, as well as fps in games.

When you have too little RAM, you usually now it with massive hard drive swapping causing bigtime stuttering in games. But if you have lower than average memory bandwidth, I'm not sure of the symptoms and if its noticeable. My single channel, 2T doesn't seem to be hampering me at all. I play most games 1680x1050 2-4X AA/16X AF high details, with the few exceptions like FEAR where I can't have AA on.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

I mostly use my computer for games like BF2, HL2/Source, racing games new and old, maybe will buy FEAR or Oblivion.

What I keep seeing the BF2 players say in the 1GB v. 2GB discussions, is that map swaps go faster with 2GB and that it's worthwhile for that reason.

If it were me, I'd sell the whole pile and get two matched 1GB modules. If you buy a new 512 and it has a different logical layout than your loner 512 has, then you might have 2GB but still end up with single-channel since the dissimilar modules can't both be addressed the same way.

Sorry if that's not a lot of help. But my money's where my mouth is, I use two 1GB's on my NF4 work rig And I am now bumping up against the 2GB ceiling about every couple days. C'mon Windows Vista, arrive already

i see that bf2 map change discussion all the time too, but with 1GB i am always the in the first 5(usually the first) person on the map with 1GB.... and i always beat a buddy of mine that is running 2GB and a 74GB raptor.

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: duragezic
I don't know how I'd sell my current RAM for that much if mis-matching is such a bad idea. No one would want it and I'd end up paying a bunch of money just for a little bit better timings and bandwidth. I just spent $750 upgrading and don't have $ to do much else. I thought 4x512mb would be my best cheap/value upgrade until say a year or 1.5 years when DDR3 or whatnot is mainstream, cause basically if I bought 2x1GB now I'd barely get anything out of it and be stuck with a bunch of crappy RAM. Not worth $150 really. Fvck.

Also, once I raise my HTT a little more, I'll be at 200mhz or within a couple mhz. I'm at 196mhz now, so I am basically at DDR400. Best case is the new 512mb stick would work okay in dual channel.

I was able to run 3x512mb in dual channel on my old NF2 board. Two were the unknown but matched sticks and the other is OCZ Value. If my 4th 512mb chip was purchased to be OCZ value again, I should be almost garaunteed to run dual channel hey?

Sell them individually, so you sell the 256MB stick(s) by the selves or paired with another 256, and the 512MB stick(s) by them selves or paired.
So if you have 4 sticks, 2 512MB and 2 256, sell the 2 512 together and the 2 256 together. If you've got 3 512MB sticks and 1 256, then you sell a pair of 512sticks, 1 256 stick and 1 512 stick.