Is 512MB of RAM necessary?

[flipkc]

Hey all,

I was just wondering if it would be alright if I grabbed 256mb of RAM for now and then get a gig of RAM later? And would 256mb of RAM be enough to play CounterStrike : Source at decent FPS?

Here is my new rig

AMD Athlon64 3000+ skt 939
MSI K8N Neo4-F skt 939
X600 Pro 128mb
40gb 5400rpm

Thanks for all your help.

 

[stevty2889]

only using 256mb is really pushing it, thats pretty much the bare minimum for windows to even run somewhat smoothly..sitting idle right now windows is using 199mb by itself..plus if you want to have 1 gig later, it would be better to get a single 512mb stick, then you can just add another later, and have 1gig in dual channel, without dropping the speed to 333mhz and 2T timings like you would if you used 4x256mb sticks. Noyt saying the game wouldn't run, but with 256mb the system would be pretty sluggish, and ram prices are pretty much at an all time low right now anyway, I just picked up a gig for $80..

 

[flipkc]

Oh okay I think I'll try and get some more cash to pull out 512mb. Thanks for your help!

 

[aatf510]

I am not trying to be mean
but with your x600 pro, even with 1gig memory, you have set your details low in order to get "playable" frames.

 

[SVT Cobra]

1 gig is becoming the standard now, 512 is really a must

 

[imported_Kensai]

256 = Don't even try it.
512 = Are you kidding me?
1 GB = Acceptable
2 GB = Prepared for the future
4 GB = Lots of money, or editing dude.
8 GB = High end workstation dude.
16 GB = Higher high end workstation dude
32 GB = Holy god. What the hell are you doing!?!

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: Kensai
256 = Don't even try it.
512 = Are you kidding me?
1 GB = Acceptable
2 GB = Prepared for the future
4 GB = Lots of money, or editing dude.
8 GB = High end workstation dude.
16 GB = Higher high end workstation dude
32 GB = Holy god. What the hell are you doing!?!

lol good post

 

[Orbs]

Don't the newest A64's allow for 400 MHz and dual channel for 4 way memory configurations? I think I read that here on AT actually.

 

[bendixG15]

Don't believe everything you read here

 

[flipkc]

Originally posted by: bendixG15
Don't believe everything you read here

I was hoping it was the opposite because this is a PC product review/news based website isn't it?

 

[Budman]

Originally posted by: Son of a N00b
1 gig is becoming the standard now, 512 is really a must

Yes,512 is the bare minimum,if i were you i would get 1 gig since ram is so cheap right now.

 

[flipkc]

Originally posted by: Budman

Originally posted by: Son of a N00b
1 gig is becoming the standard now, 512 is really a must

Yes,512 is the bare minimum,if i were you i would get 1 gig since ram is so cheap right now.

I'm on a really tight budget so it's not really cheap to me.

 

[Gerbil333]

For gaming, 512mb is the minimum. I don't even like playing UT2k4 with less than 1gb, much less HL2 or any of the more demanding games.

Edit: Are you aware that you can buy a set of Corsair 2x512mb PC3200 for only $82.55 shipped these days? RAM is cheap. Enjoy it

 

[flipkc]

Originally posted by: Gerbil333
For gaming, 512mb is the minimum. I don't even like playing UT2k4 with less than 1gb, much less HL2 or any of the more demanding games.

Edit: Are you aware that you can buy a set of Corsair 2x512mb PC3200 for only $82.55 shipped these days? RAM is cheap. Enjoy it

OMG...is that in CDN or USD??? OMG...that's so cheap

 

[Fisher999]

Originally posted by: bendixG15
Don't believe everything you read here

This thread is becoming too funny !!!

 

[Fisher999]

Originally posted by: stevty2889
...it would be better to get a single 512mb stick, then you can just add another later, and have 1gig in dual channel, without dropping the speed to 333mhz and 2T timings like you would if you used 4x256mb sticks...

StevTv:

I've read that on some boards, using all four slots drops the speed down to 333MHz (from 400MHz) but that isn't the case with ALL dual channel memory boards is it ???

 

[Fisher999]

Originally posted by: Kensai
256 = Don't even try it.
512 = Are you kidding me?
1 GB = Acceptable
2 GB = Prepared for the future
4 GB = Lots of money, or editing dude.
8 GB = High end workstation dude.
16 GB = Higher high end workstation dude
32 GB = Holy god. What the hell are you doing!?!

Kensai:

That's HILARIOUS !!!

 

[Fisher999]

Originally posted by: flipkc

Originally posted by: Gerbil333
For gaming, 512mb is the minimum. I don't even like playing UT2k4 with less than 1gb, much less HL2 or any of the more demanding games.

Edit: Are you aware that you can buy a set of Corsair 2x512mb PC3200 for only $82.55 shipped these days? RAM is cheap. Enjoy it

OMG...is that in CDN or USD??? OMG...that's so cheap

If you want the CVS get it quickly Flip; in the last couple of weeks I've seen NewEgg run out of it almost as quickly as they get it in.

 

[xsilver]

Originally posted by: Kensai
256 = Don't even try it.
512 = Are you kidding me?
1 GB = Acceptable
2 GB = Prepared for the future
4 GB = Lots of money, or editing dude.
8 GB = High end workstation dude.
16 GB = Higher high end workstation dude
32 GB = Holy god. What the hell are you doing!?!

how true
its funny cause if people remember owning 486's -- I had one... i had 8mb ram for a 300mb hdd
thats a 2.6% ratio
but nowadays
you have 1gb ram and a 200gb hdd which is only a 0.5% ratio
keeping a 2.6% ratio will mean 5.2gbs of ram -- how many people have that?

yes its a basic generalization but it shows how times have changed

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

In 1999, I bought a PC with 128 MB of RAM. For Windows 98, that was plenty. After about 2 years, it seems that 128 is really not enough. In 2001, I elected to still buy 128 mb on my new comptuer because I figured a faster HD, faster RAM and faster CPU could solve problems.

My computer was crap. In spring 2003 I was taking like 3 min to boot up with all that crap you have at startup. XP was just dying on 128. I found a friend who threw out 128 and i doulbed up to 256. The performance difference was immediately noticeable. I booted up EXTREMELY fast now and I was so much happier.

In 2003 fall, I went out and bought myself 512 to stick in. Now I run with 512 and its even faster. Good, but sticking in my old 128 to make it 640 doesn't help much anymore.

It seems 512 is the standard now. If yo ugo with anything less, you're screwed, especially for Longhorn. SEeing how 512 is the minimum for Longhorn, I would choose to get 1 GB at least.

I'm now even wondering if buying 1 GB this summer will be sufficient.

 

[Fisher999]

Originally posted by: Orbs
Don't the newest A64's allow for 400 MHz and dual channel for 4 way memory configurations? I think I read that here on AT actually.

That's what I thought too Orbs but it just came to me that it was at the MUSHKIN.com website that I was reading about what stevty2889 described.

If I recall correctly, though, Mushkin was only having the problem on SOME boards and ONLY when they used pairs of different RAM size and density. In otherwords, if ALL four channels were filled with SINGLE-sided same amount (512MB for example) RAM sticks everything was ok.

But if they used one pair of single-sided 512MB sticks in one memory channel and one pair of single-sided 256 MB RAM sticks in the other memory channel the memory controller defaults to 333MHz.

Furthermore, it was impossible to run any more than TWO double-sided RAM sticks in these boards because the boards "saw" each double-sided RAM stick as TWO sticks of RAM.

So for these particular boards the key in being able to use all four RAM slots in 400MHz mode was using the same density and single-sided RAM in ALL four slots (like 4 X 512 MB for example).

Now it just occurred to me that somewhere (it was probably here) i heard that it is Corsair who manufactures the most single-sided RAM sticks.

I hope I've been helpful rather than confusing !

 

[Fisher999]

Originally posted by: xsilver
...keeping a 2.6% ratio will mean 5.2gbs of ram -- how many people have that?

yes its a basic generalization but it shows how times have changed

How true zsilver !!!

 

[Gerbil333]

Originally posted by: flipkc

Originally posted by: Gerbil333
For gaming, 512mb is the minimum. I don't even like playing UT2k4 with less than 1gb, much less HL2 or any of the more demanding games.

Edit: Are you aware that you can buy a set of Corsair 2x512mb PC3200 for only $82.55 shipped these days? RAM is cheap. Enjoy it

OMG...is that in CDN or USD??? OMG...that's so cheap

Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you're in Canada. No, Newegg is USA only. Still, I'd think that RAM prices should have dropped everywhere.

 

[Baked]

Chiefvalue has the same deal for $80.20! Wish I need 2GB of RAM though. Newegg has the 1GB Geil PC3200C3 for $88.

 

[Megatomic]

I wouldn't even consider anything less than 512MB flipkc. 1GB is what I recommend for gamers playing anything that has come out in the last year or so. And if you do any multitasking at all you'll appreciate having more memory installed.